When it comes to resin, I have gained so much experience over the last year and a half. I began my resin journey in my Mom's kitchen in May 2020 and I grew my hobby into a business allowing me to create and design resin full-time. I've consistently practiced and learned this skill with taking very little time off. I've mad a lot of mistakes and I've learned a lot simultaneously. I am well informed enough to share with you some major tips to help prevent you from making some of the same mistakes that I have.
I will also link below the products that I recommend underneath each tip so that you are able to purchase them easily without guessing if it's the right one or not.
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Y'all listen ... In the beginning I used to think "I really don't want to spend my money buying extra materials if I don't really need them." Because let's be honest, resin is expensive! So I always used to say to myself "I don't really need gloves. I can just be extra careful. *inserts side eye emoji*. Let's just say I no longer work without gloves ... EVER! It gets extremely messy and resin is not at all simple to clean up. Once it dries, it's there forever pretty much. So gloves will help prevent messing up any other items you have around as well as protecting you from the headache you'll have from trying to "wash" it off. (Bonus Tip: 99% isopropyl alcohol works WONDERS cleaning up resin. But you have to do it before it cures. The sooner you wipe it off the better.) #isopropylalcohol #99alcohol #alcohol
My Favorite Gloves
I love nitrile gloves! They're the gloves that people are talking about when they say "It fits like a glove"! It isn't loose but it also isn't too tight. They literally fit just right! Absolutely love them and they will always be my first choice! Plastic gloves are toooo loose. I've had horrible experiences with them because of the nature of the resin being liquidity and sticky it's just not the best choice. I also prefer powder-free for no real reason except the fact that I dislike them. #nitrile #powderfreegloves #gloves
2. Make sure your work area is leveled.
I have had several of instances where I finished designing my project and I absolutely loved the outcome of it. I left to let it cure and came back and my design is practically on the table. Using a leveler ensures that your resin will not drip off due to an imbalance. It makes your products come out looking more professional. You will have less dents in your work. It will also ensure that you have a smooth and leveled finished helping your product to look as if it was manufactured. They're not expensive and it's completely worth the investment. #leveler #levelerforresin
3. Wear clothes that you do NOT mind getting messy.
Don't mess up your good clothes! Resin WILL NOT come out! Don't lie to yourself like I did "I'm going to be quick so I don't really need to change". *insert eye roll emoji* I messed up my almost new pair of UGGS and countless shirts. There's is no "I'll be fast enough to not mess up my clothing" when it comes to resin. It's unpredictable. Be safe and change your clothing! You can also consider purchasing an apron if you MUST, but I still recommend changing your clothes over any other option. #apron #apronforresin
4. Use Drop Cloths.
What are drop cloths? It's a large plastic sheet that is used for covering furniture or flooring to protect it. Some people use it when they're painting or working with lots of dust.
Don't mess up your perfectly good floors and tables! Resin gets rock hard. If you're working over carpet and it cures there's really not much you can do except kiss that part of your carpet goodbye if you cannot cut it out. If you're working over hardwood floors then you can possibly use a heat gun and scrape it up. But just to be as safe as possible use drop cloths! I personally use them on my tables and the floors underneath my table because resin drips.
I prefer the plastic cloths because resin cannot adhere to plastic and can easily peel off once it is cured. #dropcloth #plasticdropcloth #howtoprotectfromresin
5. Invest in a torch.
I've seen a few people ask a lot of questions about the bubbles curing in their resin products. Using a torch is such a breath of fresh air when it comes to working with resin! I know you may think it's just better to purchase resin that claims to have little to no bubbles. However, that cannot be guaranteed when you're using additives with your resin such as acrylic paints. Torches take out the bubbles very very well and it also doesn't spread your design around unless you purposely use it to do so. It's honestly one of the best investments I've made with working with resin and I will never work on a product without it.