Resin Art Troubleshooting 101
Resin Art seems complicated and scary right? What if you don't work quick enough, what if you mix in too much pigment? What if the resin doesn't bind properly to your surface?!? Well the good news is it doesn't have to be hard - in fact it's actually quite easy. That doesn't mean that things can't go wrong from time to time though. Keep reading to find out how to troubleshoot some common resin art issues.
Problem: The resin isn't sticking to my chosen surface. It is pulling away from the board
Solution: This can sometimes happen when you try to pour resin on a surface that is glossy, too smooth or with a thick varnish. This happens a lot in particular with certain cheeseboards that have an oil based varnish on them. The resin doesn't like oil or oil based paints and varnishes. You might find it sticks in most places but pulls away from the sides.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to sand the surface area you wish to cover in resin. Give it a good sand with a coarse grit and then wipe off any dust before you do your resin pour.
If you're already underway with your pour and realise this is happening, the best thing to do is just forge ahead and then come back for a second layer once the first coat is fully cured. Thoroughly sand over the first resin layer and make sure any holes in the resin are sanded too. Dust off the board and do a second resin pour to fix any inconsistencies. Sometimes this can give some really cool effects as your resin with have depth and texture throughout the 2 layers. Your second resin layer should dry smooth and with a glassy finish.
Problem: Your resin has started to cure and thicken but you're not done creating your masterpiece yet!
Solution: Heat will reactivate the resin and begin to make it more fluid as it heats up. If your resin is thickening too much and not blending together how you would like, just blast it with your heat gun for a bit until is starts to flow again. You can also use this trick if you knock your resin or touch it before its done curing to smooth it all back into place.
Problem: You got resin where you didn't want resin!!
Solution: Whoops! accidents happen. If you get resin on your floor or bench, wipe it up with a paper towel dipped in methylated spirits or acetone based nail polish remover whilst the resin is still wet. It will come right off. You can also use this trick to wipe wet resin off your canvas/board if you get it where you don't want it. Sadly, if you get it on your clothes or fabric, it's probably going to be there for good :(.
When you do a resin pour, drips on the underside of your board/canvas are to be expected. The best method is prevention! tape up the backs of your boards/canvas/coaster blanks before you start your resin art - that way when your resin is fully cured, you just have to peel the tape off and the drips come with it!
If you just love a bit of chaos and couldn't wait to get stuck into your Drippy kit, you can also remove drips or any unwanted resin by heating up the drips with a heat gun once fully cured and scraping them off with a stanley knife or chisel - the drips will come right off.
Problem: My resin has cured and I have realised there are bumps, gaps, untidy edges
Solution: A bit of sparkle fixes everything! If you don't like the way your edges look or you've made a boo boo in your resin pour, just cover it in some strategically placed gold leaf and no one will know! Resin coasters and boards look great with some gold leaf edging! Once your resin is cured, paint some foil glue or any tacky glue onto the area you want to gild, add your gold leaf and seal in with a final coat of resin. If the resin piece is purely for show (you won't be eating cheese off it!), you could even leave the gold leaf as is or seal it in with a spray on varnish.
If you have encountered any other issues that require some troubleshooting get in touch with us and we will be sure to help!
Happy resining xx