Frequently Asked Questions about Working with Epoxy

Epoxy has a wide range of applications. It is used for making art, jewelry or casting coatings and floors . Last year we gained thousands of customers. At itsOkay you will find everything for your project. Take a look at our extensive and complete range of epoxy casting resin, epoxy pigment , silicone molds and tools .

Here we answer frequently asked questions regarding working with epoxy casting resin. Do you have a question that is not listed? Let us know.

1 - How much epoxy do you need?
2 - What is epoxy?
3 - Why is my epoxy not hardening?
4 - "Craters" appear in the epoxy
5 - Can the epoxy be thrown away with the trash?
6 - How to remove sharp epoxy edges?
7 - How long can I store epoxy ?
8 - Is epoxy dangerous?
9 - How do I clean silicone epoxy molds?
10 - The epoxy remains sticky
11 - How do I make gold edges or texts on epoxy?
12 - How do you prevent objects from 'swimming/floating'?
13 - Removing air bubbles
14 - What is the difference between UV Resin and epoxy casting resin?
15 - How do you get a deformed silicone mold back into shape?

[1] How much epoxy do you need?

Are you planning to work with epoxy casting resin and do you want to buy epoxy casting resin? But do you have no idea how much epoxy you need exactly? We are happy to help you.

For all relevant information, see the following article written by epoxy experts:

Article: How Much Epoxy Do You Need?

[2] What is epoxy casting resin?

Epoxy is a durable and incredibly strong material. The material adheres well to various surfaces and can withstand a knock or two. Epoxy is easy to process, even for the do-it-yourselfer. You can use epoxy for coating, casting, laminating, furniture and resin art. In this article we will teach you everything about epoxy casting resin, the different types and how you can get started yourself.

For all relevant information, please see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article: " Epoxy Casting Resin - Practical Guide "

[3] Why is my epoxy not hardening?

If your epoxy does not cure (properly), this could be due to a number of causes.
We have written a separate article about this. For all relevant information, see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article: " Why is my epoxy not hardening - Causes & Solutions "

[4] "Craters" appear in epoxy

The cause of this is usually grease. This causes the epoxy to pull away in some places. The solution is to sand again and especially degrease the bad spots. Then apply another layer of epoxy .

[5] Can epoxy be thrown away with the trash?

Epoxy resin can be disposed of with the trash once it has fully hardened. Unhardened epoxy resin is a chemical product and must be disposed of with the chemical waste.

[6] How to remove sharp epoxy edges?

When your artwork comes out of the silicone mold, chances are there are still rough, sharp or protruding edges on the jewelry. You can cut these away with fine scissors, pliers or an epoxy deburrer .
Are there holes or irregularities in your creation? Then you can finish it with a thin layer of new epoxy.

For all relevant information, please see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article: " Removing sharp edges of epoxy "

[7] How long can I store epoxy ?

Epoxy can be stored for at least 2 years, but in practice often much longer. Store the epoxy in a cool and dark place. The hardener can become more yellow over time. This does not affect the effect, but can be undesirable for transparent applications.

[8] Is epoxy dangerous?

Epoxy is relatively safe. However , it is important to take a number of safety precautions . We recommend using face and skin protection when working with epoxy . Always use proper respiratory protection when sanding wood or epoxy ! If your skin does come into contact with epoxy , do not use any chemicals. Vinegar is the best way to remove epoxy that has not yet hardened.

Epoxy should be stored safely and kept out of reach of children. Once hardened, e poxy is completely harmless to humans, animals and plants. If health problems do occur, consult a doctor.

For all relevant information, please see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article : " Working safely with epoxy, what and how? "

[9] How do I clean the silicone molds?

Silicone molds are easy to maintain. For all relevant information, see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article: " Maintenance of silicone molds "

Small remnants of epoxy , glitter or dust can easily be removed with tape. You stick this in the mold and the dirt is out in no time. Does the mold remain dirty? Then you can clean them well with diluted vinegar, alcohol or acetone. Normally the molds do not need to be cleaned. Store the molds well in plastic bags so that they cannot get dirty.

Uncured epoxy that has been spilled can be cleaned with vinegar. Removing cured epoxy is a bit more difficult: Heat the epoxy with a hair dryer to a maximum of 90 degrees until the epoxy softens again and remove as much as possible with a paint scraper or putty knife. Remove the remaining epoxy with sandpaper. Ensure sufficient ventilation when heating epoxy .

[10] The epoxy remains sticky

It can happen that a resin jewelry is sticky after hardening . First let the resin harden well and do not remove it from the mold too soon.

Stickiness can be caused by the following:

Are you using UV resin ? In most cases you have removed it from the mold too quickly. The sticky part is because the epoxy has not yet hardened properly. Let the epoxy harden for a few extra minutes under the UV LED lamp or put it back in the sun for 30-60 minutes. Turn the jewelry over every now and then. The sticky part will disappear by itself.
Are you using pigments? There is a chance that you have used too much colour pigment . Always follow the instructions on the packaging of the product. If you use too much, the mixture is no longer balanced and cannot harden properly.
Are you using epoxy casting resin ? If you do not mix this epoxy for a long time and carefully, there is a chance that sticky spots will remain after curing in places where the resin and hardener have not come into contact with each other. Make sure you mix the resin and hardener very well for a minute; scrape the bottom and sides. If necessary, you can pour the mixed resin into a new measuring cup, so that you are sure that all the resin and hardener have come into contact with each other.

Still sticky or dull? If, against all expectations, there are poorly cured areas in your work, try the following:

Let the epoxy harden longer than stated on the packaging. Make sure the epoxy can harden properly and do not remove it from the mold too soon out of enthusiasm.
Apply a new thin layer of epoxy to small jewelry of up to 5 centimeters.
On creations larger than 5 centimeters, carefully apply a thin new layer of epoxy .
Are you using UV resin ready-made resin and is it sticky? Let your creation harden under a UV resin LED lamp or put the resin in direct sunlight for a few hours. The stickiness will disappear by itself.

[11] How do I make gold edges or texts on epoxy?

You can get the gold edges on epoxy coasters in different ways:

Afterwards, draw the edges with a Posca paint marker or with gold acrylic paint and then go over it with transparent varnish or lacquer, so that it protects the colour well.
Pre-powder the silicone mold with gold or silver pigment powder and then pour the epoxy.
You can apply gold foil to the edges of the silicone mold. After this you pour the epoxy .

[12] How do you prevent objects from 'swimming/floating'?

Are you going to cast objects (photos) or flowers for example? Then you cast this in 2 times. First you make a thin layer with epoxy where the object will be placed. You let this harden first before you place the object in it. If you immediately add an object with epoxy resin to a mold, it can float or sink. You don't want that.

If you add a photo or drawing to the epoxy : laminate it first. Otherwise the epoxy (watery substance) can affect the photo or drawing.

Article: " Pouring photo in epoxy "

[13] Removing air bubbles from epoxy

When working with epoxy, air bubbles can occur. Many customers remove these with a lighter or blowtorch. This works well, but be careful. The epoxy is flammable at too much heat. Also, if heated for too long, the mold can be damaged, because the epoxy will stick to the mold.

To prevent air bubbles, it is best to let the epoxy rest for a while after mixing it with, for example, dye. This will cause the air bubbles to rise and most of them will burst.

For all relevant information, please see the following article written by our epoxy experts:

Article: " Removing Air Bubbles from Epoxy "

[14] Difference between UV Resin and epoxy casting resin?

UV Resin ready-made is specially developed to make the most beautiful jewelry. This epoxy is ready-made and dries quickly. Thanks to a handy spout, you can pour the epoxy directly from the bottle into a mold. So you don't have to mix it.

We have developed this epoxy ourselves, because there was a lot of demand for it from our customers. An approved epoxy with always high European quality. The more than 800 reviews on the product page speak for themselves.

With other brands of epoxy it is often necessary to add a UV stabilizer and hardener. Here you work with a mixing ratio of 1:1 or 1:6. This often goes wrong, causing the epoxy to no longer harden. You do not have this problem with our UV Resin.

This epoxy dries many times faster by means of UV light. Place your epoxy in direct sunlight or under a UV lamp: the epoxy is dry within 1-2 minutes. The advantage is that you can work quickly and quickly apply different layers in your artwork.

Epoxy is a 2 component epoxy that you have to mix together. This mixing ratio is quite precise. In addition, this epoxy must dry for 24 hours before you can process it further and harden up to 48 hours before your workpiece is really finished.

But beware! There is also a casting resin variant in the Netherlands called Resion UV resin. This is not UV Resin, but ordinary casting resin. You still have to mix this yourself with 2 components and it has the same long drying time as casting resin.

What is suitable for what?
For making jewelry and other small objects we advise our customers the UV Resin. This because of the fast processing time and you can build up a piece of jewelry in thin layers with all kinds of nice materials processed in the different layers, so you create a nice 3D effect.

For larger projects, such as casting a tray or coaster, we always choose epoxy casting resin.

[15] How do you get a deformed silicone mold back into shape?

Silicone molds for epoxy or baking forms are (fortunately) very flexible. The thinner the mold, the more flexible. The disadvantage is that such a flexible silicone mold will also deform more quickly due to the mass of the epoxy , careless storage, etc. During shipping, molds can sometimes be slightly deformed or bent.
Before pouring, first check that your mold is neat and straight.
You can twist and squeeze a deformed silicone mold a little to get it back into shape. If this doesn't work, you can try to reform the mold by placing a heavy object in or around it. A third option is to tape the silicone mold to your work table.

More information?

Do you have questions about making art, jewelry or casting/coating floors or other objects? At itsOkay, several epoxy experts work with each their own expertise. We are happy to help you.

Please contact itsOkay customer service or take a look at the Epoxy knowledge center .