Epoxy Resin on Wood

Combining resin with timber is a great way to add contrast to pieces. It also adds stability and can be used as a filler to more striking effect than traditional alternatives. I really enjoy the way resin can be used to enhance and revive what might otherwise be considered flaws in a piece of wood.

There are loads of tricks when it comes to using resin effectively, and I hope to show you some of them in the coming posts!

Fail to Prepare and Prepare to Fail

Resin pours and great fun, but in your eagerness to get started, don't neglect good preparation. Not least because will you will likely end up with resin all over your work space. A solid frame, lots of tape and silicone will be your best friends in this regard.

A level surface is also not to be underestimated!

Once you've thoroughly prepped your frame, you can get to the fun part -

The Pour

If you are looking for a flawless end product you need to keep air in your resin mix to a minimum. I let the mix sit for up to an hour, stirring gently at regular intervals to give any bubbles time to rise. But as you can see, the pouring process does invariably result in some resin displaced with air. Enter another trick -

Fire Power

Hot air rises. Using a blow gun and some basic physics, you can heat the resin to encourage those pesky bubbles to rise to the surface. Again, this is no substitute for patience and good preparation, but it does ensure a more flawless finish.

Manual Intervention

Don't be afraid to get in there and mix your resin - either for interesting effects, or to help shift air.

Patience is a virtue, and Dust is the Enemy!

I can't stress enough - I know you want to get to the next phase but your fingerprints on tacky resin will just look, well, tacky, and will take ages of sanding and polishing to shift. Dust will pose a similar problem. So keep it clean. Cover your frame with sheeting and seal. This will also help keep the heat in - which is important from a curing perspective.

A Labour of Love

Finally, once your resin is 100% dry, you can commence sanding and polishing. This is a real labour of love and the more time you spend on it, the better your final product will be. Start with a 120 grit and work your way up to 1,200.

Unlimited Possibilities

Once you have the basics down, the possibilities are really endless - from river tables, to stair treads, to smaller pieces. Check out some examples here: https://www.onceoffwoodcraft.com/gallery?Collection=Resin+on+Wood