What is Epoxy Resin? Your Questions Answered
Here at Counter Culture DIY our mission is to help you make the most of your resin crafting! Often that means answering questions and giving you the information you need to get the best project results. Today we are answering a common question: Just what the heck is epoxy resin anyway?
There is often confusion about about the terms resin, epoxy resin, casting resin, etc. Then you add in the brand names of resins and things get even more puzzling. These phrases make sense to people who have been working with resins for a while but for people who aren’t familiar, they can be frustratingly unclear. We are going to clear up the confusion by explaining what epoxy resin is and what it is used for!
What is Epoxy Resin? Your Questions Answered
What is it?
First thing’s first! Epoxy resin is a composite made of two separate liquids that, when combined, cure to form a hard solid. Once the epoxy resin is cured it has a crystal clear, glass like finish. The hard clear surface is what makes epoxy resin ideal for so many art projects.
When you purchase resin you receive one container of resin and one of hardener. When the two are mixed together a chemical reaction occurs which produces heat and will eventually transform the liquids into the desired solid. Our version of epoxy resin is Artist Resin which flawlessly enhances and protects your art work.
What is it Used For?
Epoxy resin can be used in so many ways! It is used in any project that requires a thinner resin pour. This can be anything from counter tops and furniture coating to serving trays and tumblers. Epoxy resin can also be combined with pigments to create geodes and art work.
It also makes a fabulous sealant for coating pictures, puzzles, and souvenirs. This is a great way to preserve your precious memories and ensure they last. Epoxy resin is also used as a shiny top coat for projects that were done using casting resin.
Casting resin is different type of resin that is used in projects that require a thicker poor (such as petri dish molds and jewelry). For more information about the differences between epoxy resin (Artist Resin) and casting resin (Culture Cast), check out our post that explains all about their contrasts!
What Can I Make with Epoxy Resin?
We gave you a good overview of some categories of the things you can create with resin. When it comes to specifics, however, the possibilities are endless. “Jewelry” for instance can include pendants, earrings, and rings in all sorts of designs and color combinations.
“Souvenirs” can include things like movie tickets from a first date or a program from a graduation. Making tumblers is a wonderful rabbit hole of design possibilities. If you are looking for inspiration and directions for specific resin crafts ideas we have blog posts for that too!
Terminology and jargon can make things unnecessarily confusing. We hope that we were able to clear some things up for you! Understanding the different products that are available to you means that you can order with confidence. It also means you will be able to spend more time on the fun part: creating!
If you want more inspiration and information we have a Facebook group for that. Join us in Counter Culture DIY Artist Support where we, and other artists, offer ideas, answer questions, and support each other!
Do you have an art project using any of our products that you want to share? Send it to us at support@counterculturediy.com, and we can feature them here!