What are the Best Clear Epoxy Resins for Casting?
I had the distinct honor recently of being asked by the people over at Blick headquarters if I could test out a variety of resin brands. Obviously I jumped on this opportunity! I've been working with resin on and off for years and I was so excited to do some testing to see which brands worked best.
For this experiment, I tested the resins in three ways. I tested using alcohol inks, glitter and I tested the resins on top of a painted wood panel. The results were interesting and I definitely have found the best epoxy resin. Or maybe more than one!
This was a completely blind test. Blick did not disclose the resin brands until after the experiment was complete. All of the resins were tested in my garage which was a little bit above room temperature.
What is Clear Epoxy Resin?
Clear epoxy resin is a synthetic polymer made from a combination of epoxy resin and a hardener. When the two parts are mixed together, they form a clear liquid. The clear liquid begins to harden over the course of 24 hours.
Some brands cure quicker and others take less time. Cure time depends on the brand - read the manufacturer instructions.
Here are the epoxy resins I tested:
1. Amazing Clear Cast from Polytek /
3. Blick Brand Resin (not yet available)
4. Colorberry Crystal Resin from Colorberry
6. Colorberry Geode Resin from Colorberry
7. Pebeo Gedeo Crystal Resin
When testing epoxy resins, I considered very specific requirements in order to find the one that worked best for me. Some resins work better for deep pours and others are better as a coating resin.These were the traits I looked at:
Curing time
Ease of use
clarity: how many bubbles there were after using the torch and/or heat gun
how well alcohol inks reacted
how well glitter suspended in the resin
bubbling
low odor
glossy finish
self leveling
uv resistance
Materials you'll need to work with resin:
Decorative elements (alcohol ink, resin dyes, mica powder, glitter, natural elements, acrylic paint, bottle caps or your own flowers (anything you want to include)
Nitrile Gloves (to protect your hands)
Heat gun or torch (to eliminate bubbles)
Drop cloth or protective covering (for your workspace)
Resin package instructions
digital scale (optional)
toothpicks for spreading resin and for popping bubbles.
In order to keep the experiment neutral, I worked with each resin on the same table, on the same day. This was a completely blind experiment. Blick sent me each clear casting resin in a clear jar with a number on top.
Some additional observations about this test:
across the board, I preferred working with resins 1, 2 and 3. I had extra of #3 (the Blick resin, which is not yet available to the public) and went ahead and made some coasters with designs using alcohol ink. They came out beautifully! I highly recommend it.
5 and 6 yellowed in the silicone mold with glitter but didn't yellow on the wood panels. 5 did not yellow as much with the alcohol inks. I was very disappointed in 5 & 6 because I was really looking for a bubble-free, clear finish. 5 & 6 also did not cure properly. It has now been a month and the resin still feels sticky.
Conclusion:
The overall best clear epoxy resin is Art Resin
Explanation of the different types of resin
UV resin: UV resin creates fast-acting, clear, bubble-free finish. UV resin needs to be cured using a UV light. UV resin is best used when you need to make small objects. This is the best resin to use for miniatures, charms and jewelry.
While I do like how quickly this craft resin cures (full cure in minutes), the few times I've used it, the resin lets off a strong, toxic smelling odor. I prefer to look for low VOC resins when working with high-gloss resin.
Deep pour resin: One example of deep pour resin is table top resin is not meant for deep pours or thicker objects. This resin can be mixed in large volumes. Because of this, you might need more sophisticated tools like a pressure pot and a special kind of mixer.
With this type of resin, you will need to torch the surface in order to get your end result to be crystal clear and bubble free. The kind of epoxy resin projects that can be created with a deep pour epoxy resin product are sculptures, solid large objects and live edge tables.
You will not want to use low-quality epoxy resins when sourcing deep pour resin because you will use a ton of material and end up disappointed. While resin is expensive, in my experience it is best to splurge and purchase the best resin to suit your creative vision.
Different resins yield different results so always do your research first! In the future, I would love to use deep pour resin to create river tables. If only I had the time!
Coating resin: This is the resin you will want to use for surfaces, not casting projects. Coating resin works best on various surfaces as long as you are only using it on the surface. Exposure time varies with surface resins, so please read the instructions before using.
I like to use coating resin on craft projects like polymer clay coasters as well as on paintings. This is the best choice for anything under an inch. Coating resin gives your resin art a glass-like finish. This application has also been used to create uv resistant bar tops and tables.
Perhaps you've seen the tables made with embedded bottle caps? Yes! This is coating resin. It is the most versatile of the resins and I use it on different materials. Recently I made coasters using candy corn and I used coating resin. While it is not a fast resin, it is the best clear epoxy resin choice in my opinion.
Clear epoxy resin is the ideal choice for anyone wanting to get that clear look when casting in resin molds. It is not recommended to use resin in cold temperatures because it will not achieve that beautiful resin cure.
Remember, working with resin is chemistry at its best. There are lots of resin formulas so try a bunch of brands and let me know what you think.
Want to get started with your first resin project? Check out my guide to making resin coasters and this list of resin coaster ideas!
