Here is a bit of tips and tricks I have learned along the way so far. Most of them being from this man.
First thing first, lay a silicone mat down on your surface before starting your projects. I did not need to buy one as I have some I bought on sale around Christmas a couple years back.
Put on PPE that means goggles, face respirator (not a face mask this will do nothing to stop the toxic fumes), and gloves. Most people use Nitrile gloves but I use rubber cleaning gloves as I am allergic to the alternatives. Make sure you are in a well ventilated area away from children and animals.
The resin I have is a 1to1 ratio so when I pour it I weigh it on a scale to make sure I have the same of both the resin and the hardener. If these are not equal or as your resin states if you have a 2to1 then it will not cure successfully. Some things that can happen is that it can make your resin pieces bend or break. It can be very sticky to the touch and not cure all the way. It can not cure at all. So make sure when you are mixing them that you pour measured amounts. Most people like to pour each one desperately and then add them together once the measurements are correct but I do not do this.
When mixing the resin make sure that you follow instructions on your packaging as to how to know when it is properly mixed. For example the resin I use states to mix slowly scraping the sides and bottom until all streaks are out of the resin. When you start to stir it you will see white streaks in the resin and it takes about 3-5 minutes to completely mix. Now you need to mix it slowly so that you do not make a ton of bubbles in the resin. If this happens leave the resin for 5 to 20 minutes to allow the bubbles to rise to the top and pop. Now this is only effective on resin that has a working time of 40 minutes or more like the one I am currently using.
Now you can add things into the resin to make it unique. Here is a list of things you can use in resin that I have found so far.
Nail Varnish (in small amounts and well mixed)
Eye Shadow (works just like mica powders)
Mica Powders ( a little bit goes a long way)
Glitter
Confetti
Chunky Glitter
Stickers
Paper
Acrylic Paints (do not use water base paints in your resin)
Alcohol Inks (be careful with these and using a lighter to pop bubbles it will catch fire)
Dried items (such as flowers and leaves)
Metal items (such a charms or gears)
LED Lights (these can be battery operated or not)
Pen Bases (there is molds for you to make your own pens out there)
Baby Oil (is usually used on a mold to make it easier to get the resin to release)
Petroleum Jelly (does the same as baby oil)
Things that do not mix well with resin and should never be put in resin
Water (this will completely change the resin and will make it very hot)
Styrofoam (melts in resin and is very toxic)
Fresh anything (this will rot in the resin and it will not be pretty)
Candy or food (does the same as fresh items)
Just make sure when you are mixing things into your resin that you use small amounts to test to make sure it is something that is going to work well with your resin. All resins react in different ways to different things so make sure you read all product information and do some research on the resin that you use so that you are safe.
So at this point is where you can pour your resin into your mold. You want to make sure that your mold is clean and that there is no dust or residue on it. This is easily accomplished by taking a piece of regular tape and tapping the mold in the places that are dirty as it lifts the dirt off the mold. If you need to wash the mold please make sure it is completely dry before using it with your resin as it causes a reaction.
To get bubbles out of the resin piece you can use a toothpick to go through a pop the ones in the resin and a heat gun or lighter to pop the ones on the top. I have also seen people use rubbing alcohol as well but be careful to not catch anything on fire. Use the rubbing alcohol after you have used the heat gun or lighter.
Now we play the waiting game. It is important to make sure that you wait the entire time frame that the resin manufacturer suggests before unmolding you resin pieces. This allows them to properly harden and not to leave any sticky parts or finger prints on your piece.
If the edges are rough you can use sand paper to smooth them out or coat them in a thin layer of resin and let them cure which is called doming.
This is everything I have learned so far from first hand experience with resin, I will include more posts as I make more resin pieces.
