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You guys loved the tips we filmed a while ago about epoxy, so we wanted to add more. Since we posted that video in April 2020, we’ve used epoxy a lot and learned so many more tips and tricks. So just for yinz, we’ve pulled together five tips to make sure that your epoxy builds are as beautiful as they can be. Plus, we threw in a few extra tips at the end of the video. So go watch the full video to make sure you know what you are doing when it comes to epoxy — it’s a lot more complicated than you may think.
Even though we are total experts and know what we are doing all of the time (sarcasm), we’ve recently learned a lot about epoxy. So we pulled together these five tips so that you don’t make the same mistakes while working on our projects. You can thank us later.
So, this is something that Sam and Jordan forgot to do on our river table build — we aren’t perfect. I tend to harp on this almost all of the time because it’s vital. When you are building your mold or pouring the resin in, consider all of the variables. You need to make your mold bigger than you think to avoid shrinkage. We build ours 1 inch bigger on every size to leave room for error.
Math is a pain in the ass, but it’s crucial to calculate your pour correctly. For the most part, the kits that come out these days are usually premeasured. If they are not, you’re going to have to find the volume for the specific area. Always remember that it’s better to have more than not enough — especially with pigments.
You need to keep your workspace cool when you are working with epoxy. This tends to be the biggest issue with our projects because we don’t have a lot of room or temperature control in our workspace. Having little room temperature control can lead to a resin that doesn’t set correctly, leading to cracking. To avoid this, run multiple fans around your shop to keep the place cool.
A vacuum pot is used with a vacuum pump to remove air that happens during the mixing of the resin. We usually use this whenever we are encasing something in resin or looking for a crystal clear finish. Especially when we are working on getting something crystal clear, we will work extremely hard to remove as many bubbles as possible.
Line the bottom of your mold where the epoxy will be with some sort of plastic barrier. A mold release is another great option, but our shop prefers the tape method. Whatever you decide to use, just make sure you have some sort of barrier that allows you to line your mold.
Now, these are some great tips. But you’ve got to check out the full video to find out more about these tips and the extras we’ve sprinkled in there.
We mentioned the Total Boat epoxy products that we use for almost every epoxy product because they work like a charm. Our vacuum pot is also a saving grace for our projects that require a crystal clear color or epoxy. Along with those, we’ve listed our favorite tools and materials below.
Before we start any build, we must ensure that our team is fed a hearty meal to keep them going. Hello Fresh is a meal service company that prepares delicious meals for you to cook up at home. These meals save you time and money — what more could you ask for in a meal service? If you’re interested, use my code JOHNMALECKI14 for 14 meals free plus free shipping!
Check out some of my top tools and product affiliates here.
Check out some of my merchandise, build plans, and go-to safety glasses.
- Plans
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I used to be an offensive lineman in the NFL, Now I run my own furniture business and am completely self taught. In my videos and posts you'll see a variety of wood and metal work as well as some tips and tricks. Enjoy!
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Pittsburgh-based custom wood and metal worker. Tool Reviews, DIY Projects, and a whole lot of yinzer pride. Join the movement & punch your next project in the face.
