Casting resin can be poured into gaps and cavities to create beautiful flow images such as river tables. Also, it is used to create standalone home décor pieces or jewelry by pouring into a mold to solidify in a specific shape. Casting resin can also be used to encase items or pieces of memorabilia such as insects and coins. It comes in two parts: the resin and the hardener. Before working with your casting resin, you have to mix the two parts in a specific ratio of resin to hardener for you to attain a perfectly hard and shiny piece or finish.
Tips when Working with Casting Resins
Casting resins are synonymous with thinner resins known as epoxy resins, which are commonly used for coating table tops, counter-tops, chairs, and so on. If you are in doubt on which of the two to use, go with casting resin. This is because casting resins can be used both for casting and coating applications. For coating, casting resins can be poured on a firm and solid surface for additional protection. However, it is recommended that you use epoxy resins for coating because they cure harder and shinier when poured in very thin layers.
Whether you are using casting resins or epoxy resins, you should always prioritize your safety over everything else. For one, always wear suitable protective gear regardless of the task. From weighing, mixing, pouring, or checking if it is cured, gloves and eye protection should always be your minimum precaution. Don’t risk your health based on labels because some resins can be labeled as safe or harmless to humans even though they contain harmful chemicals and emit hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). Apart from safety, it is also important to choose a casting or epoxy resin that you can work with easily and effectively using your casting skills, expertise, and experience regardless of the complexity of the project. This is why it is important to choose the best casting resin in the market.
What are the seven best Casting and Epoxy Resins in the Market?
To avoid low-quality and harmful resin brands, you have to assess the best casting resin brands for you to choose the best of the best brands. Here are seven best casting resins for your consideration;
1, Teexpert Epoxy Resin
Teexpert Epoxy Resin is a crystal clear coating, and casting resin developed impeccably for easy casting. For one, this epoxy resin is mixed in the simple 1:1 ratio, resin to hardener. It is popularly used for do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, such as art and craft creations, tabletop coating, and jewelry casting. What makes this epoxy resin standout from the rest is a wide range of applications it caters to and usability regardless of the level of expertise. From starters to beginners to professionals, this epoxy resin can be used by anyone to deliver high-quality creations. It is not only non-toxic but also offers the highest level of protection against UV-rays and resistance to yellowing for the longest period.
Pros
- It cures to attain a hard, shiny, and crystal clear surface
- Teexpert epoxy resin is a fast curing
- This epoxy resin is extremely easy to use
- It offers the highest level of anti-UV protection
- This epoxy resin provides unparalleled resistance to yellowing
- It is suitable for a wide range of applications
- Teexpert epoxy resin is self-degassing attaining a bubble-free cast
- It comes with several tools and accessories for mixing and casting free of charge
Cons
- It emits a slight odor but only during mixing
2, J-Diction Epoxy Resin
J-Diction Epoxy Resin is a premium crystal clear resin suitable for starters, beginners, and professionals. It is designed to allow for a smooth pour, which eliminates bubbles, craters, and crawling. This epoxy resin contains high gloss formula and cures evenly to attain a hard and perfectly glossy and crystal clear finish. With one of the hardest cures in the market, this epoxy resin offers unrivaled resistance to scratch and yellowing. Apart from scratch-resistance, J-Diction Epoxy Resin has anti-UV qualities that guarantee excellent color stability for longer. Additionally, it was developed with the end-user in mind since it is non-toxic, emits zero VOCs, and odorless. When it comes to casting and coating, having enough time to channel your creativity into your project is the key to success. To this end, this epoxy resin is easy to mix in a 1:1 ratio and takes between 30 and 40 minutes to harden after mixing, which gives you ample time to deliver high-qualify piece or finish. Be it for art projects, casting, or coating table, bars, canvas, wood, or cast mold, J-Diction caters to all your casting needs.
Pros
- J-Diction Epoxy Resin is odorless
- It cures to attain a very hard cast, which makes it resistant to scratches and yellowing and easy to polish for a shiny finish.
- This epoxy resin does not contain volatile organic components (VOCs) or any traces of BPA
- It provides the highest level of protection against UV-rays
- This epoxy resin can be used in a wide range of applications
- Formulated with high gloss ingredients allowing for a perfectly glossy finish
- It is easy to mix and use and offers a longer working time
Cons
- It can form bubbles if it is mixed inappropriately
- Works best only if it is cast in sections less than 3/8″ thick
3, Glass Cast 50 Clear Epoxy Resin
Glass Cast 50 is a water-clear epoxy resin commonly used as a ‘river table’ epoxy. It allows users to cast in a single pour a thickness of up to 25mm for a wooden mold and up to 50mm when casting into silicone or plastic molds. This casting resin offers a bubble-free cast, and it is also resistant to Ultra-Violet rays. Even though this epoxy resin was designed to be used for both indoor and outdoor applications, exposure to the elements can lead to premature yellowing. Glass Cast cures into a hard cast very quickly, reducing the working time needed to deliver a high-quality product or finish. This makes this resin more suitable for professionals with the expertise to mix two-parts resin to one-part hardener (2:1) and apply or pour quickly before it hardens.
Pros
- It offers a bubble-free cast
- It offers a very hard cast which can be polished to attain glossy finish.
- It is resistant to UV rays
Cons
- It contains toxic compounds and emits nauseating fumes before it cures.
- It has a higher risk of exotherm than other epoxies.
- Glass Cast can only be used in applications that require thick pours and casting molds but cannot be used for thin shiny coating and finishes.
4, Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Epoxy Resin
Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Epoxy Resin is an environmentally friendly, clear resin that is suitable only for colors or surfaces that cannot be affected by yellowing. If it is applied on wood and other surfaces susceptible to moisture, yellowing can occur in about 30 to 60 days after hardening. It is easy to mix in one part resin and one part hardener (1:1) to a maximum of 16 ounces at once. The main advantage of using this epoxy resin is that it offers good coverage when used to coat large pieces, such as countertops and tabletops. Even though it is environmentally friendly, it contains toxic ingredients that can cause some irritation if it comes in contact with the skin before it cures and hardens. To attain rich and vivid colors, most epoxies are formulated to mix perfectly with both oil-based and water-based colorants. Unfortunately, Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Epoxy Resin can only be colored using non-water-based dyes, alcoholic inks, or other colorants.
Pros
- Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Resin is environmentally friendly
- It is odorless, eliminating nausea during application.
- This epoxy offers good coverage.
Cons
- This epoxy resin can form bubbles, which are very difficult to remove.
- It is difficult to work with this epoxy resin because it mixes very thick.
- It takes a longer time to cure making each project extremely time-intensive
5, Envirotex Jewelry Epoxy Resin
Envirotex Jewelry Epoxy Resin is a fast-curing casting resin, with the total cure time of between 24 to 48 hours from mixing to hard cure. The short working time makes this epoxy resin only suitable for experienced users. For most starters and beginners, the 25-minute pot time or work time window offered by this epoxy resin is not enough to deliver a high-quality product. This resin is popular among professional casters with mega projects since it can be mixed up to 1 gallon at once. When used for casting, Envirotex epoxy resin cures very quickly into a very hard surface but has a slight tint of yellow. Although this resin is effective for casting to attain polished and shiny jewelry encasings, it not effective when it is used for coating, particularly in brightly colored surfaces that can highlight its yellowish tint.
Pros
- Formulated for high resistance to heat, chemicals, and UV rays.
- Extremely durable and waterproof
- Releases bubbles quickly and easily
Cons
- It acquires a yellowish tint once it cures completely
- Only suited for pours with the depth of 1/8 inch or less.
- This casting resin is unsuitable for beginners since it hardens quickly.
- It is unsuitable for complex projects because it can only be used within a short period.
6, ICE Epoxy Resin
ICE Epoxy Resin is a water-clear epoxy commonly used to make pendants and jewelry components. Even though it is resistant to fading, yellowing, or chipping, it is only recommended for castings intended for indoors since over-exposure to UV rays from direct sunlight can undermine its resistance. This epoxy resin has a pot time of 30 minutes and takes 6 hours to harden after casting. Unfortunately, for your ICE epoxy cast to cure completely, you will have to wait 3 to 4 days. It is primarily developed for small projects because only a maximum of 8 ounces can be mixed at a time. This casting resin is highly susceptible to bubble formation and coloration from opaque to transparent tints when cured completely.
Pros
- This casting resin offers a very hard surface once it is cured.
- It can be polished to attain a glossy finish.
Cons
- ICE epoxy resin is very expensive compared to similar resins in the market.
- It can acquire colorations once it cures, which undermines its clarity
- It takes a long time to cure, which increases the time you need to complete projects.
- This casting resin can form bubbles.
7, Pourable Plastic Clear Casting Resin
Pourable Plastic Clear Casting Resin is a clear epoxy resin commonly used to encase pieces of memorabilia like coins or insects. It can difficult to use this epoxy resin, particularly for beginners. For one, it required precision to mix it at two-part resin to one-part hardener (2:1). When used for casting, it offers a protective seal against moisture and liquids. It can only be used for applications that require deep pours, such as river tables, but it is highly ineffective for thin glassy coating.
Pros
- Longer working time.
- Deeper pours of up to 2 inches at a time, allowing for easy application.
Cons
- A slow cure of between 24 to 36 hours increases the time to complete projects.
- Lower viscosity and slower curing periods allow entry of debris and dust particles into the cast.
- It can difficult to mix and use
- It emits a nauseating odor