8 Rookie Mistakes to Avoid when Casting Resin

Casting resin is an art. Whether you’re a perfectionist or not, you have to master the art of casting to deliver beautiful pieces. Repeating the same rookie mistakes over and over again does not enable you to master the art of casting epoxy resin, right? If you don’t avoid rookie mistakes in the early learning stages, they can stick like a bad habit that you can’t eradicate. Rookie mistakes make it difficult to improve and scale the ladder to the highest professional level. To attain your maximum potential, you have to avoid rookie mistakes when casting resins. Here are eight rookie mistakes to avoid when casting resin:

1. Using inappropriate resin for your project

It is a costly mistake to expect any resin to cast what it was not designed to cast. This is a rookie mistake and it will cost you money and time. You have to do some research before deciding the most appropriate resin to purchase for your project. When choosing the perfect resin for your project, consider what you want to accomplish. Do you need to coat or cast? Your project can benefit from a multi-purpose epoxy resin like Teexpert instead of a coat-only resin.

You also have to consider the material you’ll be working with like wood, metal, or canvas. Teexpert Epoxy Resin can work perfectly with different materials but other types of resins only work with either wood or metal but not both. This is why Teexpert is highly recommended for jewelry and artworks. It is easy to use and perfect for beginners and veterans alike. Choosing the right resin for your project is crucial for the success of your project.

2. Adding more hardener that recommended to cure quicker

Both casting and epoxy resins rely on a chemical reaction to cure. The chemical reaction depends on how the resin and the hardener mix and react. Adding more hardener to cure quicker is a rookie mistake. You cannot cheat the cure time by violating the ratio! For example, Teexpert Epoxy Resin is a two-part resin that should be mixed in a 1:1 ratio to cure.

Mixing Teexpert in an unequal ratio like 1:2 will disrupt its curing process. It can also affect the quality of your piece. Don’t try to cheat the cure time. It is a rookie mistake.

3. Mixing more resin than you can use

As a beginner, you have to be as cost-effective as possible to avoid going bankrupt before you know how to cast. Reducing wastage can help you become cost-effective. Before you open the bottle, you need to know how much resin mixture you need to complete your project. Answering this question before you start any project will help you avoid mixing more than you can use. You can also learn from experience to avoid this rookie mistake in the future.

4. Mishandling of air bubbles

You cannot address air bubbles in your resin art with brute force. Removing air bubbles is an art. If your cured resin has air bubbles, you have to use the right tools and techniques to remove them. Some professional resin crafters use razor blades to pop air bubbles on the surface to create open cavities. Then, you fill-up the cavities with a small mixture of epoxy and leave it to cure for several hours before re-flooding the surface for a smooth finish. If you feel this process is too complex, you can use a torch gun to remove bubbles in resin before it cures completely.

Even though heat guns and blow dryers can remove air bubbles in your resin, the rush of airflow increases the risk of introducing dust and hair in the resin. A torch gun can remove bubbles from your resin without any particles. Learning how to mix resins properly and choosing the right resin can help you avoid dealing with air bubbles in the future. For example, Teexpert doesn’t form air bubbles.

5. Poor time management

If you don’t plan your time appropriately, your resin-hardener mixture will harden before you’re done. You should allocate time to each activity before you start mixing. For starters, you only need to mix your resin for 10% of the pot time. For example, you can mix Teexpert Epoxy Resin for 4 minutes since it has a pot time of 40 minutes. This gives you 36 minutes to work, which is enough to perfect your piece. You’ll need to collect everything you need for your project around your work area to avoid time-wastage. Running around in search of a crucial tool will rob you more time.

Overestimating your abilities can also lead to time management issues. You have to accept what you can and cannot do. Don’t waste precious time trying to execute complicated designs you saw on social media. Focus on finishing the piece and learning one project at a time. You should also choose an epoxy resin with longer pot time like Teexpert to avoid time issues.

6. Procrastinating handling of mistakes

Postponing your casting errors for later is a rookie mistake. You can rectify most casting mistakes easily before your resin hardens. For instance, you cannot assume air bubbles forming in your resin art until you’re done. There are several strategies to prevent the formation of air bubbles while casting.

You can wait for about 10 minutes after pouring, then warm your epoxy resin slowly using a torch to bring the bubbles to the surface. It is much easier to remove any air bubbles on the surface than when it is deeper in your piece. You should respond to any mistakes as soon as they appear.

7. Lack of patience to let it cure!

The cure time cannot magically reduce no matter how many times you check on your resin craft. If you uncover curing resin every single minute to check whether it is cured, you only increase the risk of contamination. Dust particles or hair can settle on your piece. An epoxy like Teexpert first cures within 24 hours and will need 3 to 7 days to cure completely. You have to give your resin craft enough curing time. Poking your art every second to see if it is hardening is a rookie mistake.

8. Using the wrong tools for the job

All the tools for casting resins are designed to help you avoid specific problems. You cannot use the wrong tools and expect the right results. For example, using a triangular or rectangular mixing cup with sharp, hard to reach corners will make it more difficult to scrape and mix your resin and hardener perfectly. You need a circular cup to mix thoroughly

Silicone molds are better than plastic or latex molds for crafts with complicated dimensions. From mixing sticks to molds, syringe, and protective gear, each tool you use in your project should be appropriate for the job. Don’t cut corners!

Bottom Line

Rookie mistakes can prevent you from going pro. Whether you’ve been adding more hardener, managing your time poorly, mixing too much, mishandling air bubbles, or using wrong tools, you have to avoid these rookie mistakes in the future. The worst rookie mistake is using the wrong resin for your project. You can always rely on Teexpert for jewelry, wood artworks, and many other resin casting projects.