Mistakes were made, of course.
I thought I'd attempt to make resin coasters. I think I made mistakes along the way (I'm not entirely sure since I'm new to making resin coasters), but fortunately the resin coasters turned out OK at the end.
Continue reading to see the steps I took to craft epoxy resin coasters.
Supplies and Stuff
These are the items I used to craft the resin coasters:
Resin
Cups
Stir tools
Silicone mold
Mica powders
Heat tool
Toothpick
Cover
Cleaning wipes
NOTE: Use resin in a well-ventilated area!!! While the tabletop epoxy resin omits low odor, I still had doors and windows wide open to be safe. I only did the resin coasters indoors because it was raining outdoors, and resin needs a warm and moisture-free environment. Check your resin's label for instructions, suggestions, and warnings.
ANOTHER NOTE: You may also consider wearing gloves, especially if you're using resin for the first time or are accident prone. Some users experience severe allergic reactions to resin contacting their skin.
Mixing the Resin and Adding Color
I had Superclear Table Top Epoxy resin left over from a large resin tabletop project I recently finished. It's a two part 1:1 ratio resin. The containers are labeled "A" and "B" to indicate which was the epoxy resin and which was the hardener.
I poured part "A" into one cup. I then poured part "B" into a second cup, making sure the amount equaled that of the first cup. I could've used a Sharpie to mark a "fill-to" type line, but I chose to trust my eye as I poured the resin.
I didn't do the math to determine how much resin I needed to create three 4" coasters. I ended up mixing less resin than what I needed. There's an equation to determine how much resin is needed for the size and/or weight of the piece you're crafting. Math and I are mortal enemies, so I avoid it at all costs (except for money management because that's important).
When I was certain I had equal parts in both cups, I poured the contents of one cup into the other. I mixed both parts of the resin slowly with a craft stick for about four minutes. I made sure to scrape the sides and bottom well while stirring. The mixture looks cloudy initially but clears after a few minutes. The resin mixture had many bubbles when I finished stirring, but it didn't concern me at the time.
I poured the resin into a few separate cups. I happened to have a few silicone cupcake molds I sometimes use as mixing cups for my resin craft projects. Silicone makes cleanup afterwards so easy.
I used mica powder to color my resin coasters. I experimented with using mica powders on a larger tabletop project, and I was curious to see how it'd look on a smaller project. I chose the Bronze and Stone colors to work with.
I slowly stirred the colored resin for another two minutes each. I wanted to make sure there weren't any powder clumps in the resin. I don't know if clumps would influence the resin curing, but I didn't want to take any chances.
Pouring and Torching the Resin
I had a six cavity silicone round disc mold I thought I could use to create a few coasters with. As I poured the resin into the molds, I realized I didn't know how thick coasters could or should be. The coasters I currently use at home are made of chipboard and therefore quite thin. I worried the amount of resin I mixed was too little, but I didn't really know for sure.
I only used four of the six cavities, although I initially intended to fill all six. It didn't bother me since I wasn't sure how these coasters would turn out. I've attempted to make resin coasters in the past with a different resin that didn't employ the 1:1 ratio. It was difficult for me to determine the correct amount of hardener to use. Those coasters remained sticky and unusable.
I used a torch to pop surface bubbles, moving in quick, sweeping motions. I've used a lighter in the past to pop bubbles but found using a torch easier since I'd accidentally set the resin on fire with a lighter. I've also tried blowing through a straw to pop bubbles, but it took longer than using a torch or lighter.
Concerns and Adding More Resin
Because I'm messy, I used cleaning wipes to wipe off resin that dripped onto the table. I covered the resin coasters with a baking pan I only use for craft projects and left it on the table I used for this craft project.
After a while, I wanted to peek at the coasters when I realized the colors appeared to pool towards the center of the mold. I didn't know why it pooled towards the center or what I did wrong to cause it to happen. I stirred each resin coaster with hopes that the colors wouldn't pool towards the center again. Unfortunately, the colors pooled within minutes.
A few hours later, I decided to add more resin to each coaster. I mixed and slowly stirred parts "A" and "B" together for about four minutes.
I added a small amount of Pearl mica powder, gold glitter, and black glitter to the resin. I stirred the colorants together for another two minutes before pouring it over the pre-poured resin.
I popped surface bubbles with a torch, and then covered the coasters with a baking pan. I left it to sit a couple nights to fully cure.
De-molding and Sanding the Resin Coasters
I hoped the extra layer of resin would mask the initial colors pooled towards the center, but it didn't. Yet, I was relieved to see the flip side of the coasters didn't have the pooled effect I disliked.
The part of the resin coaster that cured at the bottom of the mold's cavities were relatively flat and smooth. The part of the coaster I added the additional resin over wasn't smooth. I used 220-grit sandpaper to smooth and flatten the sides and edges of the coasters.
I attempted to wet sand the pieces afterwards but was informed by my Dad that I did it wrong. I thought any sandpaper would work with wet sanding. It was brought to my attention that I needed to specifically use sandpaper labeled for wet sanding. I didn't know that at the time. I dried the coasters and left them as-is.
My Thoughts
This attempt at making resin coasters wasn't a total failure. The coasters were matte as-is, although I wanted a little shine. I didn't have polish, so I couldn't make the coasters shine without doming the tops with more clear resin.
I attempted to dome the tops after editing the accompanying YouTube video, but I accidentally ruined two of the four coasters. At least they weren't all failures.
I wish I had cork to adhere to the bottom to prevent the coasters from sliding on a tabletop. My Dad's happy with the surviving coasters as-is and claimed them as his own. I'm glad he likes them.
What's Next?
I'll try making resin coasters again with the same molds, but I also have square molds I want to experiment with. Check back to see when I share my future resin projects.
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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