Epoxy resin is a substance known to everyone, anyone at least a little familiar with the economy. The material appeared on the market in the last century and has long won the sympathy of craftsmen.
Resin is an absolutely universal substance and is used in many areas of construction, repair and household management.
Modern science does not stand still and “epoxy” receives new compositions and, accordingly, new possibilities for application. However, one thing remains unchanged - the substance is never used in pure form, it is combined with a hardener, which makes it very reliable.
There are many variations of this material on the market; manufacturers do everything so that customers can choose the composition and volume of the substance they need.
Resin composition
The resin itself is a compound synthetic production, which is effectively used only in combination with a hardener, which helps complete the polymerization process of the substance.
This process is decisive in terms of what properties and characteristics the material has. For this reason, we can say with complete confidence that the resin is not used as an independent substance.
As you combine different compositions with different hardeners, substances with very different properties may appear.
For example, some may even be harder than metal, while some, on the contrary, are soft and may resemble rubber in consistency or something like that.
Hardening of “epoxy” can occur in a fairly wide temperature range from -10°C to 200°C. This largely depends on the type of hardener composition. In this case, the finished material can be divided into 2 types of hardening - cold and hot.
Cold-curing epoxy resin (glue) is more often used for domestic purposes, or in industries where thermal effect unacceptable.
Hot curing can be used to create products that are subject to various types of loads, including temperature and mechanical.
This is done so that when the substance polymerizes, a denser crystal lattice is formed, which will increase the hardness of the substance.
Hardener for resin, used depending on the required proportions and substances contained. The polymerization process under the influence of a hardening agent is final and cannot be reversible under the influence of various solvents or water.
It is important to remember that the finished material is a polymer, which determines the need to maintain the correct proportions to obtain it.
If the amount of resin or hardener is not correct, the finished product will lose its properties and may be susceptible to environmental influences, such as:
- Moisture;
- Temperature;
- Chemical substances.
Do not forget that the speed of the curing process is affected only by the temperature and type of the curing component itself.
The opinion that the final result can be achieved due to the amount of hardener is erroneous.
The accelerator of the polymerization process is temperature. It turns out that increasing the reaction temperature by just 10°C can accelerate solidification several times, depending on the type of substance.
This makes it possible to develop formulations that can work under the most different temperatures, and the polymerization process can take place under a variety of conditions.
Resin Application
Since the time epoxy resin began to be actively used, its scope of application has remained the same.
Only the compositions and properties of the components have changed and finished materials. Resin is used in many industrial sectors such as:
- Electronics;
- Electrical Engineering;
- Aviation;
- Automotive manufacturing;
- Mechanical engineering;
- Shipbuilding;
- Production of fiberglass.
In these engineering industries, “epoxy” is used as an impregnation for glass fabrics and glass fibers, as well as for joining various elements.
Floor coverings - resin can have insulating properties. It is used in the construction of swimming pools or basements.
Production of paint and varnish products - moisture resistance and strength, allows the use of resin in finishing materials.
Photo of epoxy resin
To make a wonderful gift or decoration, you can take various materials and if used correctly, no one will guess that this work was done at home. Crafts from epoxy resin have long been in fashion and amaze with their diversity. This can be not only jewelry in the form of pendants, earrings and rings. Boxes, medallions and refrigerator magnets will look great.
How to work with epoxy resin correctly
This material is two-component and consists of a resin and a fixative. In sets they are usually packaged in two containers. There is also a measuring cup, because the ingredients should be diluted in strict proportions of 1:2, where 1 part is the fixative, and 2 parts are the epoxy resin itself.
Resin is a gel-like transparent mass that is used to cover the desired surface. You should work with gloves, which are included in the creativity kit. Mix the resin with the fixative using a special wooden spatula, which further work apply and distribute the resin over the product. The mixing process must be carried out carefully so that no air bubbles appear. They will disappear, but it will take time.
The proportions must not be violated, because if you add little fixer, the resin will be viscous and sticky, which will spoil appearance products. The resin should be applied to flat surfaces, since this material is liquid and spreads. If you need to coat round surfaces, for example, earrings, then they should have a protective rim or ring that will prevent spreading.
Since epoxy resin is transparent material, it is often poured over dried flowers, dried insects and decorative elements. The decoupage-style magnet, which is coated with a transparent layer of resin on top, looks quite beautiful.
DIY epoxy resin products
We offer you a master class on creating transparent jewelry with your own hands. Decorations are made from epoxy resin and dried flowers. Lovely this method is that you can create absolutely any shape of any size.
To work you will need:
Manufacturing process
- On a regular office piece of paper, draw 2 identical blanks for future earrings. You can draw by eye, or you can use any ready-made templates. Cut out the blanks with scissors. It is necessary to prepare the surface on which the resin will be poured. It should be as smooth as possible. Before pouring, it is advisable to degrease the surface with alcohol, otherwise, if you do not remove the dust before pouring, all the fluff and dust particles will end up inside the product. As such a surface, you can use the back side of a silicone textured mat, on which a paper sketch of future earrings is placed.
- Take mosaic glue white and applied to the edges of the paper sketch, holding the paper with your fingers so that it does not move when applying the glue. As soon as the outline is closed, carefully pry up the paper sketch and remove it from the silicone mat. Do the same with the second workpiece. This contour dries within 20 minutes, and if you put it on a warm radiator, it will dry out within 5 minutes.
- Dilute epoxy resin with hardener in proportions 2:1. The container in which these two ingredients will be mixed must be clean and disposable. The combined components must be mixed thoroughly wooden stick for 5 minutes. If air bubbles appear, you can set the container with the components for 10 minutes in a warm place, but the heating should not exceed 60 degrees.
- Epoxy resin of different colors is prepared in different containers. It is best to use a special silicone palette with indentations. A little resin is poured into it, a couple of drops of blue stained glass paint are added to one mold, and a few drops of green stained glass paint are added to the second mold and mixed thoroughly. Ideally, you should get delicate shades blue color, symbolizing the sky, and light green color, symbolizing green grass.
- After the sides of the earrings have dried, the bottom of these jewelry is created. It will consist of two shades: blue - a symbol of the sky and green - a symbol of delicate grass. Therefore, first pour a little blue resin inside the hollow molds and, using a wooden stick, distribute a layer of resin over the upper wide part of the workpiece to exactly half of the product. Special attention given to the edges. The resin should adhere tightly to the glue sides. Green epoxy resin is applied from the middle of the earring blanks using a wooden stick. The resin is evenly distributed over the workpiece. The filling layer must be thin, since at this stage only the substrate is formed.
- Prepare dried flowers. Using tweezers, place dried flowers on the liquid surface of the earrings' base. The resulting workpiece is set aside in a warm place until it hardens completely.
- After drying, the products are removed from the surface of the silicone mat and the dried mosaic glue using tweezers.
- The resin and hardener are diluted and the blanks are poured with front side already with a thick layer of resin, forming a transparent convex lens. After this, the workpieces are again set aside until the epoxy resin layer has completely dried for 24 hours.
- The front side of the earrings is already completely ready. The last thing left is to fill the back side, where you also need to form a convex lens from epoxy resin and let it dry completely.
- The blanks for the earrings are ready. Now you need to sand and polish the edges sandpaper fine-grained, then you need to drill into the top of the workpieces through holes and fasten the earrings in them.
You can choose any product design from the photo. With the help of epoxy resin you can bring any idea to life.
Video on the topic of the article
Transparent epoxy resin - universal material, allowing you to do original table, jewelry, 3D floors. See how to create it yourself.
Transparent resin: types and their characteristics
For home crafts, epoxy is most often used. But in addition to making jewelry and souvenirs from it, this material is used to create polymer floors with a fashionable 3D effect. Thanks to this, the lower part of the room resembles the ocean with its underwater inhabitants, flowering fields and everything you could wish for.
The self-leveling floor is multi-level, one of the layers is a special canvas on which a drawing is applied using the color printing technique. Whatever story is captured there will be the same on self-leveling floors. Their surface consists of transparent resin, so the image on the canvas is clearly visible.
Products made from epoxy resin are durable, resistant to water and sun. One of the most popular epoxy resins is Magic Crystal-3D. It is used to create jewelry, decorative items, for filling 3D and glossy coatings.
Epoxy CR 100 epoxy resin is also used to create polymer floors, which is characterized by antistatic properties, wear resistance, and good chemical resistance.
Epoxy resin is sold together with a solvent. Typically these two substances are mixed in a 2:1 ratio immediately before use.
The second type of resin is acrylic. It is also used to create self-leveling floors and souvenirs. Acrylic resin used to make baths, waterfalls and artificial reservoirs, molds for casting products. This material is used to make fake diamond, including artificial marble.
Perhaps you have heard about transparent designer sinks and bathtubs. This type of resin is used for them.
Transparent glass is also used to create sanitary products. polyester resin. But this type of polymer is most often used in industrial production, and not at home. Transparent polymer resin is used in the automotive industry, shipbuilding industry, and auto tuning. Fiberglass, known to almost everyone, is made from polymer resins.
The most popular for home crafts is epoxy resin, as it costs less than acrylic. But for the production of small pieces of jewelry, it is better to take acrylic, which does not absorb air bubbles like epoxy. However, there are subtleties that will help prevent this trouble when working with cheaper material. You will soon learn about them.
How to make a countertop from epoxy resin?
If you need to update the old one, then take it into service interesting idea. To implement it you will need:
- coins;
- epoxy resin with thickener;
- pliers;
- mites;
- varnish on water based;
- autogen;
- wooden slats;
- glue.
The most difficult thing is to bend the coins and cut them. Pincers and pliers, as well as male power, will help you. But if any of this is missing, do not make side ends on the tabletop, place the coins only at the top, it will still turn out beautiful.
The coins will need to be washed. There are several ways to do this:
- Pour Cola drink into the pan, put in the coins, and put on fire. The solution will boil and cleanse your money. You can simply pour this drink over the coins, do not heat them, but leave them overnight. By morning they will be clean.
- Place the pan with coins and water on the fire. When the liquid boils, add a little vinegar and soda. The solution will foam, so add enough water to fill the pan no more than halfway.
- Take advantage special means for purification, which is called Tarn-X. It is diluted in water according to the instructions, not in food containers, and coins are placed in it. The container must be carefully rotated over the sink to evenly moisten the money and thus wash it.
- Here's how to make the tabletop itself. Place coins on its surface, after which you need to fill them with a mixture of epoxy resin and thickener. But before that you need to make preparations.
- If you don’t want to fuss for a long time, lay cellophane under the surface to be treated, and you can pour the resin. But after mixing with the thickener, you need to leave the mass for a while so that it hardens a little and is not too liquid.
- In any case, it will flow down a little, so in order to save the solution, you need to periodically collect these drops with a spatula and apply them where there is little resin. But even if this is not done, the wiped resin will be on the cellophane, which should simply be thrown away when the work is completed.
- You can first make from wooden slats or edging bars for the tabletop, then place coins and fill with epoxy resin.
- Don't be disappointed if you see air bubbles on the surface you create. We drive them out with autogen flame.
- Now you need to let the product dry completely, this will take a couple of days. At this time, the main thing is that no one touches the surface, that dust and animal hair do not settle.
- After the resin has completely dried, coat the surface with water-based varnish; after it has dried, the new product is ready for use.
If you are interested in this process and have a whole piggy bank of coins, or maybe some metal money of the old denomination remains, then make a self-leveling floor, for example, in the bathroom or kitchen.
Epoxy resin jewelry: bracelet and brooch
See how to make a stylish bracelet from this material.
For him take:
- a set consisting of epoxy resin with a thickener;
- silicone mold for a bracelet;
- plastic cup;
- toothpick;
- a stick (you can use an ice cream stick);
- scissors;
- dried flowers;
- disposable syringes.
Pour 2 parts resin and one thickener into a glass.
To measure exact amount thickener and epoxy resin, use disposable syringes. To create as few air bubbles as possible, mix these mixtures slowly.
If air bubbles still remain, let the mixture sit for a while until they disappear. But don’t let it get too thick.
Pour the stringy mixture into the bracelet mold. Place dried flowers cut with scissors there, helping yourself with a toothpick. You can also use them to pierce air bubbles so that it comes out.
Leave the bracelet to harden for a day, then carefully remove it from the mold and try on your new fashion accessory.
Instead of dried flowers, you can decorate the bracelet with beautifully colored buttons.
If you want to make a brooch in the shape of a butterfly, then watch the next master class.
For it you will need:
- dry butterfly bought in a store;
- scissors;
- epoxy resin with solvent;
- two toothpicks;
- gloves;
- aqua varnish;
- brooch mechanism.
- Cut the butterfly into 5 parts: separating the wings and bodies. Coat these parts with aqua varnish first on the reverse side.
- Place the blanks on a surface covered with film. Suitable for this tile, on which the package is put on and secured.
- Apply varnish to the front side of the butterfly. While it is drying, dilute the epoxy resin with the solvent, stirring slowly.
- Place the container in a warm place so that the solution thickens a little and does not drip off the workpieces when pouring. Cover them with a small layer and spread it over the surface with a toothpick.
- We wait until the parts dry, then we cover them with epoxy mixture on the back side. We also wait for this layer to dry, after which we dilute a third portion of the solution, set it aside so that it thickens well, but is plastic. This will make it easy to glue the wings to the body, which is what you will do. At the same time, give the wings the desired position.
- Using the remaining solution, attach the metal mechanism to the back of the brooch. Remove the decoration, covering it from dust so that the solution is completely dry.
How to make a pendant: 2 master classes
See what other wonderful resin jewelry you can make with your own hands.
You will need:
- epoxy resin with hardener;
- metal mold;
- disposable cups and spoons;
- small scissors;
- mandarin;
- stained glass paint;
- Fimo Vernis brillante fixing varnish;
- stained glass paint;
- sandpaper;
- brooch holder;
- Alcor silicone compound.
Peel the tangerine. Take the most beautiful slice, carefully, using scissors to catch the skin, remove it from one side. On the other side, a pin will subsequently be attached, not to the slice, but to a blank made from it.
Form 2 slices in this way and place them in the mold. Knead the silicone compound and pour it into the prepared container. Let the silicone harden.
Now you can remove the slices from the container, throw them away, and rinse the form itself in cold water. If the edges of the indentations are uneven, trim them with scissors.
After a day, the silicone will completely harden, then you can pour the prepared epoxy solution into the mold. When the workpiece is dry, sand it a little with fine sandpaper or an engraver. Attach to back side Prepare a brooch clasp and paint the tangerine with orange stained glass paint. Apply 1 layer first, then the second. After drying, brush the surface with varnish.
You can make such wonderful decorations from epoxy resin in the shape of a tangerine if you are diligent.
If you want to know how to make a pendant round shape, then check out another master class. For it you will need:
- dried flowers;
- molds for filling round shapes;
- epoxy resin;
- thickener;
- disposable plastic cups;
- tweezers;
- scissors;
- sandpaper;
- polishing paste;
- felt nozzle;
- accessories for a pendant.
If you don't have round molds, then take a plastic ball. It needs to be sawed in half, greased inside with Vaseline. After pouring the resin, seal the cut with plasticine so that it does not leak out.
In the absence of purchased dried flowers, make them yourself from a given bouquet. Dry voluminous flowers, such as roses, by tying them to the stems and lowering the buds down. If you want to dry individual petals, then place them between the pages old book. Fragile voluminous flowers are dried in a container into which semolina is poured.
It is important to dry these blanks well, since if the process is not performed well, the flower or part of it will rot over time while in the pendant. To ensure that the plant retains its color for as long as possible, use epoxy resin that protects against ultraviolet radiation.
Assemble a mini-bouquet by gluing flowers, petals, and leaves using epoxy resin mixed with a thickener.
When it hardens, carefully place this small bouquet in a round mold or half a plastic ball. A freshly prepared epoxy mixture solution must be left for 2–3 minutes so that the air can escape and its bubbles do not spoil the appearance of the product. Now you can pour the resin into the mold and wait until it thickens.
While you get a ball like this, it will not be completely even in shape. To fix this, first go over the surface with a coarse-grain sandpaper, then with a fine-grain sandpaper. It is better to do this in water so that there is no dust and the process goes faster.
The next stage is polishing. A polish for plastic or for headlights, purchased at a car dealership, works well for this. Apply it to a felt nozzle, go over the workpiece from all sides.
Here's how to make the pendant next. To attach the chain to the ball, take a cap and a pin.
Place a pin on the cap and use pliers to fold it into a loop. Glue this blank to the pendant with epoxy resin.
All you have to do is attach the chain and enjoy wearing such an unusual pendant.
And now we invite you to sit comfortably in a chair and watch an educational story about how to make a ring from wood and epoxy resin.
These two materials are also the main characters of the next video. From it you will learn how to make a table using a similar technique.
Flowers, shells and insects in transparent capsules attract the eye, regardless of whether such bracelets, rings, pendants and souvenirs suit our taste. But few people think that you can make such a miracle with your own hands, spending certain time to master the technology step-by-step production epoxy resin jewelry.
This liquid synthetic polymer, subject to certain temperature regime for thickening and hardening, it successfully imitates glass, providing almost unlimited freedom in choosing shapes and filling.
How to choose epoxy for filling
The range of epoxy resin is quite wide, so the first piece of advice for beginners is to read the product description to choose it according to its purpose.
Optimal choice – special resin paired with a hardener for mold filling and glazing. As a rule, such a product has additional properties of increased transparency, ultraviolet resistance, etc.
The second selection criterion is the authority of the manufacturer, which is reflected primarily in the price. To begin with, you need a small volume, so you shouldn’t skimp and it would even be logical to purchase several different sets of epoxy resin at once to test a jewelry master class.
Workplace and safety rules
Before making your first attempt at creating epoxy jewelry, you need to choose the right workplace and read the instructions for safe handling of polymers:
- To Work with polymer composition it is necessary in a well-ventilated area, preferably in a workshop, fenced off from the residential part of the house.
- It is necessary to avoid getting the resin on the skin and mucous membranes, so you should use gloves, a medical mask and safety glasses.
- Polishing of the finished product is carried out in a respirator.
- If resin gets on your skin, you should immediately rinse it under running water. If the solution gets on objects, it must be removed immediately with a dry cloth.
It should also be taken into account that during the manufacturing process and during use of finished products, contact with food products must be avoided.
Decoration from epoxy resin can be made either by pouring or glazing, but in both cases it is important to have a perfectly flat working surface.
Containers and tools
To mix the solution you will need a heat-resistant plastic container and a stick, which are usually included with the kit. To work accurately with the polymer, disposable syringes are used; to correct fillers (flowers, insects, stones, etc.) you need tweezers.
To fill, you need to stock up on silicone molds. Alternative method– applying the thickened mixture directly to the dried filler. In this case, two layers are made on the front side, and one on the back.
The filler is placed on a tray with a glossy surface that prevents sticking. This procedure will take more time: you need to wait 24 hours for each layer to dry.
Uneven edges and roughness are removed with sandpaper or using a grinding machine.
In the process of mastering the process of working with epoxy resin, you can also master the technique of creating interesting silicone molds with your own hands for original decorations and souvenirs.
Preparation of fillers
Before you make your own model, you should familiarize yourself with photos of similar epoxy jewelry with various fillers. For plant theme It is necessary to dry the fillers in advance, 3-4 weeks before starting work.
The leaves can be placed under a press in a book, as for a school herbarium. Bulk plant fillers, such as buds or berries, are strung on a string and air dried.
Almost any item that has decorative value can be used as a filler - shells, tree bark, rhinestones. Images printed on matte photo paper can be placed in an epoxy capsule. For additional effect, special dyes are used.
Note! 
Stages of work
Preparation of the mixture. At this stage, it is important to carefully adhere to the proportions recommended by the manufacturer. Mixing with the hardener is carried out for 10 minutes, using uniform and smooth circular movements.
Setting process. For chemical reaction with a hardener it takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the parameters stated in the product instructions. After mixing, bubbles form in the solution, which should disappear during the chemical reaction.
Pouring into molds or creating layers on the filler should be done in strict accordance with the timer and as quickly as possible.
The hardening process is completed after 24 hours. The workpiece must be located in a stable and dust-free place.
Note! 
Even the most best ideas Jewelry made from epoxy resin can remain a dream without careful adherence to technological subtleties and when using low-quality material.
Therefore, it would be more correct to first master the process of creating a solid and transparent capsule, and then start experimenting with fillers and combining epoxy parts with metal fittings for jewelry.
Photos of epoxy resin jewelry
Note! 
Today's detailed master class dedicated to working with epoxy resin. From this waterproof material you can make original jewelry and bright magnets.
Materials for work:
- Any curly molds;
- Soft magnetic sheet;
- Any dye (you can also use food coloring);
- Mixing containers;
- Frame pendant of any shape;
- Color pictures;
It will take a little time for the resin to dry. Just a day later the products will be ready. But since it is not recommended to move them until they are dry, empty any tray where you can place the blanks until the resin appears on them. Then this tray can be hidden in a secluded dark place where no one will disturb them.
Choose suitable pictures, which will then turn into pendants and pendants. You can print it separately on a printer, or you can use a picture from any magazine or book.
To form a flat magnet, we cut off a fragment from the magnetic sheet, the size of the future drawing, and glue these two parts together.
To prepare the resin for use, it needs to be slightly warmed up. To do this, pour a little into the container hot water, and place bottles of resin there. This will help you make the surface of the cured resin uniform, without air bubbles.
Mix the resin and hardener according to the proportions indicated on the package. At the same time, you need to stir carefully and slowly.
Next, we carefully fill in the prepared magnets with pictures. If you overdo it and the resin spills around the magnet, it's okay. Just move the product to a dry place, where it will dry perfectly.
To make a three-dimensional pendant, you first need to add a little resin without dye to the mold. Place the prepared drawing on top (in in this case this is a flower) and leave until completely dry. The mold cannot be filled to the brim as there must be another layer of resin.
When the mold is dry, you take another portion of the resin and hardener and mix it with the chosen dye. Then color mixture poured into molds to the brim. After drying, you will get an interesting multi-colored pendant or magnet (if you glue the magnet to the back wall of the product).