List of everything you need:
- Epoxy resin, two component
- Two syringes without a needle (sold at any pharmacy)
- Container for mixing resin and hardener (plastic cup)
- Stick for this very mixing (wooden)
- Ceramic tiles or cardboard (in general, any flat solid surface, preferably on a flat table)
- Scotch tape (wide one-sided)
- Accessories for jewelry (connectors, ear wires, connecting rings, bases)
- Mini drill (sold in almost any construction site, take the cheapest one, I personally use DREMEL 300)
- A set of bits for her (small drill and emery head for turning)
- Good mood for yourself;) Well, gloves with a respirator would be nice
Advice: Make sure you have a suitable work area before purchasing. If you live in a single room with your grandmother and mother, you will have to wait a little longer with the manufacture of resin jewelry. At the very least, you need a separate room where you can inhale harmful resin vapors (if you don't take care of ventilation) in splendid isolation.
This work is dirty, noisy and generally does not contribute to health, but a few simple manipulations will reduce the negative influences of creativity to a minimum.
Safety precautions when working with epoxy resin:
- if you are not a toxicomaniac, open at least the window
- always keep a rag close at hand - believe me, it is much easier to wipe off the resin than later chipping it off the linoleum
- don't you want a thrill? Then remove all carpets in sight.
- have pity on your neighbors in the living space, do not grind jewelry while they are at home. Wear a respirator during this action.
By the way about the leaves
Leaves (petals, flowers) must be well dried. This is not a quick case (4 weeks), so prepare them ahead of time. I put the fresh petals into folded white paper, then into a book (so that the letters don't get printed on the flowers). The thicker the book, the better (old Soviet textbooks are great). Magnetic photo albums can be used to store dried leaves.
If you decide to work with buds (for pouring into balls) you will need a dark, dry space, such as a closet. Thread the needle, tighten the knot thicker at the end of the thread and pass the needle through the legs of the buds (it is for this operation that these same legs should be left). We tie the resulting garland to two hangers and hide it in the closet. Four weeks and the material is ready.
It should be borne in mind that many petals visually change during work, and completely cease to resemble what you plucked in the garden. Some shrink to something awkward, some turn black or completely discolored. And if you do not mind a stupid chamomile at all, then the ruined expensive hydrangea flowers will definitely make you sad.
Fittings
The lion's share of the pleasure of working with jewelry is precisely the choice of accessories. It's simple: the more expensive it is, the better the quality. In the entire process of creating jewelry, you can save money, but not on accessories, this is exactly the case when a miser pays twice. Not only do the fasteners made in China break regularly, but they also look frankly wretched and, most likely, your hand will not rise to stick something like that on your hard-fostered leaf.
Resin preparation
Well, all preparations are complete, we can begin. To get started, read the instructions for your resin - mixing ratios vary from brand to brand. I personally use Crystal resin, 4 ml of resin for 1.2 ml of diluent.
We collect both resin and hardener with syringes without needles, naturally different. After using them, it is better to throw them away, they cost a penny. It is better to gently lower the hardener down the side of the cup so that it does not splash.
After that we start mixing. There is nothing phenomenal here: you can even interfere with your finger for 3-4 minutes. Do not be confused by the abundance of bubbles in the resin, let it settle and they will go away.
Stir the resin periodically. The ready-to-use mixture should have a honey-like consistency. It is difficult to explain on the fingers exactly how much to mix it, it naturally depends on the number of prepared petals, their size and, remarkably, the density of the resin. Fresh instantly spreads and it turns out that you have ground the tray itself more than the petals. So it's important to catch the moment here.
While the resin is settling, prepare your work area. Remove the table, take out the tray and flowers. It is advisable to do a wet cleaning, because there is nothing more offensive than a potentially beautiful piece of jewelry splattered with dust.
Preparing the tray
Requires a flat table, which is not a pity to spill, and a tray. The key point here is the choice of coverage, which should have a number of properties, such as:
- cheap
- affordable
- should not stick to resin
- must be glossy (a matte surface makes the resin matte and hardened)
A store-bought plastic bag immediately comes to mind, but to our deep regret it does not satisfy point 3 and sticks tightly. At one time I used food bags for baking, but they also periodically let down and ruin entire trays of jewelry.
Advice: Tape the tray with duct tape and forget about sticking jewelry forever.
Fill
So, the resin has thickened, the petals are laid out on a surface covered with adhesive tape, we begin to create. Take our combat stick, dip the tip in resin and apply a drop to the petal.
In principle, you can smear it on it, holding the leaf with your finger (in latex gloves, so that there are no greasy marks), but it spreads well itself. This is where you check how flat your table is. After covering all the prepared petals with the first layer of resin, cover our miracle tray with a lid and leave it all for 24 hours. Then apply another layer of resin (so far both layers are on the front).
In a day, we turn the petals over and apply the last layer, but already on the backs of our products.
Turning
Now these shapeless epoxy blots with petals inside need to be processed.
It's time to uncover our mini drill. Attach an emery tool to it and grind the jewelry (with a shudder I remember how I sharpened them by hand with a nail file). Keep the edge of the product perpendicular to the drill. After turning, you can varnish the edges of the products or make another fill.
If the resulting jewelry suits you, make holes for attaching the rings. We make holes with the same drill, but with a drill (diameter 0.5 mm).
In general, we did the most difficult work, now all that remains is to attach the fittings. We pass a ring into the drilled hole, and a hook into it. Our real flower petal earrings are ready!
Rules for storing and caring for flower jewelry
- Jewelry coated with jewelry resin should not be wiped with alcohol or any other solvent, as this may damage the glossy surface. Epoxy is not chemically friendly at all, so keep it away from detergents, air fresheners, etc.
- Put on jewelry after applying decorative cosmetics, perfumes, deodorants. Do not expose the glossy surface to acetone. It is better to wash off nail polish without rings, since acetone is a volatile substance, and it is not so far from a nail to a ring with a leaf.
- Do not wear jewelry while playing sports or go to bed.
- Fasten the brooches to your clothes before putting them on (in this case, you will be sure that the pin is well fastened).
- Cured epoxy resin itself is very strong, but with the proper degree of diligence, anything can be broken, and in this case it is no exception, store products in boxes.
- Do not leave them in the open sun for a long time.
Epoxy resin for pouring countertops: which one to choose and which hardeners are best used in the manufacture and repair of furniture. Almost any forum for joiners and craftsmen is filled with criticism of ED-20 resin, through which people not only wasted money, but also spoiled the source material. The main disadvantage of domestic epoxy (at a low price) is a high degree of viscosity (not all air bubbles come out), and over time, the material tends to lose transparency and acquire a yellowish tint.
What is the best resin to choose for making a transparent countertop? For coffee tables and desks, you can use acrylic resins designed for floors or bathtubs. For example, if the fill thickness does not exceed 3 mm, the QTP-1130 composition is suitable, it has a high degree of transparency, as well as the property of self-leveling.
Regarding the popular composition of "Art-Eco", the reviews are different, for some it does not completely harden and gives a yellowish tint to the light. Others respond positively. However, for thin layers, such a resin will most likely work without problems, especially if a little more hardener is added. Art-Eco has good colors, if you want to have a transparent layer with some shade, then their use is 100% justified.
For more complex countertops, such as when working with fillers (lids, coins, herbarium), CHS Epoxy 520 resin is a proven option together with 921OP hardener. This is the most popular option. 520 resin is also often replaced by Crystal Glass, but it is more fluid, more suitable for thin layers, although somewhat better in transparency (but not much). The proportions are 2: 1, that is, there is one hardener for two parts of the resin.
Probably 520 epoxy is the best option, although it is often criticized.
Quite good resin MG-EPOX-STRONG and in general everything from Epox.
Photostability tests show that the Russian PEO-610KE resin and the imported EpoxAcast 690 resin do not turn yellow at all. So if the table stands in the sun, then these options should be considered for the countertop.
It is also worth considering one important point - the quality of the compositions often differs due to the shelf life (tags are re-glued in stores), fakes, and simply because of factory defects.
Fill errors
Often, epoxy resin for pouring countertops is scolded due to lack of experience when working with it. Even expensive jewelry resins harden unevenly if mistakes are made when preparing the mixture. Here are some tips for working with countertop resin:
Use electronic scales when determining proportions. First, pour in the resin, weigh, then, based on this weight, calculate the proportions of the hardener, and then pour it in.
After mixing, pour into another container. If stains or non-hardened areas are obtained during pouring, this means that the epoxy resin and hardener have mixed unevenly. This usually occurs due to adhesion to the walls of the container, so it is better to pour the composition several times from one bottle to another, stirring for a long time each time.
Mix - with a spatula or a thick spatula, without removing it from the composition. To avoid bubbles, you need to mix the epoxy with the hardener with a thick stirrer, being careful not to bring it to the surface.
So many are looking for a long time, which epoxy resin to choose for pouring the countertop, but it is not the composition that is to blame, but the mistakes that the master makes, for example, when mixing components.
Today, there are many materials from which you can get aesthetic and practical furniture, and epoxy has recently been included in their number. With the help of wood and this glue, rather interesting design tables and shelves are made. Below we will tell you all about the technical process.
Until recently, this two-component adhesive was widely used mainly for the reliable connection of various materials, then it began to be used as a component for self-leveling floors. At the same time, such properties as low surface abrasion, high strength, durability were noted. Further, some transparent grades began to be used for very interesting dioramas, where epoxy resin with dyes imitated water. Moreover, the creators made whole tables depicting various landscapes. Perhaps it was these experiments that prompted the creation of designer furniture from wood and epoxy glue.
Epoxy can be shaped into any shape
The main thing that can be noted as the advantage of the aforementioned polymer resin is the ability to give it any shape due to fluidity in a liquid state and plasticity at the stage of solidification.... In addition, the hardened glue is quite easy to process, in particular: it is ground and polished, if necessary, it can be drilled, and grooves can be ground in it. There are brands that are absolutely transparent after hardening, and those that have a red, brown, yellowish or whitish color to the full depth. In this case, in a liquid consistency, it is allowed to add various components that improve or simply change the properties of the composition. The main positive property of the glue is the absence of shrinkage due to the fact that the composition hardens exclusively due to a chemical reaction, and, as a result, a flat surface is maintained.
Now let's talk about the disadvantages. The fact that the cured epoxy resin is easy to process is sometimes also a minus, since scratches easily appear on the surface. Otherwise, the wear resistance of this material is very high. Another factor that hinders the widespread use of glue for the production of furniture is its price, which is quite impressive and allows you to create only single designer items. Especially expensive are the brands that differ in absolute transparency after solidification. And, of course, do not forget about the toxicity of the polymer resin fumes, which should be carried out in well-ventilated rooms and always wear a respirator.
Today there are many brands of domestic and foreign production. For the manufacture of furniture, in fact, any are suitable, if you do not have special requirements for the result, however, if you want to combine wood with epoxy resin, you definitely need transparent compounds. Otherwise, you will not be able to show the beauty of wood fibers in the depth of the fill. As a rule, among the imported options, you should pay attention to the brand YD-128 characterized by a high degree of transparency. Also proved to be excellent MG-Epox-Strong used for filling and obtaining transparent optical products. If you need a colored finish, use MG Epox White- this type is characterized by a milky white color.
For filling, you need glue of a liquid consistency
All of the above options are a two-component glue of a liquid consistency, which, in fact, you need for pouring, since pasty is not suitable for this purpose. It should be noted that different brands can be quite successfully combined with each other, in this case milk inclusions of the same type of glue can be enclosed in the thickness of the transparent filling. It will look especially impressive with the addition of dyes and in combination with wood inclusions. The main thing is not to mix too large portions, since in this case the reaction with the hardener heats the composition, which makes it polymerize faster.
There are 5 states of glue. If it has a liquid base, its consistency after mixing with a hardener will be appropriate, such an epoxy resin should have good flow properties. It is she who is recommended to fill in the manufacture of a furniture panel, be it a shelf of a shelf or a future wall of a chest of drawers. The thicker version, like honey or molasses, is suitable for gluing and for pouring in layers. Thickened to the point where there is almost no fluidity and separate parts are difficult to separate, sometimes it is suitable as a putty. Further, the glue begins to resemble rubber, or plasticine, however, it remains very sticky, which does not prevent it from giving it an arbitrary shape with a stick or wire. And finally, the last state is completely solidified.
As mentioned above, 2 types of glue are used for the manufacture of furniture - transparent and matte, and each of them can be colored. We will now look at both options in more detail. For various combinations with wood or other inclusions, it is best to use transparent mixtures, especially those used for optical castings. In this case, even through a thick layer of glue, every detail of the inclusion will be clearly visible, whether it be fibers, trimming wood or metal elements (for example, old badges or gears). When you add a special dye, the opacity decreases slightly, but not completely, but the fill gets a saturated color.
You can create interesting interior items from colored epoxy
If you want to get a high-quality dyed mixture, add the color scheme of the same manufacturer that made the adhesive mass.
Colored mixtures are initially somewhat cloudy, they can be called rather translucent, and they are unsuitable as the main fill covering the wood. The reason is simple - any inclusions will simply not be visible. But you can do the opposite and fill in such all kinds of cavities in the cut of wood, voids from knots, openings of woodworms on the saw cut. A luminescent dye combined with glue will look especially impressive. Then the slightest illumination will be enough for the furniture panel or tabletop to start glowing by itself.
Such a combination as epoxy and wood has worked well for the simple reason that a perfectly smooth surface is obtained, and at the same time, the pouring consumption is relatively small. The main volume is occupied by wood, which is covered from all sides by a thin layer of polymer resin. However, be prepared for the fact that the expense will still be significant. It is easy to calculate that 10 square centimeters of filling with a thickness of 1 centimeter will take 100 grams of glue. Accordingly, 10 liters of the composition will be needed per 1 square meter, and 20 liters for the 1x2 meter countertop. And this is only for the top layer, but if you make a layer of epoxy thicker, in order to immerse wood scraps or a boardboard into it, you will need at least 2 times more mixture.
There are quite a few subtleties of using glue. In particular, an interesting effect can be achieved by adding a little water to the composition. At this point, milky white streaks form, similar to a nebula. That is, with small drops of water, you can get beautiful blotches in the painted epoxy. You can make a multi-color coating by filling portions painted with different colors in portions or dividing them with small thin plastic barriers. But such fillings should be quite thin, no more than 0.5 centimeters, on top you will need another, transparent layer. You can paint the composition with ordinary dry gouache, as well as writing ink (including paste from ballpoint pens), oil and nitro paints.
Epoxy has very strong adhesion to almost all materials, in other words, if you choose the wrong formwork, the glue will stick to it tightly. The only thing that epoxy does not stick to is plexiglass, the main thing is that there are no scratches and chips on it. Also, some craftsmen recommend using strips and sheets of polished aluminum. If you only want to finish the table from the top, epoxy is poured into the formwork, which is fixed to the side edges of the panel. Accordingly, the ends of the countertop will not be covered with glue.
If only the surface of the countertop is to be coated with resin, formwork should be done
It is quite another matter if you need a thickness of a transparent polymer, inside which, like an insect in amber, a saw cut of wood or its individual fragments will be enclosed. In this case, the inclusions should be fixed with an ordinary starch paste on the base, which will serve as a large sheet of plexiglass. If you want the wood to be in the middle of the epoxy, attach the inclusion to the sides of the formwork. The walls of the mold must be attached to the base sheet only from the outside, so that they can be easily detached after the mixture has completely solidified.
We knead and fill in epoxy - we make a transparent or colored panel
It is noteworthy that the reaction after mixing the main component of the glue with the hardener is accompanied by heating of the composition. And the larger the portion volume, the stronger the heating, the faster the epoxy sets. Therefore, it is recommended to use only small containers. Some experts advise adding acetone to the main component, about 10% of the total, and only before mixing with the hardener. This will reduce heat and prolong the hardening process of the composition. You can also influence the hardening process by slowing it down somewhat by cooling the dishes. With a sharp cooling, solidification in the future will proceed very slowly, over several days.
Furniture made of transparent epoxy resin is of two types - solid cast or assembled from pre-fabricated panels. In the first case, the stools look like pedestals, the tables are more like thick slabs, while the second option is closer to the classic furniture samples. But whichever type you choose, before the wood and the mixed epoxy are connected, the base must be perfectly leveled using a level, it is not difficult to do this with your own hands. Otherwise the mixture will drain to the lower edge. To expose the horizontal, wedges can be placed under the edges, and under the middle of the plank of different thicknesses, so that the plexiglass sheet does not bend. A table made of wood also needs to be leveled by placing thin inserts under the legs.
Now we are preparing the fill. To do this, you will need a small container, approximately 0.5 liters, maximum 1 liter, and a mixing stick. Measurements should be included in the kit, if they are not there, prepare cups with graduations applied to them. We take the main component, measure out a certain amount of it, sufficient to obtain a thin layer. If the epoxy table will have a large area, prepare several containers at once to mix the amount that will create a layer approximately 0.5 centimeters thick. Open all windows to allow fresh air to enter the room.
Be sure to wear special clothes that will not fall off the threads, put your hair under a hat or kerchief, put gloves on your hands. It is highly undesirable for the composition to include hairs, eyelashes, villi. In order for wood and transparent epoxy resin products to be bubble-free, if you find excess inclusions after emptying the container with the composition into the formwork, slightly warm such an area with a hairdryer, the air should escape out. Curing takes several days, especially if the fill forms several layers. Further, to smooth the countertop, we carefully grind and polish the surface with the thinnest emery paper and felt with special pastes.
Transparent epoxy resin is a versatile material that allows you to make an original table, jewelry, 3D floors. See how to create it yourself.
Transparent resin: types and their characteristics
For home art, 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 that one 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 technique of color printing. What plot is captured there, this will be on the self-leveling floors. Their surface is made of transparent resin, so the image on the canvas is clearly visible.
Products made of epoxy resin are durable, water and sun resistant. One of the most popular Magic Crystal-3D epoxy resins. It is used to create jewelry, decorative items, 3D fill 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 is sold with a solvent. Usually these two substances are mixed in a 2: 1 ratio just before use.
The second type of resin is acrylic. It is also used to create self-leveling floors, souvenirs. Acrylic resin is used for the manufacture of baths, waterfalls and artificial reservoirs, molds for casting products. Artificial stone is made of this material, including artificial marble.
Perhaps you have heard about transparent designer sinks and bathtubs. This type of resin is used for them.
Transparent polyester resin is also used to create plumbing products. But this type of polymer is most often used in industrial production, and not in the home. Transparent polymer resin is used in the automotive industry, the shipbuilding industry, and in auto-tuning. Fiberglass, known to almost everyone, is made from polymer resins.
Epoxy is the most popular resin for home art, as it costs less than acrylic. But for the production of small items of jewelry, it is better to take acrylic, which does not collect air bubbles, like epoxy. However, there are subtleties that will help prevent this trouble when working with cheaper material. You will soon find out about them.
How to make an epoxy countertop?
If you need to update an old one, then adopt an interesting idea. To implement it, you will need:
- coins;
- epoxy resin with a thickener;
- pliers;
- ticks;
- water-based varnish;
- autogen;
- wooden slats;
- glue.
The hardest part is bending coins, cutting them. Pliers and pliers will help you, as well as masculine strength. But if some of this is not there, do not make the side ends on the countertop, place the coins only at the top, it will still turn out beautifully.
The coins will need to be washed. There are several ways to do this:
- Pour Cola drink into a saucepan, lower coins, put on fire. The solution will boil and clear your money. You can just pour the coins with this drink, do not heat, but leave overnight. They will be clean by morning.
- Place a pot of coins and water on a fire. When the liquid boils, add a little vinegar and baking soda. The solution will foam, so add enough water to fill the pot no more than halfway.
- Use a special cleanser called Tarn-X. It is diluted in water according to the instructions, not in food containers, coins are immersed there. The container must be carefully twisted over the sink in order to evenly moisten the money and thus wash it.
- Here's how to make the countertop itself. Spread the coins on its surface, after which you need to fill them with a mixture of epoxy resin with a thickener. But before that, you need to prepare.
- If you don't want to mess around for a long time, put cellophane under the surface to be treated, and you can pour the resin. But after mixing with the thickener, it is necessary to leave the mass for a while so that it hardens a little, does not become 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, apply where there is little resin. But even if this is not done, the wiped resin will be on the cellophane, which you just need to throw out at the end of the work.
- You can first make an edging for the countertop from wooden slats or bars, then place coins, fill with epoxy resin.
- Don't be discouraged if you see air bubbles on the surface you create. We drive them out with the flame of an autogen.
- Now you need to let the product dry completely, it 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, cover the surface with a water-based varnish, after it dries, the new product is ready for use.
If you are interested in this process and there is a whole piggy bank of coins, or maybe metal money of the old denomination remains, then make a self-leveling floor, for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen.
Epoxy resin jewelry: bracelet and brooch
See how to make a stylish bracelet out of this material.
For him, take:
- a set consisting of epoxy resin with a thickener;
- silicone mold for the bracelet;
- plastic cup;
- a toothpick;
- stick (you can from ice cream);
- scissors;
- dried flowers;
- disposable syringes.
Pour 2 parts resin and one thickener into a glass.
Use disposable syringes to measure the exact amount of thickener and epoxy. To form as few air bubbles as possible, mix these formulations slowly.
If there are still air bubbles, let the mixture stand for a while so that they disappear. But don't thicken it too much.
Pour the gooey mixture into the bracelet mold. Put dried flowers cut with scissors there, helping yourself with a toothpick. With them, you can 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 a new fashion accessory.
Instead of dried flowers, you can decorate the bracelet with buttons of a beautiful color.
If you want to make a brooch in the shape of a butterfly, then watch the next master class.
For her you will need:
- a dry butterfly bought in a store;
- scissors;
- epoxy resin with solvent;
- two toothpicks;
- gloves;
- aqua varnish;
- mechanism for a brooch.
- Cut the butterfly into 5 pieces: separating the wings and bodies. Coat these parts with aqua varnish on the back side first.
- Place the workpieces on a plastic-covered surface. For this, a tile is suitable, on which the package is put on and fixed.
- Lubricate the front of the butterfly with varnish. While it dries, dilute the epoxy with solvent, stirring slowly.
- Place the container in a warm place so that the solution thickens a little and does not drain from the workpieces when pouring. Cover them with a small layer, spread it over the surface with a toothpick.
- We wait until the parts are dry, then cover them with epoxy mixture from the back side. We are also waiting for this layer to dry, after which we dilute the 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 you will do. At the same time, give the wings the desired position.
- Using the remaining solution, attach a metal mechanism to the back of the brooch. Remove the jewelry by covering it with dust so that the solution is completely dry.
How to make a pendant: 2 workshops
See what other wonderful resin jewelry you can make with your own hands.
You will need:
- epoxy resin with hardener;
- metal form;
- disposable cups and spoons;
- small scissors;
- mandarin;
- stained glass paint;
- lacquer for fixing Fimo Vernis brillante;
- stained glass paint;
- sandpaper;
- attachment for a brooch;
- Alcor silicone compound.
Peel the tangerine. Take the most beautiful slice, carefully, clinging to the skin with scissors, remove it from one side. On the other hand, the pin will subsequently be attached, not to the slice, but to the workpiece from it.
Form 2 wedges in this way, put them in a mold. Knead the silicone compound, pour it into the prepared container. Let the silicone cure.
Now you can remove the slices from the container, discard them, and rinse the form itself in cold water. If the edges of the grooves are uneven, trim them with scissors.
After a day, the silicone will completely solidify, 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 a brooch fastener to the back of the blank, paint the mandarin orange stained glass paint. Apply 1 coat first, then the second. After they dry, go over the surface with varnish.
These are wonderful tangerine-shaped epoxy decorations that can be made with diligence.
If you want to learn how to make a round pendant, then check out another master class. For it you will need:
- dried flowers;
- round molds;
- epoxy resin;
- thickener;
- disposable plastic cups;
- tweezers;
- scissors;
- sandpaper;
- polishing paste;
- felt nozzle;
- accessories for a pendant.
If you do not have round molds, then take a plastic ball. It needs to be cut in half, greased inside with Vaseline. After pouring the resin, seal the cut with plasticine so that it does not flow out.
In the absence of purchased dried flowers, make them yourself from the presented bouquet. Dry voluminous flowers, such as roses, by tying them by the stems, dropping down in buds. If you want to dry individual petals, then place them between the pages of an 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 eventually rot while in the pendant. In order for the plant to retain its color as long as possible, take an epoxy resin that protects from ultraviolet radiation.
Assemble a mini-bouquet by gluing flowers, petals, leaves together using epoxy resin mixed with a thickener.
When it has hardened, carefully place this small bouquet in round molds or half a plastic ball. A freshly prepared epoxy mixture should be left for 2-3 minutes so that air can escape and its bubbles do not spoil the appearance of the product. Now you can pour the resin into the mold, wait until it thickens.
Until such a ball is obtained, it will not be quite even in shape. To fix this, first go over the surface with a coarse grain, then a fine grain. It is better to do this in water so that there is no dust and the process goes faster.
The next step is polishing. For this, a plastic or headlight polish purchased from a motorist store is a good choice. Apply it to the felt nozzle, walk from all sides over the workpiece.
Here's how to make the pendant next. To attach the chain to the ball, take the cap and pin.
Put the pin on the hat, use round-nose pliers to fold it into a loop. Glue this blank to the pendant with epoxy.
All that remains is to attach the chain and wear such an unusual pendant with pleasure.
And now we suggest that you sit comfortably in an armchair, watch a cognitive plot on how to make a ring out of 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.
Agree, a table made with epoxy resin looks quite unique, original, and sometimes extravagant? Combining this material with wood, you can easily bring to life a unique and inimitable piece of furniture that can decorate absolutely any room.
Time does not stand still, as does fashion.
Interior design demands from us more and more new solutions and non-standard use of familiar materials. One of them is the well-known epoxy resin.
The rich properties of this material give us great opportunities in its application.
Once epoxy was used only as a two-component glue for gluing various objects, but now it is widely used in the execution of author's projects, dioramas, as well as in the manufacture of designer furniture.
Properties
Epoxy is quite easy to use, but it will allow you to create a new table with your own hands, or to update the old one, transform it beyond recognition. The strength and resistance of the hardened resin to chips, moisture, as well as temperature changes, makes products from it wear-resistant and durable.
Such a table will not change its color, will not deform and will not be covered with scratches and damages.
Design possibilities
Thanks to the coloring of the resin, you can get hundreds of color nuances from transparent to deep and rich tones, as you wish, as well as achieve the effect of various landscapes, from mountainous to marine, which is now very popular.
Any components of your choice can be placed under the fill: pebbles, shells, interesting twigs and leaves, various types of sand, marble chips, dried flowers, as well as memorable trifles and souvenirs.
Shabby pieces of wood, dried up, eaten by bark beetles, larvae and voids formed from time to give a special beauty to the furniture. By filling such natural flaws with epoxy, you can achieve unrealistic special effects.
And by adding additional decor in the form of coarse sand to the gaps, alternating layers of resin with chips and sawdust, we will create the impression of frozen time.
Also, with the help of polymer resin, it is easy to create modern motives, investing in the countertop metal objects, semi-precious stones, glitter, foil. In addition, when painting the exposed parts of the wood with metallized paints, we will get fantastic effects and overflows.
For work we need wood, resin, any decor we like and boundless imagination.
Density features
First of all, it is important to know that, depending on the chosen decor, different fill viscosities are harvested. The working mixture consists directly of epoxy resin and hardener.
For the shallowest and most accurate filling, a more liquid mixture is suitable. So she will be able to fill in all the cracks in the tree and completely fill in the items selected for inlay.
A thick mixture, the so-called "liquid honey", is better suited for creating unique volumetric shapes, beautiful streaks, lenses.
Methods for using epoxy resin
There are several spectacular uses for epoxy resin in furniture decoration.
Updating a dilapidated table
You need to take an old table and carefully sand it with sandpaper, removing the worn out layer of varnish or paint.
On the countertop itself, you need to make a side. To do this, you can take wooden slats and cut the corners at 45 degrees, stuff them onto the edges. You can also take metal corners and create a frame around the canvas of the future countertop.
For inlay we choose according to our taste: old coins, small tiles for the kitchen apron, or wood chips and pieces of dissimilar shades and species. We dilute the resin and let it brew. In parallel, we lay out our decor on the table surface, and then carefully fill in the prepared glue.
If the filling height is not more than 5 mm, then the process is carried out in one pass.
For a higher profile, filling will have to be done in several stages, each of which is repeated after 48 hours. After filling, remove bubbles with hot air. It is enough to heat the filled layer and the bubbles will come out on their own.
The complete epoxy polymerization process takes 7 days.
After the resin has completely hardened, the sides must be removed, the entire surface must be sanded, removing the resin layer. When the entire surface is thoroughly processed, it must be varnished, and after its complete polymerization, it must also be sanded and polished.
The choice of varnish must be approached no less responsibly. The varnish itself should be high-gloss and preferably with increased strength.
The beauty of the finished product directly depends on the properties of the selected varnish.
Second way. DIY table
First, you need to make the frame of the table from wood or metal and the base of the table top. It can be a solid canvas for pouring, or individual parts that will be embedded in the frame of the future table, only openings and corners will be poured. The result depends on what blanks do you use for the base... Thus, you can get an imitation of a stream, river, flooded ravine or fantasy relief.
If you take individual boards or pieces of wood for the base, then they need to be fixed with mounting tape for the stability of the structure. It should also be remembered that on the reverse side of the future countertop, all holes are carefully sealed with masking tape or putty to prevent epoxy from leaking out.
In this version, only imperfections of the wood or gaps between the details of the canvas are filled in. Epoxy for this filling can be either colorless or tinted.
Such countertops are processed as described above, after the resin has completely hardened.
In addition, this material gives us the ability to cut openings, grooves or decorative holes in an already finished product, which will add uniqueness to your interior item.
See below for an overview of the epoxy table models.