A person’s desire for creativity must necessarily be realized through his activity. If there are certain abilities and natural inclinations, they need to be developed. No master has received his qualifications from purely theoretical knowledge.
Here an important component is the satisfaction of one’s own desire – the desire to overcome difficulties, to test oneself, to know, to put into practice and, of course, to achieve the ultimate goal.
The destiny of a novice master is to travel through various thematic forums and read relevant articles. The topic of working with epoxy resin at home has long lost its originality and has become commonplace. Resin, as a material for artistic creativity, has gained fame and recognition.
Today, epoxy can be purchased in specialized stores, as well as get all the necessary accessories bundled with it. And yet there are some difficulties that stand in the way from desire to the realization and embodiment of a creative idea.
Features of the work
Resin, which is used for creativity, due to its unique properties, has a number of features. Moreover, both advantages and disadvantages of the material are considered nuances. We are interested in these properties in terms of the possibility of independent work.
Many master classes presented on the Internet display a fundamental algorithm of action and do not concern a number of details of the process at all. As a result, it turns out that the reader is inspired by the relative simplicity of making crafts, but in practice he faces a number of problems that he is not ready to solve.
The key to success is an objective assessment of your own capabilities. For each master, the scope of his activity is determined individually. It depends on the availability of tools, materials, as well as practical experience with epoxy resin.
Let’s define a certain average list, which indicates which products can be made from epoxy resin with our own hands. These products do not require special skills, that is, they are easy to create.
Advantages of the material
Let’s consider those properties that make the task easier for a beginner. It is they who make you choose epoxy resin as the main material. And the curing of the resin after the interaction of its components should be brought to the fore.
Regardless of what form the compound has acquired, it is possible to obtain a sufficiently strong billet. If there is a mold for filling, the task of manufacturing the product is minimized.
The fluidity of the resin allows you to create a variety of shapes in complexity. The liquid composition will not penetrate into the capillary tubes, but there is no such purpose. Basically, big bets are placed on turnover.
For example, when pouring a countertop, it is enough to take care of the horizontal base, and the upper face formed by the resin will become smooth and horizontal without the intervention of a master.
In the manufacture of souvenir crafts, the determining factor for the choice of material is the transparency of the compound. If industrial brands of resins can have a characteristic yellowish tint, then jewelry resins made specifically for creativity are characterized by almost perfect transparency. Due to this quality, whole compositions are used as decor, up to paintings and photographs.
The real field of activity of the artist gives the opportunity to add paint to the compound. At the same time, the resin can retain its transparency. Thanks to the colors, jewelry manufacturers receive crystals imitating ruby, amber, emerald, malachite and some other expensive natural minerals.
We are not talking about fake jewelry, but with the help of tinted resin, it is possible to obtain such products that, in terms of external chic, are in no way inferior to real jewelry.
Not the least important quality is the availability of the material. Resin can be ordered inexpensively in an online store or bought directly in a store for creativity. Jewelry brands are more expensive, but they are also spent to a lesser extent.
Disadvantages
Now let’s talk about practical problems. Many of them are simply ignored in master classes, so the first results of work with epoxy do not meet expectations. Initially, you will have to face the problem of choosing the material that modern manufacturers present a choice of two-component compositions coming in one set, solves only half of the problems.
Now there is no need to select a hardener for a specific brand of resin. Components from the same set are perfectly combined with each other. But the viscosity and transparency of the resin differ, and without work experience it is difficult to choose the right composition.
The curing time of the compound is limited. As practice shows, it is quite enough to carry out the filling. Experienced craftsmen can even manipulate the viscosity of the resin, allowing it to infuse after mixing the components. The time limit has a psychologically negative effect on beginners, as a result of which haste leads to unacceptable mistakes.
The reaction of the interaction of the main composition and the hardener is accompanied by the release of heat. The higher the intensity of the reaction, the more energy is released per unit of time.
Brands of resins with a short lifetime are characterized by a high reaction rate. Therefore, when pouring large volumes of products, resin boiling is observed. Such varieties of polymers are used to make jewelry to save time spent on curing.
Viscosity and fluidity are different concepts. Epoxy resin remains fluid even at high viscosity. The manuals indicate that it is necessary to ensure the tightness of the mold, while it is suggested to use a silicone sealant.
In fact, it is not so easy to close all the cracks, and a large amount of sealant will cause irregularities to form on the surface of the resin after curing. This will complicate the process of subsequent grinding. And if ready-made mods are used in the manufacture of souvenirs, then you will have to assemble the form yourself to fill the countertop.
The absence of Moldovans also becomes a serious obstacle to the manifestation of creativity. The workshops show how to make silicone molds yourself, but for this you need to have patience, diligence and, of course, artistic skills. If there is no suitable cliche at hand from which to make an impression, then the mold will not match the required shape.
Continuing the review in the same vein, it would be necessary to list crafts that are easy to make with your own hands, as well as dwell on difficult-to-implement projects. But there is a certain amount of subjectivity here.
Difficulties for one master are not the same for another, so we offer a different, more optimal approach. We will list how to make this or that product from epoxy resin with our own hands, bringing difficult moments, and each reader will determine for himself the possibilities for creativity.
Table top
If we consider that all the furniture made of epoxy is the result of handmade work, then the possibility of independent creativity is quite obvious. But the master may encounter a number of nuances, so it is advisable to be prepared for this.
- The volume of the countertop is quite large. Not everyone is able to estimate the amount of epoxy resin, especially if according to the idea there is a minimum amount of decor. There are cases when the would-be master, after pouring 2-3 layers, abandons his plan, realizing how much the material will cost him.
- In various manuals, little attention is paid to such a phenomenon as boiling of the compound. When making a countertop, the probability of overheating of the polymer increases, especially if the filling is carried out in one layer. Despite the fact that the manufacturer allows the layer to be filled in a certain thickness, it does not take into account the area, and meanwhile it is a large area that leads to fatal consequences.
- Slabs for decoration are not so easy to get. If you don’t have your own equipment, then the chances of finding a suitable slice are minimal. It will not be possible to buy a slab cheaply, since at woodworking plants the root part of the trunk goes to waste, and the main product is edged and uncut boards. In principle, it can also be called a slab, but it is the characteristic curvature of the komel that is so appreciated in the manufacture of furniture.
- To fill the countertop, it is necessary to equip the workplace. There should be a large horizontal table or workbench. The room must be kept clean, the temperature regime, a certain humidity. At the same time, it will be necessary to isolate the surrounding utensils from accidental resin ingress. A prerequisite is good ventilation, as some brands of resins in the liquid state are toxic. There is a need for a special room, workshop, garage. The possibility of using a living room is practically excluded.
Floors
Self-leveling floors attract attention with their irresistible beauty. A trivial description of the works creates an illusion about their complexity. The reader is told that the resin is distributed in an even thin layer, and the result will be excellent in any case. We do not try to dissuade this, it’s just that absolutely all the nuances of this complex process are rarely mentioned in any sources.
- The consumption of resin does not even compare with that which is typical for countertops, the same can be said about the consumption of material for decoration.
- The slightest deviation from the technology will lead to the appearance of various defects. Examples are delaminations or areas of liquid resin. Given the scale of the work, it will take significant time and money to correct the defects.
- It takes skill to apply a layer of resin. Everyone has to start somewhere. Quite often, the first experience turns out to be quite successful. But without the skill, more time will be spent on filling the layer.
- A fairly wide list of tools complicates the preparatory process. Most of them are unlikely to be found in the home arsenal, so you will have to spend money on buying.
- Air bubbles form in the resin during curing. There are ways to minimize their number. But when bubbles form, measures will have to be taken. When pouring a compound for jewelry or countertops, use an installation hairdryer, warming up the resin areas. The flooded floor during the curing process makes it impossible to approach the area where the bubbles appeared.
- The floor should be not only beautiful, but also reliable. The preparatory work includes the arrangement of a flat horizontal surface. Any deviations will lead to increased material consumption, as well as spoil the three-dimensional picture if there is one.
Jewelry
Costume jewelry refers to inexpensive jewelry, the manufacture of each type is characterized by its own characteristics, so we will describe the process of pouring for specific products.
Colored lenses without mouldings
The simplest type of work is to create a lens without mold. The whole principle boils down to the fact that a certain amount of resin is poured onto the prepared surface. The task of the master is to keep the spot within the allotted boundaries.
This task is easy to minimize if you prepare lenses of irregular shape. In the presence of a dye, an almost ready-made transparent colored pendant is obtained. It will only remain to fix the accessories, but even here everything can be simplified to a banal hole under the lace.
Pendants and earrings
Without mold, you can make not only lenses for pendants, but also earrings. Their fundamental difference will be what kind of hardware is used. But the manufacturing process in question differs from the previous one by the presence of decorative elements. At first glance, it may seem that the decor does not complicate the pouring procedure at all. But in practice, the master begins to face a number of problems.
- If a product made of wood or other porous material is chosen as a decoration, air bubbles will form after pouring. Bubbles arise due to the displacement of air from the pores by resin. Such decorative elements need to be primed.
- Natural materials must be appropriately prepared. The flowers and petals of plants are dried so that there is no moisture left in their fibers. Not everyone can dry the flower so that it does not lose its integrity and color. You need to know which flowers look the most beautiful when dried. In simple words, the master will have to master a whole additional science.
- The resin density is high, so small decorative elements will pop up after pouring, and this fact must be taken into account. Additional work will be required from the master. Usually, the decor is glued to the base with the first layer. In the manufacture of spherical pendants and earrings, everything is much more complicated, since decorative elements need to be kept in the center of the ball. It is necessary to apply layer-by-layer filling or use thin wires, fishing lines, threads.
Bracelets and rings
Filling the bracelet could be called the simplest and most affordable process, if it were not for the need for moldovs. Professional craftsmen who have turned their hobby into a business have whole sets of different molds. But what should those who have just decided to join the beautiful do? Creative shops selling accessories for working with epoxy are not so common.
In most small towns there are none at all. We have to rely only on online stores. But from the moment of placing an order to receiving a parcel, several weeks pass, and often the goods do not quite meet expectations.
In addition, the difficulty is the need to replace the mold after three or four fills. Now let’s calculate the probability of success and time costs, taking into account the fact that for a beginner, the first few fills may end in failure.
An alternative option for buying a mold is to make it with your own hands. Needless to say, this will lead to an additional waste of time. But even that is not the essence of the problem. To make a silicone mold, you need to have a cliche from which a cast will be made. But it is not there, since no products have been made yet. It turns out a vicious circle, as a result of which it will be necessary to find an object among household utensils that is as similar in shape as possible to the future product.
Not everyone interested will be satisfied with our arguments, since, for the most part, readers want to get an exhaustive answer to the question of which crafts are easiest to make with their own hands. To begin with, various kinds of difficulties are associated with specific problems, it may be a lack of material or equipment, as well as a lack of experience or creative inclinations.
For example, if for some masters the main problem is the lack of molds, then others do not experience anything like this, since their arsenal is replenished with the necessary molds.
Anyway, we managed to establish which crafts are considered the easiest to make. It all depends on the degree of responsibility. Let’s say you decide to fill the countertop. After a long preparation, we moved on to the pouring stage, and in the end it turned out that the resin had become cloudy for some reason. The product has fallen into disrepair. Your material damage amounted to several thousand rubles, and the loss of time is calculated in weeks.
For comparison, we note that failure to fill the pendant is fraught with damage by an order of magnitude less. That’s why, on a subconscious level, we believe that pouring jewelry is an easier option, although in fact, the technique of working with resin remains the same, and some painstaking work with decor requires even more attention from the master.
As a result, it can be noted that the production of large-area products (pouring floors, making furniture) is associated with the difficulties of the material plan. When making jewelry and souvenirs, problems arise, the solution of which does not require financial injections, but is fraught with time costs.
