How to Create and Turn an Epoxy-Resin Artform

Introduction

Epoxy-resin turning is becoming increasingly popular within the woodturning community, This is a new creative artform in which nearly anything solid can be encased in epoxy-resin, especially otherwise unusable pieces of wood. Disadvantages are that epoxy-resin is expensive and there is a learning curve that takes some patience on the part of the learner. However, there are instructors and YouTube videos available to shorten the learning curve.  Another disadvantage is that one needs to be a rather experienced wood turner to turn epoxy-resin pieces, as faster lathe speeds and the use of carbide tools are often beneficial.

Within this writing I will detail the steps (and tricks) I have learned along the way of my epoxy-resin turning endeavors (successes and failures).

Getting started with epoxy-resin (E-R),

E-R. E-R is a two-part product composed of resin and a hardener that when combined form a hard, glass-like solid polymer. There are several types of E-R, such as deep pour, tabletop, and art types.  They have different cure times and working times. The working times are not a fixed time, but the E-R becomes less workable as time passes. 

Deep pour E-R is a 2:1 thin mixture that is used for projects more than 2” deep.  The manufacturer usually state that it can’t be used for deeper pours than 2, but most of us who work with deep pour E-R find it can be used for projects much deeper than 2”. Cure time is abdout 3 days, dependent on ambient temperature and the volume of the piece. After 3 days the E-R is workable but will continue to cure for days or weeks. Working time is several hours, up to approximately ½ a day

         Tabletop epoxy is a specialized, durable, 1:1 mixture self-leveling E-R

coating for flat surfaces like bars, tables, and counters, creating a hard, glossy, protective layer resistant to scratches, moisture, and stains  Cure time is approximately 2 days, but several days should be allowed to pass before sanding and planning are done. Work time is approximately 2 – 3 hours.

Art E-R’s are 1:1 mixtures and therefore rather thick, They are to be used for thin pieces like coasters and jewelry. They are self-leveliing and cure in 24-48 hours.  This E-R is still pliable at 24 hrs. and can be reshaped, if desired. It cannot be used for thick projects because air bubbles will be trapped within the mixture – unless one is able to put the project in a vacuum chamber or pressure pot. Working time is limited to usually less than one hour.

Products needed to mix E-R.

• Molds. Various mold products in all sizes and shapes that one can imagine are available commercially, but they are rather expensive. I go to the dollar store and buy containers of different sizes and shapes. I buy containers that will be the outside of the project I have in mind, but I also get containers for the inside to take up ‘dead’ space to save on the volume of E-R needed for a specific project. This also saves  money on E-R. I also use food containers from our kitchen, like yogurt and my protein powder mixture containers. These may end up being one 

-time use, but the price is right. 

• Mixing sticks. Large and small tongue blades or popsicle sticks work well to stir the E-R mixture. Rubberized mixing sticks often cooe with an E -R purchase.  Paint mixers that attach to an electric drill can be used, but I put a whole container of E-R on the floor once trying to use one of these, so I avoid them currently.

• Mixing vials. Graduated mixing vials are necessary to measure the correct volumes of resin and hardener. I use disposable mixing vials for my work, purchased online.

• Cleaning materials. Cover your work area with a disposable covering, such as parchment paper. Paper towels or disposable rags and denatured or rubbing alcohol are needed to clean up drops or spills.

• Personal protective equipment. Vinyl gloves are a must when working with E-R. As these products can cause allergic reactions, skin should be covered. An odor indicates that fumes are being released. In this case wear a chemical grade mask. A smock is a must to protect clothing.

• Weights. A weight or weights may be necessary to hold down any floating wood within the E-R pour. Although I use hot wax glue to position wood pieces within my molds, sometimes the glue lets go and objects begin to float. Weights will push the pieces back in place. However, one must remember to remove the weights before final curing or the weights can become part of your project. 

Preparing wood for the mold

Bark should be removed from wood to be used in an E-R mold. If you don’t have a vacuum chamber or pressure pot, the wood must be sealed to avoid air escaping during the curing process. I use Shellac to do this. The mold can be sprayed with a mold release product or a product like Spam (Optional). Depending on the planned project, a piece of fiberboard (or similar product) can be placed in the bottom of the mold and fixed with hot-wax glue, A container to serve as a space occupier can be glued centrally to this bottom piece (Optional). The wood pieces are glued into place.

Pouring the E-R

• Before you start. Cover your work surface with a disposable material. Have ready:

  • 1. Containers of resin and hardener

  • 2. Mixing vial

  • 3. Mixing stick

  • 4. Vinyl glovers

  • 5. Smock

  • 6. Paper towels

  • 7. Mask (Optional)

• Mark the mixing vial with the desired volumes of each of the two  components of the E-R in 1:1 or 1:2 ratios

• Steady the mixing vial and pour in the desired hardener (The thinner component)

• Add the heavier component. This order is optional, but allows for better mixing

• Stir the mixture slowly to avoid lots of air bubbles. Stir for several minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the container.

• Let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow air bubbles to come to the surface. The deep pour E-R can sit longer than the art E-R, as the working time is longer for the deep pour E-R than for the shorter work time of the art E-R. To eliminate air bubbles that appear on the surface, a small torch or heat gun can be used to remove them.

• Coloring. Liquid or powder coloring agents can be added to the E-R mixture during the work time. Particulate mater such as gold, silver or btonze plated chips can be added, but I caution here because these chips can appear as defects in a colored E-R piece.

Curing (The  Wait)

• Deep Pour E-R.  The usual cure time for deep pour E-R is 72 hrs., varying by ambient temperature and the mass of the piece. The cooler the room and the bigger the piece, the longer the curing time. Some experts will put a large piece in a refrigerator to slow curing to prevent “thermal cracks”. In practice I usually leave a large project in the mold for 5 – 6 days, so that it can go directly onto the lathe.  The piece may be somewhat pliable in a shorter time frame.

• Table Top Epoxy. Cure time is best 3 – 4 days, and maybe longer for  sanding or planeing. Again, the longer, the better.

• Art E-R. At 24 hrs, the art E-R project being thin is malleable and hard by 48 hrs. Some artist use the 24 hr time frame to mold the piece into another form than that produced by the original mold. For adding alcohol ink to art E-R, I wait about 45 minutes before adding the alcohol ink. If added sooner, the alcohol ink will spread extensively.  Depending on how much spreading of the alcohol ink the artist wishes, this time frame can be altered.

De-molding the E-R turning blank

Once the curing is complete it is time to remove the turning blank from the mold. The easiest mold type to work with are the rubberized vinyl or latex molds as they can be peeled off the blank. Solid molds are more difficult to work with. Often, pounding the bottom of the mold with a mallet or hammer is required. Sometimes compressed air or wedges need to be pounded down the outside edge, between the blank and the side of the mold. With repeated efforts, one will usually be successful. Whether mold release helps is debatable. 

Preparing the E-R blank for turning

Usually, point-to-point turning is used initially in E-R turning. After center points have been identified, a Forestner bit is used to drill to reach solid wood within the blank. (It is best to anchor the E-R blank to the lathe with the points attached to wood vs. attached to E-R). Another option is to attach a glue block onto a flat section of the blank, which as been roughed up some to allow adherence of the hot-wax glue.

Turning an E-R project

• Roughing. The most difficult and dangerous part of turning a E-R project is the roughing stage because during this time chips of E-R, like pieces of glass are thrown off the turning. These pieces of ‘glass’ can  produce significant cuts if the skin of your hands, arms, face and neck are not protected. Thus, it is very important for the turner to wear a smock, gloves and a facemask that covers the neck as well as the face. For this roughing I use a carbide cutting gouge. I run the lathe at the highest safest speed. Once the blank is rounded, the ‘glass’ chipping pretty much stops.

• Turning, Now the artistic turning can commence! In general, if the majority of where I am turning is E-R, I will use the carbide tool. But, if the E-R is mostly wood where I am turning, I will use a high-speed steel bowl gouge. While turning, lots of white ‘streamers’ are produced that will cover your arms, chest and face shield, as well as your lamp, tool and lathe. Although messy, these ‘streamers’ are easily blown off with compressed air. If desired, these ‘streamers’ can be saved for future projects.

Sanding and Finishing an E-R artform

• Sanding, The first sanding purpose is to remove tool marks, ridges and to rough up the surface for the following step. I start sanding with 80 or 120 grit and advance to 180 grit.

• Finishing. Finishing a E-R artform can be a complicated process. The goal is to produce s smooth shiny surface that will be a pleasure to the visual and tactile senses. 

  • The first step is to mix a very small amount of some art type E-R, which is quite thick. This will serve as a surface coat and will cover voids and the ‘scratchy’ surface left by the 180-sandpaper grit, which allows adhesion of the art E-R.  I apply a thin coat of this mixture with my gloved fingers while the piece is spinning on the lathe at a very slow speed (The speed must be very slow or the art E-R will splatter all over you and/or your shop. I have learned this by personal experience.)

  • Secondly, the lathe is left spinning at a very slow speed for several hours, otherwise the art E-R pools in dependent areas of the project. Intermittently, wipe off drips from the edge of the spinning piece. If the artform is a flat piece, it does not have to be spun but can lie flat until the art E-R hardens.

  • Lastly, the resulting surface can be left as the final surface if one desires. If there are drips or other defects, some will sand this layer down to 600 – 800 grit and apply another type of finish of one’s choice, such as polyurethane or Waterlox.

Conclusion

In this writing I have covered the essential steps in producing an E-R artform. As you gain experience with this technique, you may discover other important steps that may currently allude me. Your venture into this art form may begin ‘sloppy’ but I can assure you that, with time, your skill will improve exponentially, and you will come to enjoy producing E-R artforms.