In this weeks blog we're going to be covering the answers to some of the most common questions our Craft Resin Customer Service Team have recently received.
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There are many questions you may have when you first start out using Craft Resin or any other brands epoxy resin. We have lots of guidance available on the following channels that may help:
Craft Resin Blogs
Craft Resin YouTube
Craft Resin Courses
If you have a question that's not on our list below, then check out those locations for the answer first, and if you still can't find it then please use our websites contact us form to chat to a member of our team. Our team is only small behind the scenes, and so out of normal UK working hours, there might be a delay in response from our team, but we will always get back in touch as soon as we do return to the office again.
All of our messages on all our platforms come through to a central messaging platform. Please try to only send us one message through as it can take us longer to get through our messages if we have 3/4 messages from the same person about the same query.
Let's look at the questions we'll be going through in today's blog:
1 - Why is my resin cloudy/misty?
2 - How can I stop getting bubbles?
3 - Why are my projects not curing?
4 - Is Craft Resin Food Safe?
5 - Can I use Craft Resin for deep pours?
6 - Can I use Craft Resin on Countertops?
7 - Will Craft Resin yellow over time?
8 - Can I use Craft Resin on outside projects?
9 - Is Craft Resin safe to use?
10 - Is Craft Resin cruelty free/ethical?
The answers we'll be giving in this blog work for our brands epoxy resin. If you are using a different brand please research there specific guidance, as every epoxy resin is formulated differently and therefore might need different guidance and techniques.
So let's dive in...
Craft Resin's epoxy resin loves the warmth - In the colder months when your resin kits are delivered or stored, they might not have been kept in a space where the temperature is between 70-75F or 21-24C.
When the resin gets cold hundreds of micro bubbles form in the liquid, making it look cloudy/misty, it's also thicker and harder to pour and mix. When it's warmer it is crystal clear resin and hardener and it flows like a runny honey consistency.
To warm your resin/hardener up so that these issues don&#;t occur simply place them next to a radiator for a few hours before use, or place them in a sink of warm water. Please leave the lids on if you use this method, any moisture that gets into your bottles can cause issues, leaving the lids on and filling the sink below lid level will stop this from happening.
The temperature of the water shouldn&#;t be boiling, warm water will do, and then leave them to sit for about 10-15 minutes, depending on how warm your water is. You might want to experiment to get the perfect water temperature and length of time for yourself.
Make sure you dry the bottles with a towel after they have been in the water. If you don&#;t water can get into the bottles when you open the lids.
You can read more about how the cold affects Craft Resin and things you can do to increase the temperature while working with the crystal clear epoxy resin in the blog below:
Temperatures when working with Craft Resin
We've already talked about micro bubbles in the last question, but what about larger bubbles that are forming. Well these are due to either:
Mixing your resin and hardener too fast.
Pouring too much resin mix at once and from height.
Your project is releasing trapped air.
To stop bubbles from happening in the first place make sure when you're mixing your resin/hardener you're mixing in a slow and controlled way for 3-5 minutes. And then when you pour your resin mix pour as close to the mold/your project as you can do and pour slowly.
Bubbles may still occur even when the steps above are followed, some projects release trapped air and so bubbles will still surface. If they do this is where extra steps like using a heat torch or alcohol spray can be beneficial to get rid of them once you're project has been poured and is left curing. Please don't use a heat torch and alcohol spray together, for obvious reasons!
We have more guidance for bubbles on our YouTube channel:
How to avoid bubbles video
If your project has been left for 24 hours and isn't hardening up, curing, then you might have to leave it longer, or you may have got one of the basic techniques slightly wrong.
First of all check the temperature in your workspace, is it 70-75F or 21-24C or above? If not crank up the heating! Then leave the project for another 24 hours. If the issue was the temperature being too cold, then your project should be ok after that extra time in the heat.
If your temperature is already between those levels, then go over and revise your basic techniques:
Did you measure your resin/ hardener by equal volume? for example 50 ml of resin and 50 ml of hardener.
Did you mix them for between 3-5 minutes? The mixing stage is where the exothermic reaction begins which is the chemical reaction that warms the mixture up so it cures. If you mixed for less than 5 minutes and your resin and hardener were cold to start with, you probably haven't got the temperature of the mixture warm enough to cure.
How thick/thin is your project? When it comes to thin projects like bookmarks these can take longer to cure. Likewise if a project has been created in multiple layers and is really thick it can take longer too. So you might just need to wait longer than 24 hours to de-mold.
If you have got any of the techniques wrong at the start and your projects haven't cured, even if you've increased the temperature, then you might need to throw away your current project and start again. There is no way to save a project that hasn't cured if it's not a temperature issue.
Once Craft Resin is cured, and has fully hardened, your resin project can be used safely as a food contact surface.
Craft Resin has been tested by a third party for leaching and migration across worldwide standards and passed all testing: When you use Craft Resin as directed, the fully cured resin will not leach any substances into food that comes into contact with it.
We have further guidance like this in our SDS:
Safety Data Sheets
The original Craft Resin is designed as a coating resin, which is a resin that is used to coat a thin layer to things like artwork. However you can also use Craft Resin for other projects and pouring in one layer if your project is below 1/4 inch, which is the depth at which Craft Resin self levels.
You can still create thicker projects using Craft Resin, but you will have to change your techniques slightly and create thicker projects by layering. We have more information on how to do this in the blog below:
How to use Craft Resin for thicker projects
We have recently launched a Deeper Pouring Resin which we are very excited about. We know so many artists create larger, deeper projects and so we've added this to our product line. Visit our website to purchase the Deep Pour resin and visit our Blog on Deep Pour Resin to learn how to use it.
You can use Craft Resin on kitchen countertops and work surfaces, because our original resin is designed as a coating resin and it has a high heat resistance it can be perfect for replicating expensive kitchen countertops.
Craft Resin's heat resistance
However, if this is your first time using epoxy resin we would suggest trying the substance out on a smaller project first so you can see how the very basic techniques work and how the colour will turn out, before coating your entire kitchen surface with the liquids!
Epoxy resin can go wrong when you first start using it, there are things you need to perfect first, so practice before hand and research more. We do have a blog below which explains how to create countertops as a good place to start:
How to use Craft Resin on a countertop
Craft Resin is a clear substance, in fact it creates results that are some of the clearest epoxy resin on the market. Craft Resin contains two properties that help keep the epoxy resin crystal clear for decades.
UV Stabiliser
Advanced Additive Hindered Amine Light Stabiliser
Both of these help to stop any yellowing in the resin mix before it can even begin. This means that the resin and hardener will stay both clear in the bottles whilst being stored, once you mix them together and after years of being fully cured.
Please note, to enable your Craft Resin projects to stay crystal clear for years to come please do not leave them in direct sunlight if possible. When you add other reflective items to your resin projects such as yellow flowers, or golf leaf, this can leave a yellow reflection in the clear resin, this is not the resin yellowing, this is simply a reflection of the colour additions you have used.
You can use Craft Resin on outside projects it is very durable when fully cured. However please note the last point in the question above about yellowing, please do not leave outside projects in direct sunlight, even during the winter months. They will last longer if kept in shady areas.
Craft Resin is one of the safest resin's on the market, that being said people can react differently to substances like epoxy resin, so please take some basic safety precautions.
You can read more about the safety of Craft Resin in our safety blog, the blog gives you a comprehensive overview of the safety guidance, which will help put your mind at ease that you're keeping yourself as safe as possible:
Craft Resin's safety guidance
We have tried to be as ethically responsible as possible when working with our manufacturers to formulate and make Craft Resin. We've also done our best to source ingredients that are cruelty free in our formulations.
However, we haven't got any certification to prove this currently. We are a relatively new company in the business world and we haven't had the resources to gain these certifications just yet. We are unsure at the moment when or if we will move to get these certifications in the future.
Most of the artists who use our brands resin take their own steps to be more ethical when using our brands epoxy resin. If you would like to learn more about what steps they take to do this, please join our Facebook Community Group and search or ask the question in there, lots of artists will be happy to share their tips and tricks to keep as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible while using epoxy resin.
Our epoxy resin is not biodegradable, and will need to be disposed of in certain ways, which we explain how to do in our How To Use guide that comes with all kits, or is available to scan and read online with smaller kits.
We hope this answers some questions that you may have about our brands resin. Like we said at the beginning of this blog, please use the contact us form to get in touch with us if you have any queries that you can't find the answers to online. Our team will always do their best to answer and give you the best advice possible.
For more information, please visit biodegradable resin supplier.
We have attached a giveaway to these Topic Of The Week announcements on our Instagram platform, this is helping us to spread the knowledge of how to use epoxy resin further, but also enabling anyone who helps us share this information to win free resin and mica powders.
To enter the weekly giveaway please see the latest post #CRWEEK13 on our Instagram feed/highlights and follow the instructions to enter:
@craft.resin
Team Craft Resin
Is it the right solution for my packaging moving forward? What solutions can you offer? Why can&#;t I just switch to a biodegradable plastic film now?
There&#;s a lot to cover, so let&#;s get straight to it! Here&#;s seven myths we&#;re debunking about biodegradable plastic&#;
This isn&#;t always the case. Biodegradable plastics can be made from naturally based materials such as corn starch Polylactic Acid (PLA). However, some are produced using petrochemicals containing biodegradable additives that enhance biodegradation.
The definition of biodegradation is the disintegration of materials by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or other biological means. However, when it comes to packaging materials, there is no set definition of &#;biodegradability.&#;
Some biodegradable materials don&#;t biodegrade and others require extremely specific conditions. Even then, bioplastics made with petrochemicals can leave behind toxins and small plastic residue that contaminates the soil and makes it unsuitable for composting.
There needs to be scientific evidence to support the fact that packaging can biodegrade over time in the type of conditions typically found in a home composter.
If a material is truly biodegradable, the packaging may have a number of certifications. In the UK, there are several certifications that let customers know they are suitable for industrial composting or composting at home. You might want to read some more information on the different types of compostable certifications over on our blog here.
In theory, yes. However, the majority of biodegradable plastics available on the market today are only certified to decompose in &#;industrial facilities.&#; Sounds great, but consumers soon encounter problems attempting to locate their nearest industrial composting facility. Curbside collection arranged by local authorities won&#;t be around any time soon either.
Many consumers may also place the biodegradable plastic into the plastic recycling bin. This not only contaminates the plastic waste stream, but it can also undermine and distract from the efforts to improve plastic recycling infrastructure.
Failing both of the above, the material may still end up in the usual landfill sites, making the whole process a waste of time, money and resources.
Firstly, there have never really been any conclusive tests that tell us for a fact, how long plastic takes to completely break down. What we do know is that nothing degrades in a landfill, and even if biodegradable plastics did manage to break down somewhat they would release methane, a greenhouse gas more damaging to the environment than CO2.
Say we did abolish PET oil-based films and replaced all plastics with bio-plastics such as corn starch PLA films. Would we simply be replacing one unsustainable source with another? With 795 million people in the world without enough food to lead a healthy active life, doesn&#;t it suggest a moral issue with the idea of growing crops for packaging and not for people?
Well, this is where biodegradable plastics become the biggest paradox for food packaging. You want a material to degrade over time but you also want to keep your produce as fresh as possible for the longest period of time?
On paper, PLA films have approximately six months shelf life, from production. That&#;s before the finished packaging is manufactured, packed, shipped, sold and then consumed. For dry products with short sales windows, Paper/PLA combinations are a great combination. For longer shelf life and exporting, biodegradable plastics are just not a feasible solution.
This month we launched our Sustainability series, outlining our commitment to sustainability as well as providing a free eBook for all our followers on the &#;Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Packaging&#;.
If you&#;re looking for more information on biodegradable packaging and feasible solutions for your packaging today, then we suggest you grab a coffee and settle in with our eBook.
Want more information on bio plastic bag manufacturer? Feel free to contact us.