Why is my resin blurred?

[ZainHaider2024]

why my diy resin always comes blurred? please tell me if it because of weather or what?

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ZainHaider2024. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about resin.

I presume this is a clear casting resin you're using. Blurring or cloudy resin can be attributed to several factors, including environmental conditions and application techniques. High humidity is a common culprit, as moisture in the air can interact with the resin and create a cloudy or blurred finish. To avoid this, it's important to work in a dry environment with low humidity levels. Temperature also plays a crucial role; if the environment is too cold, the resin may cure slowly and result in a cloudy appearance. Aim for a working temperature between 21-24°C for optimal results. 

Additionally, using the incorrect ratio of resin to hardener can prevent proper curing, leading to a hazy finish. Also, mixing the catalyst and resin well is extremely important. When you think you've mixed enough, mix it again for the same period. Also, scrape down the sides of your mixing container to incorporate all the product. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @ZainHaider2024,

The resin cures through a chemical process. Once the catalyst is mixed into the resin, this process begins. Apart from the advice I've provided above there is nothing else you can do to cure the resin yourself. Are you having issues where the resin is not curing?

Mitchell

[ZainHaider2024]

Thanks Mitchell for the advice and i really appreciate it. The thing is that i tried and mixed the resin very well and didnt do anything that can cause the resin to be blurred for example you mentioned the mixing, i really mixed it very well but still it is blurr do you think it because of the weather because these days the weather is cold in Perth. If it is really the reason please give me some advice to how control the temperature becuase we turn the heater off at night but the heater is on all the day but i dont know why?

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Are you using one of our casting resins, @ZainHaider2024? If so, I'd be happy to contact the manufacturer to see if there is any further troubleshooting you can try.

So, is the resin curing, as in, going hard? If it is, it might just be the outer layer that is cloudy. To resolve this, you can use wet and dry sandpaper starting at 380 and working your way up to 1200 grit to resolve the visibility.

Mitchell

[ZainHaider2024]

Thank you Mitchell for responding, I am using epoxy resin for my resin and the thing is that, The resin actually hardens itself but I also think that it is the top layer that is blurry and not shiny, I don't know if casting resin and epoxy resin are the same.  

[MitchellMc]

What are you using it for @ZainHaider2024? 

Epoxy resin is typically used with fibreglass to repair items like surfboards or boats. It's generally yellowish in colour and not particularly transparent. The casting and embedding resin is ultra clear, allowing you to see through it. It's generally used for jewellery making or casting insects or whatever you want in a clear block of resin.

Mitchell

[ZainHaider2024]

Hey Mitchell thank you for your response i use the epoxy resin for DIY stuffs and i did a course for it and they were using epoxy resin to make DIY stuffs lie jewelry and stuffs and their results were very good and there was not blurriness or other things but i dont know why my crafts are blurry.   

[EricL]

Hello @ZainHaider2024 

Have you tried to polish your project? This is on the condition that it is a surface haze and not haze inside the resin itself. I propose trying Autosol 75ml Acrylic Polish and a clean microfibre cloth. Rub your project on the cloth in a single up and down direction to prevent creating swirl marks on the surface.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric