The Ultimate Guide to Mixing Epoxy Resin
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- Опубликовано: 15 окт 2020
- Properly mixing resin a critical element of a successful pour. If you encountered resin that is soft or sticky or experienced micro-bubbles, improper mixing was the likely culprit. This guide will educate on proper techniques, understanding mix ratios and how to troubleshoot common mixing problems.
What is the mix ratio?
MAS Epoxies has a vast product line with a few different mix ratios. Knowing the ratio and accurately measuring is absolutely critical. Measuring resin by volume is the most common method. If you need help measuring by volume with pre-mark mixing cups check out
masepoxies.com/easiest-way-to...
With that said, measuring by weight is the most accurate. If you decide to mix by weight, keep in mind the density of the resin and the hardener is different. This means weight of the two will be different so the ratio will be different than by volume. Worry not! We made some cool epoxy resin calculators that can help mixing by volume or weight!
masepoxies.com/resin-calculator/
Factors to Consider
The amount of time you spend mixing can vary on the epoxy resin system you are using, the viscosity of the two components, the ambient air temperature and the epoxy resin temperature, as well as the volume of resin you are mixing. Mixing two parts together seems simple enough right?! Well, in reality there is a bit more to it so lets take a moment to explain why those variables play a factor.
Viscosity
Epoxy with low viscosity has a low resistance and flows quickly, tends to be a bit easier to mix and bubbles release more readily. It will penetrating into cracks and crevices with it’s reduced surface tension.
High viscosity epoxies move sluggishly, have a heavier body which can sometimes trap air, but possess other properties that make it desirable. Uniform self-leveling and vertical edge adhesion are some of the benefits of a high viscosity resin.
Temperatures
70F-80F is the ideal working temperatures for epoxy resin. Every workspace is different so you will need to consider the air temperature as well as the material temperatures to get consistent results. Epoxy is a temperature sensitive material. When cool, it’s thicker and sets slower. When warm, it’s thinner and sets faster.
When working in conditions or with material below 70°F, some high viscosity resin may become too viscous to properly release air and self level. Working in conditions or with material above 80°F, most epoxies may set too quickly and exotherm which could cause it to yellow, distort or crack. To learn more about exothermic reactions check out
masepoxies.com/why-is-my-epox...
A good rule of thumb, raising temperature 18°F (10°C) will cut your gel time in half. Conversely, decreasing temperature 18°F will double your working time, however if the temperature is too low you can stall out the chemical reaction. A similar rule applies to mixed viscosity. Raising material temperature 18°F will cut the mixed viscosity in half, while decreasing temperature by 18°F will double it.
What is the best way to mix epoxy resin?
Now that we understand the viscosity and temperature factors, we can dive into the good mixing etiquette. Our preferred method is mixing by hand in a clear mixing container but some projects call for a large volume so hand mixing becomes too laborious.
Best practice for beginners | Hand Mixing
Find a suitable size container. Use an appropriate sized cup so your epoxy only fills 3/4 of the way to the top.
Combine resin and hardener at recommended mix ratio.
Mix for 3-4 minutes while scraping sides and bottom of container until no streaks or striations.
Transfer to second container mix 1-2 minutes again until fully blended
Let sit for 1-2 minutes to allow air bubbles a chance to start rising to surface, and then use immediately.
Paddle Mixing with a Drill
We prefer Helix Style paddle mixers, the design reduces the amount of air that can be whipped into the resin.
In larger volumes, paddle mixers make short work mixing epoxy resin. It is important to MIX SLOW on the LOWEST SPEED setting on your drill
If you whip a lot of air in, it will turn white, milky or frothy. There is no way to recover that epoxy. The micro bubbles created have a very low density and will never be able to rise to the surface to burst regardless of what measures you take.
What can I mix epoxy resin in?
Clear SOLO brand disposable cups made of polypropylene (resin code 5, PP) work quite great. If a large mass cures in them they can melt a little, but they do not dissolve in epoxy resin or hardener.
Wax free paper cups and metal cans also work well. In addition, MAS Epoxy resins and hardeners are packaged in high density polyethylene (resin code 2, HDPE) containers, so most anything made of that should work well too.
#resintutorial #epoxytutorial #epoxyresin #epoxymixing #resinmixing 
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Out of the 20 something videos I've watched on mixing epoxy this one is by far the most informative. I'm looking forward to the 'Ultimate Guide'
Great video! Just picked this product up at Rockler for some inlay work on a maple table top. Been wanting to work with epoxy for a while now and figured this would be a nice project to get introduced to the process. Seriously, great video. Thank you! Hang in there Derek!
Ditto with previous comments. You presented the salient info in a way I found enjoyable. You stayed on topic, kept a good pace and made it enjoyable. As such, I subscribed to your channel. Thx.
I just got to say, this is so informative and hands down the most entertaining epoxy video I've seen. You're kinda funny, man. Thanks!
I appreciate the tips, thanks!
Can I use the table top for resin silicone mold or just the Art pro?
Great video. Thanks
Hello and thanks for the video. Do you recommend any part A part B automatic mixer and dispenser? Best regards.
How long does it take to cure on a 10” silicon sheet?
thank You!💚
Can you mix with a metal spoon?
I purchased Art pro and with mixing slowly as to not induce more bubbles, it is taking me well over 12 minutes to get striating free, thoroughly mixed resin, even after heating both parts in a water bath prior to mixing. Any idea why this may be?
I'm just learning to make apoxie and I'm making my son a set of dice for D & D! Any tips?
Awesome,greatjob👍😃beautiful friend😃❤️
How to mix 2-1 deep pour for a 16 oz. Hand mold how much on 2 and how much of 1 I’m so confused
Derek I’m doing a Countertop for my cooking show using MAS Epoxy…I was gonna go with your competitor so I will be doing a REVIEW soon
Sounds great!
I’m working on a super deep pour. Really just casting a 6x6x6 cube and I haven’t seen any videos of how best to pour. I’m doing it as multi pour because I’m adding objects as it goes up and I’m aiming to make it crystal clear. Any tips?
Our Deep Pour X would be able to do that in one pour as long as you keep the air temp around 65-70F. Deep Pour X is on our website and is a great casting resin.
How to add color to resins
Don’t me a maniac lol!!! Thank you!!!
Did you guys realize someone was playing exceedingly annoying computer music in the background?
YES!!!!
Should have watched this before I just mixed a large amount of epoxy with the helix and turned it frothy white 😳
I thought the mask argument was a new phenomenon until I met the Resin community..
Your music is too loud. I could not click out fast enough.
That music OMG so awful
The music over you talking is distracting me.... 🥲😥😥😓