I Broke ALL the Rules - Putting Epoxy Resin to the Test

Do you do Castings or Deep Pours? Let me know what you guys have experienced and what you would do differently below!

Time to empty out the kitchen fridge, I guess. For real though, I think most of my projects cost 3-4 times as much money and double that in the time it takes me to remake all the things I screw up being overzealous with the deep pours. I'm glad to see a smashing success!

That's the epitome of "modern problems require modern solutions" ...so clever! Can't wait to see the finished Rhino. Looking awesome already!

The one with bubbles isn’t totally lost, you could drill for LEDs at points in the wood and use it to create a rain/snow scene

im never going to do any of this but i still watched the whole video just because epoxy resin is such an interesting material. very weird properties but the creative possibilities are endless! people are always coming up with new and unique ideas it’s so fun to watch.

If you are going to do something like this, make sure you have a smoke alarm! In college, another grad student cured a large container of unused epoxy and filled the lab (and entire building) with smoke. It can start a fire and release toxic gases. I liked the use of the fan and the refrigerator, probably should have set the fridge temp a bit higher, rather than turning it off though. The manufacturer likely has a recommended curing temperature (for instance 8 hours to cure at 70 degrees and 16 hours to cure at 65 degrees), in which case aim for the low end of the curing temperature. Finally the boards will serve to insulate the epoxy, making this more dangerous. If possible, use metal as it will transmit the heat out more readily.

Can't wait to see the finished product! You're an amazing artist :o

I only do very small pours, but I learned heaps from this. Have lost a few really beautiful pieces of timber recently due to this heat issue, so thank you for posting this.

Wow...I'm so glad I found your channel! My son and I are interested in working with resin and I'm learning so much! Thank you for sharing your amazing talent and how it's done.

It’s fun to watch you experiment with materials. I like that you see limitations as opportunities. It’s a truly artistic way to see things.

What you're trying to avoid is called uncontrolled exotherm. The resin needs an exothermic reaction to happen, as the heat helps it to harden. You just want to control it so that it doesn't cause issues. I like how you used the fridge to do this. I'd be curious to see what would have happened without it! Can't wait to see the rhino when it's done! Thanks for sharing your process with us.

That is definitely the deepest single pour I have seen anyone do successfully. Great job thinking outside the box!

I've seen your sculptures on art related sites, beautiful work.As a painter myself its great you give an insight to your process

Stoked for the Rhino

For you partial paste wax application, add a layer and buff it off. Wait 5 minutes and repeat 2 to 3 times, or more if you find it's having trouble releasing. The buffing off is key. It seems counterintuitive, but it makes a big difference, and you won't have a residue on your part after you pull.

I have multiple projects that are a learning lesson! And this video just saved me some time and more lessons! Thank you so much for sharing

Amazing work brotha. I've done a lot of small pour stuff, and you've inspired me to work up to bigger pours and styles. Thank you for sharing. Amazing.

Great video and amazing sculpture. One tip I use is to thinly precoat the wood with epoxy before using in a deep pour. This stops any bubbles being created by the exothermic reaction with the wood

Surely there has to be a way to calculate the amount of energy generated for the volume of resin, and then a way to tune your fridge to take out exactly that same energy, balancing out the rise in temperature without stopping the reaction? A more scientific approach to this would be very interesting to see

That vacuum chamber is what I’d call essential for all pours, not just deep pours. You were right. Cooler temps avoid abundant exothermic reaction. I’ve poured a lot of acrylic and you aced this. Beautiful sculpture.