Art 'N Glow ‘N Epoxy Resin for Clear Casting and Coating - 32 Ounce Kit - Perfect for Molds, Crafts, Tumblers, Jewelry, Wood - Food Safe, Non Yellowing, Bubble Free, and Made in The USA

This is the first time I have dabbled with clear resin casting/coating so I don't have a good reference to compare this product to others. However, my experience with this product has been very positive. I read some of the materials on how to use it and mixed a small batch to try on a few things just to see how well it works. From the one batch I mixed I used it on 4 different "pours." The primary project (a small square of wood with masking tape around the sides to form a cavity and tiny sea shells on the wood to be covered) seems to have worked fairly well (only 24 hours have passed). The resin mix appeared to soak into the wood a bit but the masking tape was easy to remove from around the edges after about 12 hours after mixing. I suspect I did not mix for a long enough time so the item I poured last seems to have tacky edges after 24 hours (temperature during the cure time was in excess of 80 degrees - it is hot in the southwest!). This may have been due to material at the bottom of the plastic mixing cup being primarily resin and not hardener due to inadequate mixing. I like the 50/50 mix approach, makes it easy to figure amount to mix. The material is, indeed, very clear after the pour (and after 24 hours). Bubbles were not a problem and could be "popped" soon after the pour (all the sea shells were positioned with the cavity side down and for some of them air was trapped under the shell and eventually "bubbled" out under the edge of the shell). I can't see any bubbles in the final product. I have more experimenting to do but I am very happy with this material and how it works.

I purchased this 32 Oz Epoxy Resin Kit to finish a tealight fireplace wooden log candle holder, and it worked out great! I had to wait until the weather was nice outside in order to apply the resin to my finished piece (see image) outdoors. If I had it to do over again, I would have placed a sheet of thick plastic over my working surface, but the old table I was working on needed to be put out of its misery anyway. I started by mixing approximately half of each bottle into a paint tray and mixing them together thoroughly with a paint brush. I then poured the mixture evenly over the entirety of the wooden work piece, using the paint brush to gently apply the resin into the cracks and crevices. I allowed it to set/cure for approximately 30 mins or so, and then repeated the same process by mixing the remainder of the resin. It took the entire 32 Oz kit to coat my project, which consisted of 3 wooden logs mounted together with some holes for tealights drilled in. The dimensions of the logs were approximately 5 inches in diameter and 2 feet in length, and I was able to get a very uniform and thick coating over the entire project. I used a lint free shop rag to wipe the majority of the resin out of the tealight holes during the application process so that they didn't get filled in. Clean up was easy enough. I just let everything cure and disposed of it the following day. This was a great way to take something directly out of our back yard and make it a showpiece for our living room! I allowed the resin to set/cure on the piece overnight outdoors. The scent of the resin is quite potent, so I wouldn't imagine you'd want to work with it indoors without very good ventilation. I brought the piece indoors the next day, and allowed it to set for several days in the garage before gifting it to my wife for Christmas (which she loved). We have burned several sets of tealights in this already and the resin has held up well to the heat from the candles, and with no discoloration. The resin is very clear and hard to the touch, and really accents the piece. I'm hoping it will hold up for years to come! I highly recommend this product!

Not impressed! I ordered because I saw great reviews online on various sites for this brand, but I am left wondering how. Cons: First you have to mix in small batches and have everything ready to go at time of mixing. There’s only approximately 30- maybe 45 mins in a colder environment before it starts to gel. Once it gels outside of molds game over. Also we could not get all of the air bubbles out of it. We tried everything from heat, to pressure vacuum, to just basic waiting. End products still had so many bubble spots and we lost workable time and materials. Very sticky and messy to try to clean up. Once the mixed resin dried in the cups we could just pop it out then wash cup, but the parts A and B are a pain to clean up separately. Pros: it cures faster than other brands we’ve tried. It is crystal clear which is amazing at showcasing colors, shimmers, additives, and glitters. It is also priced similar to other brands for the size bottles you get. Not as bad with the smells compared to others. For people with sensitivities a mask might be best, but we just had a well vented area, noticed little smell (until heated then we got a stronger chemical smell), but we’re ok. Overall, we probably won’t order again and will keep searching for our go to resin.

I purchased this project because of the Amazon reviews. I've had no experience using epoxy resins before, but decide to try it to possibly add a new dimension to my CNC woodworking projects. The first project was to fill in some pockets on a Seahawks carved logo. I followed the directions, winged it adding some color and glow powder. It worked great on that project. On the second project, I thought I'd really give the product a test. I had a scrap, CNC carved native american artwork piece with an Eagle on it (made out of solid maple). I decided to coat the whole piece and kind of encapsulate it. On this piece, any flaws or bubble would be very noticeable - so I thought it was a good test for future projects. The wood was coated with shellac (spray can) to seal the wood. I followed the Art N Glo directions and used the following procedure: 1) My family room has a separate heat source and a large bar. Turned the temp up to 74 degrees and laid plastic sheet on the bar. 2) Since my epoxy was stored in the garage (at 58 degrees). I filled the bar sink with warm water and put the bottles in to warm it up for half an hour (probably 80-85 degrees). 3) I made a pedestal with a piece of wood and put my piece on it to elevate it (secured with double stick carpet tape). I then put it in a box lined with plastic to catch overflow. 4) I mixed 2 oz of epoxy and 2 oz of hardener and stirred four minutes - scraping the sides/bottom and trying not to introduce too many bubbles. The mixture was a little cloudy at first then cleared up after mixing. 5) After mixing, there was still a lot of bubbles in the cup, but I could see they were slowly rising up, so I didn't panic. I poured the mixture over the piece - quickly realizing there wasn't enough. So mixed a second batch using the same process and poured that over. 6) There were still a LOT of bubbles after pouring it over the piece. I waited five minutes, then hit it carefully with a butane torch. MAGICALLY, all the bubbles vanished and it looked like clear glass - I was very impressed. I hit it two more times with the torch in the next 30 minutes (not sure it even needed the third pass). I heard both the heat and the CO2 helps to pop the bubbles. 7) I brushed the sides with a foam brush to get even coverage (brush marks disappeared quickly). 8) After 3 hours, the overflow was stiffer but gummy. After five hours, it was stiffer. When I checked after 14 hours (the next day), it was really hard. I'll let it sit for a few days before doing much with it to let it fully cure. VERY impressed with this product ! I will be buying more.

I am so glad I found this! There are so many pros to this Resin. I have been working with Resin for 4 years and have tried every brand I can find. First off, this product is very affordable when compared to resins of similar quality. The bubble release is impressive, I didn’t even need a heat gun, not to say that one wouldn’t be useful in other scenarios. The result is very clear, I don’t know how long it takes to yellow, I would need an example I’ve kept for over a year. It cures fully within 24 hours and is firm, without being brittle. Some resins cure a little soft and some easily break ( if used for casting). I was looking for a casting Resin specifically, so I cannot tell you how well it coats. It mixed thin, initially but the pot time seemed more like thirty minutes, rather than forty at 75 degrees. I do use an alternative heat source because it is freezing cold where I live and that can skew pot time. It will pour into a sphere mold without difficulty, just make sure to add it to your mold before it starts to thicken. I would say don’t wait longer than 10 minutes for molds with small openings. It domes nicely and is self leveling. Also, no VOC’s (Volitile Organic Compounds, that create harmful vapors at room temperature), so it’s safer for you and the environment. Many of the cheaper brands do not address this and it’s important to me. Cons: If using a plastic mold, use a mold release! It takes a lot of twisting and turning to get it out! I used a very deep and large plastic mold and had to pop it in the freezer to get my casting out. Some resins pop right out of plastic molds, without any trouble. Major Con, is that it is toxic to aquatic life. I only know of one casting epoxy resin that is not. I was using an Eco Resin that was costing me a fortune because it’s not readily available in the U.S. while I’d still use it for specific applications, I hope I can continue to purchase this brand. The eco Resin cured too quickly and because a heat gun was not recommended, bubbles could be a problem. This brand is just as safe as the aforementioned and the results are awesome. I did not use glow powder or traditional colorants. I used what I had on hand and it did not disrupt the curing process, so it lends itself to some experimentation too. (Please note that I haven’t sanded my example and it’s not as shiny as a piece from a silicone mold).