Art Resin FAQs & Troubleshooting Guides

Yes it can, an interesting mix of finishes can be achieved in one piece of art using Eli-Chem totalCAST art resin and Aqua Cast Eco Resin. Simply decide which medium to pour first and follow the guidelines for a second pour shown below. Both products are very easily coloured, the totalCAST can even have a clear or translucent finish. The limit to your creation is your imagination!

When pouring Aqua Cast onto previously poured resin, please ensure the resin has entered the gel phase but is not yet touch dry to allow the aqua cast to adhere. This will vary depending upon depth and size of the mould. If you think you have missed the gel window, wait for the resin to dry, and thoroughly abrade to create a key before pouring Aqua Cast.

When pouring resin onto Aqua Cast the time between pours is not as important as the resin will adhere to most surfaces. Wait until it is visibly dry, normally 1-2 hours before pouring the resin. It is recommended to carry out the resin pour within 24 hours.

No, it is porous when cured. For external applications and those where the article will hold water it will need to be sealed. We recommend our range of hydroflow Sealers

It is extremely tough and durable. Once cured Aqua Cast cures to a hardness of 208 MPa (Brinell) The compressive strength is 55 Mpa when mixed in the guide ratio of 100:35.

No this product is 100% UV stable.

Yes, Aqua Cast does not self-ignite nor propagate flame. It is suitable for creating candle holders and fireplaces.

With a broad-edge tool or spatula, ideally the one supplied with your order of Eli-Chem Resin. Be sure to be thorough and scrape around the sides and base of the mixing jug to make sure there is no un-activated material. Mix slowly to avoid drawing too much air into the mix.

The slight difference in bottle levels is perfectly normal. There is a difference in viscosity and density between the resin and the hardener components as one is heavier than the other ( higher specific gravity ). Because we fill the bottles by weight it will result in different volumes and therefore a slight level difference in the bottles. Be assured that you will always receive the correct total weight as ordered.

Check out our easy to use guide on how to make a live edge resin river table using Eli-Chem Resins Clear Epoxy Rigid Casting Resin

For coating resins, put the dimensions of your artwork into our coverage calculator. Casting resin calculator coming soon!

At 15-20°C it will be tack-free in 4-6 hours, dry in 12-14 hours or up to 4 days for CER.

No, when you add more hardener you overload the system and it will result in a tacky cure, or not curing at all, adding too little will result in the same problem. The speed of cure is determined by the amount of accelerator we formulate in the product and not by the by the amount of hardener you add. Please adhere to the recommended mix ratio on the bottles.

This is normal when you mix by volume. The reason is that the viscosity and density (specific gravities) of the resin and hardener differ.
We formulate our resins to have a built-in margin of error so even if you don’t measure an exact 1:1 or 2:1 ratio the resin will still cure perfectly.
Any excess resin or hardener can be accumulated until you have enough to require more of the other component. We will happily sell resin only or hardener only bottles.

Lacing is created by using resi-BLAST and a heat gun to blend the edges of multiple colours together.

Canvas, wood, metal, strong card & concrete. plastic & glass can be used as well, but if put under sheer loading, de-lamination is possible. Canvasses should be supported in the middle to avoid slumping. 

With a spirit level.

Eli-Chem manufacture a range of opaque, metallic and glow in the dark pigments. These should be used in conjunction with out range of resin, avoid water based colours. Do not incorporate more than 10% pigment to resin ratio by weight. 

• MasterCast:- This is our most popular resin and is used for clear coating artwork and also resin art with the addition of pigments.
• totalCAST:- Similar to MasterCast, but a thinner consistency and faster curing – ideal for shallow jewellery casts and coating art work.
• Clear Epoxy Rigid (CER) an unaccelerated water clear resin:– Used for deep casts and river tables as it does not generate heat whilst drying. Takes 3-4 days to cure.
• General Purpose (CEL):- A low viscosity resin which can be used to coat art work, but also ideal for applications on floors or work surfaces.
• UltraCast XT:- An epoxy coating/casting resin with excellent surface heat resistance up to 80°C, suitable for tabletops, bar counters and kitchen worktops.
• Glass Clear Polyester:-Glass Clear Polyester Casting Resin is an optically clear, two-part polyester resin used to encapsulate and embed a wide variety of items.
• Eli-Dome Polyurethane Doming Resin:- A water-white resin that is free-flowing and self-levelling offering excellent surface penetration and provides a 3D lens on the surface of your component.

Layering multiple layers of coloured resin into one container, give a gentle ¼ stir then pour into the centre of a level surface and allow the resin to flow. resi-BLAST can also be added to a couple of the layers.

A general purpose contact adhesive, such as Gripfil can be used.

That depends which of our resins you’re using. MasterCast 1-2-1 & totalCAST both have an exothermic reaction during the curing process meaning you need to limit the depth of pour to avoid too much heat.

If you need to cast at depth, our Deep Cast Resin can be poured to any depth up to 12L in one pour.

Although our resins are formulated with the most modern and safest epoxy chemicals available, all epoxy resins are chemicals and should be managed and handled with proactive safety hygiene and responsible care.

• Always wear nitrile gloves (or use a specialist resin barrier cream)
• Wear a respirator when sanding partially-cured resin
• It is advisable to work in a well ventilated room
• We advise the use of safety goggles
• Avoid skin contact (if resin gets on skin wash with plenty of soap & water)
• DO NOT eat, drink or smoke while working
• In case of eye contamination wash with plenty of water for 15 minutes and consult medical advice immediately

Adding inks/paints/mica powder/glitter to epoxy resin will change its properties and may reduce its non-toxicity. If you use alcohol inks DO NOT use a flame to remove bubbles, as alcohol is flammable.

It is either too cold for the chemical reaction to take place, the mixing ratio used is incorrect or the mixing itself was not thoroughly enough.

With difficulty, the best way in this scenario is to mop up what you can when wet, then leave to dry and try to break off or cut out.

The application of heat from a low speed heat gun will draw air out of the resin when it is still wet.

There is a difference in viscosity between the resin and the hardener meaning the ratio end up with one component being slightly heavier than the other. However there is a margin for error built in, meaning using 1:1 by either volume or weight gets perfect results.