For coating my pins, I use a 2-part epoxy resin called Envirotex Lite.  It has a nice thick viscosity which creates an eye-catching, resilient finish - but can sometimes create small bubbles which can be difficult to remove.  If you want to avoid bubbles at all costs, you can use a less viscous resin to coat your pins.

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Thoroughly mix your resin per the included instructions. Once the resin appears crystal clear and fully mixed, pour it into another container to avoid using any unmixed portions.

Use a tongue depressor (aka "craft stick") to drip a puddle of resin onto the center of your pin. 

Gently drag the resin out to the edges of your piece, adding more as needed. Ensure the resin flows out to entire edge of copper. A thicker coating will create a more pleasing 'liquid' aesthetic, but can be difficult to remove bubbles from.

Removing Bubbles

Bubbles in the applied resin coating can often be removed, but you'll need to act quickly before the resin begins to cure. I use two techniques for de-bubbling resin glaze:

  • Air Pressure: Using a straw, blow a quick blast of air directly at the bubble.  This can quickly displace the resin and pop the bubble. 
  • Heat: Briefly pass a hair dryer on low heat over the resin surface.  Be careful not to hold the dryer over the surface for too long or the resin will begin to harden and create even more bubbles in the process. 

If you mess up your glazing you can start over by removing both the paint and resin with acetone.

Drying

Once your resin is applied, allow it to cure undisturbed on a flat, level surface for 24hrs.  To protect the resin from airborne dust, loosely cover your piece with a bowl or plastic food container as a sort of 'drying canopy'.

This guide was first published on Jan 09, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Glazing) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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