How to Pour Deep Epoxy (Step by Step)
Suppose you’re thinking about taking on a DIY crafting project with epoxy, like building a river table or encasing trinkets to make epoxies. In that case, you need to learn everything you can about pouring epoxy properly.
Read on below and learn how to pour deep epoxy properly, step by step!
Pour Deep Epoxy in 6 Steps
There are typically between 5 to 10 steps to pouring deep epoxy.
In our guide, we condense the information into 6 easy steps, listed below:
1. Gather Supplies
Pouring deep epoxy is a straightforward process, but first, you need to gather the correct supplies.
To start, you need:
- epoxy resin
- a mixing container
- wood or frame
- gloves
- a mask
- a heat gun or an artist’s torch
2. Safety and Neatness
Staying safe and neat while preparing epoxy is crucial for several reasons.
For starters, the fumes from mixing epoxy and hardener may be harmful in closed spaces, so it is best to do so in an open and well-ventilated area.
Secondly, epoxy is a very sticky substance and must be handled with great care (otherwise, things can get very messy).
Placing tape along the edges of the wood (or frame) you are planning on pouring epoxy into helps keeps things neater (and you won’t need to sand as much epoxy during the finishing step).
Likewise, it is also smart to always wear a mask (so as to not inhale epoxy fumes) and gloves (to prevent melted epoxy from getting on your hands and hardening) when pouring deep epoxy.
3. Prepare Wood or Frame
Once you’ve gathered all of your supplies and have your safety gear and other accessories ready, it’s time to prepare the frame or wood.
In the case you are building a custom frame of wood, use caulk to seal the seams and edges that could possibly leak epoxy.
Also, don’t forget to make sure that your frame or wood is level before moving on.
If you are creating a river table, you can tape the sides of the live edge wood to keep things as neat as possible and save yourself some sanding.
Once your wood or frame is set up, it’s time to move on to the mixing step.
4. Mix Epoxy Carefully
Deep pour epoxy kits typically include at least two parts that must be mixed together before pouring takes place; resin and hardener.
Typically, the mixture is two parts epoxy, and one part hardener, but this ratio can and does vary from product to product.
If your epoxy needs additional ingredients added to it, such as liquid dye or mica powders, this is the time to add them to the mixture.
Make sure to always read the manufacturer’s mixing instructions before you start mixing ingredients together.
While mixing, it is best to stick to one mixing container when preparing your epoxy before pouring.
When you use multiple containers, you lose some of the mixed materials and your end result is epoxy with unbalanced ratios.
The strength required for proper stirring varies but generally feels like you are stirring a substance with a consistency between thick jello and wet concrete.
5. Fix Bubbles and Other Issues
Bubbles need to be addressed when working with deep pour epoxy, in almost any case, regardless of skill level – bubbles just happen.
That said, depending on how well-mixed your epoxy is, and how careful you are, you may have more or fewer bubbles and issues like cracking or blistering to fix.
Thankfully, fixing bubbles and other issues is easy enough to do.
All you need is a proper heat source like a heat gun or torch and hold it around 2 to 3 inches away from the bubbles or other issues and move the torch all around the area until they melt or dissolve and the epoxy is smoothed out and has a glassy finish.
6. Curing and Final Touches
Once you’ve poured your epoxy and fixed bubbles or other issues, it’s time for the finished product to dry, harden, and cure.
Deep epoxy generally takes around 5 to 7 days to cure fully, though most deep epoxy is hard enough to be finished (or walked on if it is a floor) within 1 to 2 days.