Summertime Epoxy Resin Know How

Epoxy Resin DIY - 5 Tips & Tricks for Best Results

Summertime means outdoor time; and for many it also means time to tackle those pesky projects on a ‘to-do’ list. Epoxy resin artisans and craftsmen will accomplish many tasks with this versatile polymer – but should know the tips and tricks of using this handy material in warmer weather. So, without further ado, we offer some Warm Weather Epoxy Resin advice…

Earlier this month, we offered project ideas in our blog of May 27th; this time out, we’re offering product advice on how to get the best performance from your epoxy resin. The heat of summer affects epoxy resin in several ways – shortening working time (pot life) and curing time – so that it is easy to overestimate the amount of time you have to apply epoxy resin to your projects.

Here are 5 Tips & Tricks to use to Maximize Epoxy Resin Summertime Performance:

• Keep it cool – keep your materials cool and out of the sun – work in the shade whenever possible and in the early morning or later evening when it’s cooler – ideally keeping the material temps in the 75-90-degree range
• Test mix a small amount – you’ll get a good feel for the amount of working time/pot life you have if you test mix a small batch first
• Substrate temps matter too – the temperature of the material to which you’re applying epoxy matters too as it will heat up the polymer
• Your temp matters too! Keep yourself as cool as possible and hydrated when working in the summer heat – and take breaks as needed
• Another quick tip when working in warmer weather – be sure to mix your resin in plastic containers and not metal – as these will help keep the materials cooler

These tips are intended for working with table top epoxy resin but can also be applied to our 521 marine-grade epoxy - for those of you addressing boating or other nautical applications. In this case, we suggest using slow hardener for warm weather as it cures best at 80 degrees F.

Summertime is fun time - so get outdoors and do your chores - so you can enjoy the best of the season! Cheers!