If you’re having trouble getting rid of air bubbles in resin, you’re not alone. This can be a frustrating process, but with a few tips and tricks, you can get the job done.
In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best ways to get rid of air bubbles in resin. We’ll cover everything from preventing off-gassing to using a heat gun. So read on for some helpful advice!
Preventing Off-gassing
One of the best ways of getting rid of air bubbles in resin is to prevent them from forming in the first place. Porous materials like wood, foam, cloth, and paper contain air and this air is released into your resin when you pour.
You can use a brush-on or spray-on sealant to encapsulate your fillers before casting so you don’t have to worry about air or moisture escaping into the rest of your piece. You don’t have to worry as much with non-porous fillers like plastic or glass.
Using Thinner Resin
Another way of getting rid of air bubbles in resin is by using a thinner resin. Thin resins have lower viscosity and therefore do not encourage the development of bubbles the way thicker, more viscous resins do.
Tabletop resins are usually very thin and may be worth checking out for your project. Check out product reviews to find out if a potential resin flows thick or thin, or check out our resin review for recommendations.
Heating the Work Area
If you’re having trouble getting rid of air bubbles in resin, one trick that can sometimes help is to heat the work area. As resin is heated, the molecules inside begin to expand. As these molecules expand, the liquid becomes thinner.
This happens for the same reason hot air rises. This will cause the air bubbles to rise to the surface, making them easier to either remove manually or let pop naturally.
You can pickup these sorts of lighters online or even at your local grocery store. They usually keep them somewhere near the charcoal.
Heat Gun
One way of getting rid of air bubbles in resin is to increase temperature in the mold by using a heat gun. This achieves the same goal as heating your work area and is extremely useful for very cloudy mixtures.
Simply aim the heat gun at the mold and they will rise to the top and pop. Be careful not to overheat the resin. Holding a heat gun too close or on too high of a setting can cause resin to burn and/or damage the mold.
Special heat guns are made for resin crafters and can vary in price. Alternatively, you can pickup a classic dual-mode gun from Harbor Freight for under $10.
Grill Lighter
Another way of getting rid of air bubbles in resin is by using a grill lighter. This method is a little bit riskier, as it’s easy to overheat the resin. The key is not holding the flame on one point too long.
The principle is the same here as with the last two methods. Your heat source is causing the mixture to thin out and thus allow the air bubbles to float to the surface where they dissipate.
A butane torch works for the same reasons but is actually preferable to a grill lighter as the flame is hotter and even more concentrated.
Naturally
Sometimes air bubbles will escape from your resin naturally. This is usually the case when you’re using a small mold or when there isn’t much resin in the mixture.
Again, this is something that you would consider with thinner resins. Thicker products like doming resins tend to hold onto bubbles and no amount of time will help that.
Toothpick or Pin
If there are still air bubbles in your resin after trying the methods listed above, you can try removing them manually. One way to do this is by using a pin or toothpick. Just prick the bubble and it will pop.
This is a slow process since you have to target each bubble individually and wouldn’t be of much help with a very cloudy pour. This is really only a viable solution for very small pieces.
Watch your Pour Height
Another way to remove bubbles from resin is by pouring the mixture from a maximum of three inches above the mold. The reduced distance the resin has to fall will reduce the chances of bubbles forming after the resin hits the underlying surface.
Water Bath
Another way of getting rid of air bubbles in resin is by heating the resin in water. This will cause the resin to expand and the air bubbles to rise to the surface like our other methods above.
The way to do this is to fill a container with water up to a level lower than the height of your mold. Then you set your mold into the heated water and wait about 20 minutes for the reactions to occur.
If you don’t have the right container, you could set your filled mold inside a plastic bag. Then, fill your sink with hot water, plug it, and set your plastic bag inside the heated water for 20 minutes.
Powder
Reduced surface tension of a liquid means a lower chance for bubbles. If you’re looking for a way to reduce the surface tension of your resin, you can try using baby powder. Just sprinkle a little bit on top of the mixture and it will help to prevent air bubbles from forming.
Note that this will affect the color of your resin a little bit, so you may want to adjust accordingly with your colorants. An alternative is simply to use mica powder as your colorant and this will achieve the same thing.
Bottoms up
One final tip for getting rid of air bubbles in resin is to mix your resin from the bottom up. This will help discourage air bubbles from forming as you stir because the increased depth means increased pressure. The other benefit is, if bubbles form, they will be pushed up towards the surface where they will be able to dissipate on their own.
In Sum
Although you can make some pretty cool looking stuff, resin can be a bit annoying to work with. Bubbles form during the casting process and there’s not a whole lot you can do to prevent it.
However, you can minimize the challenge. Getting rid of air bubbles in resin is possible with a little patience and utilizing the above tips.
