This guest post was written by Katherine Swift of www.resinobsession.com
Resin crafting can be so much fun. Part of being successful at working with resin is ensuring you have the best tools and supplies for your project. Here are a few of my favorite “can’t do without” supplies when I’m in my resin crafting studio.
1. Wax paper. Resin won’t stick to wax paper, cured or uncured. I always make sure to have some on my crafting surface. I will also use it to my advantage sometime when I want to let the resin partially cure before working with it again. You can see what I mean in this resin beads tutorial.
2. Mixing cups. While it is tempting to save money and use plastic or styrofoam party cups, I think high quality plastic mixing cups are important for two reasons: they will come with graduation marks, to ensure you get accurate measurements, and they can withstand the heat of the chemical reaction of resin. On Resin Obsession, we have two different size measuring cups, whether you are mixing a large or small amount. The best part is that if you clean them correctly, they are reusable!
3. Acetone and paper towels. I ALWAYS have these handy to clean up messes. These will also work to clean out the reusable cups mentioned in the last point.
4. Nitrile gloves. Resin safety is very important, although I see it ignored more often than not when I see other resin crafters working on their projects. I prefer nitrile gloves, over latex gloves, because they are least likely to react with your resin.
5. Heat gun. This is my favorite way to remove bubbles from resin. I like to use a gun that uses a lot of heat without much air force. The heat is important to pop the bubbles, but you want to make sure there isn’t too much air flow that will blow the resin out of your mold or bezel. I purchased mine from a major crafting store. It was designed for shrink wrapping plastic around gift baskets.
6. Stir stix. These utensils that we sell on Resin Obsession are my favorite things to mix resin with. They’re great at scraping the sides and bottom of the cup. They can also be cleaned with paper towels and acetone.
7. Dremel tool (or flex shaft). With all their handy attachments, this rotary tool gives you even more options when it comes to finishing your resin charms. The attachments range from those that can sand and buff, to drill bit attachments to add holes for jump rings. (And don’t forget safety here too. If you’re using a rotary tool, you should also be wearing eye protection and a dust/particle mask too.)
8. Masking tape. Cured resin won’t stick to masking tape either. This makes it a great choice for making open back bezels. Apply your bezel to the sticky surface, fill with resin and allow to cure. The cured resin will peel away from the tape.