So you’ve created your masterpiece: a beautiful work of art, made up of resin, glitter, and color. Now it’s time to demold the piece from its original container.
You pull the piece from its mold and take a look at it…but then you notice that the resin isn’t clear anymore! No problem! It’s easy to solve this problem so your artwork can look as good as it did when you were making it. I’m going to teach you how to bring back the shine of your favorite work (no matter what medium you’re using)
- First things first: let’s talk about why resin gets cloudy in the first place. This is usually caused by excess moisture or air bubbles trapped inside the material while curing. To get rid of these bubbles, simply tap on both sides of an uncured sample before removing it from its mold (or use a vibrating machine).
After reading through both sections above – I think we can safely assume that if none of those tips worked out for you then maybe something else might be going on with your project 🙂 Please leave us a message below in our comment section!
How do you make resin shiny again?
To make your resin shiny again, you will need to:
- Use a high quality resin.
- Use a high quality mold release.
- Use a high quality mold.
- Use a high quality resin hardener.
- Use a high quality resin polish.
- Use a high quality resin sealer.
- And finally, use some type of finish (spray or brush) to help keep the shine on your jewelry!
Table of Contents
How do I make my cloudy resin shiny?
If you want to make your resin shiny after demolding, there are a few ways to do it.
- Use a polishing compound. This is the best method for achieving a highly polished finish on your piece of art or jewelry. You can either use jeweler’s rouge or carnauba wax mixed with turpentine as your polishing compound, or you can purchase pre-made polish from many craft supply stores and online retailers like Amazon and Etsy (just search “polish resin”). When using this method, start with the roughest grit available and then work up to higher grades until you achieve the desired shine. Once again: always test with water first!
- Use toothpaste as an abrasive agent for buffing off surface haze from your demolded resin pieces; some people find that this works better than other methods such as sanding paper because it leaves behind no residue (and who wants stained hands?). This technique requires less elbow grease than buffing pads but still gets rid of any hazing on top surfaces very well without leaving any scratches behind; however, if used incorrectly it could cause unwanted damage so please be careful when using this method!
What to do after demolding resin?
Once the resin is dry, use a toothbrush or cotton swab to clean any residue from parts and tools. You can also use a toothpick or paper towel to gently remove any remaining debris from your model.
For more thorough cleaning of larger parts, you might want to consider using a damp cloth—just make sure that it’s not too wet so as not to damage the part.
How do you make resin shiny without sanding?
- Polishing compound
- Polishing wheel
- Polishing cloth
- Polishing kit
Can I use toothpaste to polish resin?
Toothpaste contains abrasives, which are intended to scrub away plaque from your teeth. And while those same abrasives will effectively remove any unwanted residue on your resin, they can also be harmful to the environment and for your health if used improperly.
Also keep in mind that toothpaste contains ingredients that aren’t good for you and/or the environment: fluoride, parabens (a type of preservative), triclosan (another preservative), and sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant).
Why is my resin not shiny?
- Your resin is not shiny because it has not completely cured. The cure time will depend on the additives included in your resin, but it’s important to note that some resins may take longer than others. You can test whether or not your resin is fully cured by placing a small amount of water over its surface and seeing if it beads up or rolls off as expected. If this does happen, then congratulations! Your resin is ready for polishing! However, if there’s no reaction when you add water, then keep an eye on your project: if there are still bubbles in the piece (which is usually only visible from underneath), give it another 24 hours before trying again.
- Your resin isn’t shiny because it hasn’t been polished yet—and polishing can be done with any number of different materials including steel wool pads and buffing wheels that range from fine grits all the way up through ultrasonic cleaners designed specifically for these types of applications (if you’re interested in purchasing one).
What can I use to polish resin?
- Microfiber cloths are useful for polishing resin because they’re soft, lint-free, and attract dust. They’re also easily disposable, so if you need to polish a large area of resin, you can use one microfiber cloth for each section without worrying about cross-contamination.
- Toothbrushes are another good option for polishing resin because they’re small enough to get into tight spaces (like your nostrils). You can use them dry or dip them in water before using them on your workpiece.
- Cotton swabs are great for detailing work such as applying resin in thin lines or cleaning up mistakes like overspray or bubbles. If you don’t have any cotton swabs around, try using Q-tips instead!
- Cotton balls are excellent at removing fingerprints and other smudges from the surface of your piece while leaving behind no fibers that could scratch off the protective topcoat of lacquer polish later on down the road.
How do you get resin crystal clear?
So, you’ve cast a beautiful piece of resin and it’s time to demold your resin. But, when you try to remove the mold, the clear part of your piece has turned cloudy and opaque! What do you do?
It’s easy. Just use a toothbrush (or something similar) and scrub away at those bubbles until they’re gone! You’ll have a crystal clear piece in no time flat!
Conclusion
You can make resin shiny with these simple steps. First, clean your piece with a dimming cloth or sandpaper. For an extra shine, you can use toothpaste and/or rubbing alcohol to polish it up!
The most important thing is patience in this process; it may take some time but it will be worth the wait!