UV light is an essential tool for curing resin and making it harden. But what if you don’t have one? What are the other options for getting your resin to cure without a UV light? Will it turn outright, or will the end product look nothing like what you had envisioned? Before you embark on any of your projects, make sure that you have all of the required tools in order to make them look good.
However, there are some ways to get around not having the proper equipment. We’ll discuss some of those ways here and let you know how well they work.
How do you treat resin without a UV light?
You can use a heat gun.
You can use a LED lamp.
You can use a halogen lamp.
You can use a hot plate.
You can use a ceramic heater.
You can use a microwave.
You can use a conventional oven.
You can use a toaster oven.
You can use a convection oven.
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Will resin cure through a window?
You can cure resin without a UV light. In fact, one of the ways you can cure resin is by placing it in an area with direct sunlight.
According to Resin Obsession, if the sun is strong enough, “your piece will not only harden but will gain extra strength as well.”
This method is ideal for those who live in warmer climates and have ready access to strong sunshine year-round.
If you live in a place with less sunshine than a desert, like me or Mike from Ice Resin (who lives in Oregon), your ability to cure resin naturally may be limited during certain months of the year.
This restriction won’t be as much of a problem if you choose to use an Amazon Sunlight Lamp instead of natural sunlight—but lamps are expensive.
You’re better off investing in another type of lamp that cures your resin faster and more reliably than the sun does.
Can you cure resin with a hair dryer?
Well, the short answer is: yes. Heat is necessary to cure resin, and a hairdryer (or heat lamp, space heater, or heat gun) can supply that heat.
A word of warning for those of us who might be tempted to over-dry our newly-resined piece: don’t! Overheating the resin can cause it to harden too quickly, which will make bubbles appear in the surface.
Can resin dry without UV light?
Yes, it can! The good news is that you’re not stuck if your resin gets sun-cured. As long as the resin reaches its temperature threshold, it will cure no matter what sunlight does (or doesn’t) do to it.
However, if you want to ensure that your resin is cured properly and lasts a long time without yellowing or cracking, then using a UV lamp is still recommended.
Can I cure my resin in the sun?
- Yes, you can cure your resin in the sun. However, it will take a long time for it to cure because it needs to be exposed to direct sunlight for many hours.
- To speed up this process, place the project outside when it is hot outside and make sure that the resin is exposed to direct sunlight with no shade on it at all.
Can I put resin in the oven?
There is another way to cure resin without a UV light: oven curing. Oven curing can be used if you don’t have access to a UV light and are willing to take the risk of heat curing.
Can you cure epoxy resin in the oven?
So, can you cure epoxy resin in the oven? The short answer is: no. The long answer is that cured epoxy resin will withstand temperatures of up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other epoxy resins like polyester and vinyl ester, however, cannot be cured at high heat levels.
It’s important not to confuse the curing process with drying. Drying refers to how long it takes for your resin mixed with a hardener (or catalyst) to turn into a solid material.
Curing describes how long it takes for the chemical reaction between the two components of the mixture to happen.
As a result, curing your resin without a UV light results in incomplete polymerization. This means that although your piece might appear dry and hard, after prolonged exposure to heat or sunlight, you’ll begin noticing deformations or even cracks in your piece!
It won’t last as long as fully-cured epoxy resin would either – if you’re looking for high quality work, don’t cure your epoxy resin with heat!
Why is my resin not curing?
Resin is a very “particular” medium. If you do not know what you are doing, then there is a good chance that you will not get the results you were looking for.
It all starts with the mixing, here is what to look for when mixing your resin:
- Make sure each container has been thoroughly mixed.
- A little bit of unmixed resin could be hiding out at the bottom, meaning it did not cure properly.
- Make sure that you have measured both parts as stated in your instructions.
- If your resin begins to thicken while it is still liquid, this means that it has been exposed to too much air and must be discarded immediately. Then try again with a fresh batch of resin, making sure the room temperature is right and that you keep it covered while stirring. If your resin seems thin or runny (like water), this means it has gotten too hot and needs cooler temperatures before continuing with use! The best bet would be to place it in an ice bath until hardened up again before starting over from scratch so make sure everything around where these two chemicals come into contact stays cool enough for them both not only to stay separate but also to cure properly together once mixed up together as well too by keeping them apart until ready for use- remember these things about how to mix them correctly
Conclusion
So there you have it: lots of ways to make your resin cures rock-solid without needing a UV light.
Whether you’re looking for the most effective way to speed up your curing process or just want a simple solution, there’s definitely an option that works for you!
