One of the simplest and cheapest ways to make epoxy resin is by burning wood. This article will show you how to do it! All you need is a stove, some scrap pieces of wood, alcohol or denatured alcohol, and something metal such as steel wool.
What Is Epoxy Resin And How Does It Work?
Epoxy resin is a type of plastic that adheres well to metal, glass, wood, and other materials.
It has many uses in the art world including jewelry-making, mold-making, coating wooden objects, or fishing lures, for example, making it waterproof.
When mixed with hardener (like epoxide) it becomes very tough when cured.
The mixture can be applied as in liquid form but dries fairly rapidly into a solid-state once applied onto the surface you want to coat.
Epoxy resins are typically made from mixing two chemical ingredients an epoxy compound and a curing agent such as cyanoacrylate ester so this article will focus on how to make one using a wood-burning stove!
Mixing these chemicals together in liquid form and applying it to a surface can be difficult.
If you do not have access to an oven in which to cure epoxy resin, a wood-burning stove may help!
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Why Burn Wood For Epoxy Resin
This method makes it easy to mix the epoxy resin quickly and also creates no harmful fumes.
Burning wood for epoxy resin is a great way to get rid of scrap pieces once you are finished with them or use them as fire starters in your outdoor fireplace! It’s especially useful during camping season when you have many extra sticks lying around after using up all your kindling.
This technique can save money by allowing you to reuse what would otherwise be considered “scrap” material, which has already been paid for into production costs that go into manufacturing new products! With burning wood for epoxy resin, there’s less waste going on behind the scenes.
Burning Wood Forin: What You’Ll Need
- Stove, preferably with an open door to watch the chemical reaction take place.
- Scrap pieces of wood around your house or yard for free!
- Denatured alcohol (available at hardware stores) or ethanol/methylated spirits are also available at a hardware store or supermarket in most countries.
- Do not use isopropyl alcohol as it won’t dissolve the resin properly and may leave residue on surfaces treated with epoxy resin once cured.
- Make sure you know what type of chemicals are safe for burning before starting this project.
Note: Denatured refers to when a solvent has been mixed with another substance so that its original properties have changed meaning if ingested by someone it will be poisonous which is why it is not recommended to use this for cooking and in some countries, denatured alcohol can be used as biofuel.
- Steel wool (the finer the steel fibers the better) This step may need a little experimentation depending on how big or small you have chopped your scrap pieces of wood into using an ax/hatchet/saw before starting.
How To Make A Fire Pit From A Metal Drum
Now that you have all the ingredients, it is time to put them together.
Startup your wood-burning stove and place a metal bucket (or drum) on top of the grate with an open end facing into the flame.
Then fill halfway with scraps pieces of wood or other materials such as dry grass/hay for kindling which will help get things started! Then slowly pour in denatured alcohol about halfway through so there’s still room left at the top before filling completely until no air can escape when trying to mix it together inside.
Once filled, stir around vigorously using steel wool “brushes” attached to long handles like gardening tools if needed but bare hands work just fine too depending on how large the container is. Don’t use wooden handles as they will burn up which isn’t very safe!
The mixture should start boiling and releasing fumes, so continue stirring until all the chemical reaction has taken place.
Once it stops bubbling out steam from the top, let cool for a few minutes before pouring into another metal bucket or mixing bowl, then let sit to cool completely (about 15-20 min).
You can pour some on rocks outside during your next camping trip instead of having everyone wait around while you keep checking in with them about how much longer it might be…they’ll appreciate this method more than waiting around for you anyways which probably won’t go over well since most people love being just like you do but on their own terms!
Once the mixture has cooled and the bubbling stopped, you can use a ladle or small metal cup to pour some into your desired mold.
It is recommended that you test it on an old scrap piece of wood before using it since there may be slight variations in how much resin will solidify/cure depending on exact measurements used for chemical components so keep this in mind if any trial runs are needed beforehand.
When finished pouring, allow epoxy resin to cure overnight by placing inside a warm dry place out of direct sunlight with a heat source nearby which could cause cracking when exposed to extreme temperatures too quickly…just like us humans sometimes Once cured completely (about 12-24) remove from container carefully.
Advantages Of Burning Wood For Epoxy Resin
There are many advantages that come with burning wood for epoxy resin! Keep these in mind when selecting which type of fire you want to start up outside.
For one, it is a great way to practice making fires without using kindling or paper too much because scrap pieces of wood lying around already burn easily so this will help increase your confidence level before heading out into the wilderness since most people don’t like being cold and wet…or worse yet alone out there trying to figure things out by themselves instead of having everyone else do all the work for them if they can spare some time but not everyone’s as lucky as us though even though we might appear different on the outside due to our unique circumstances which still doesn’t change the fact that we are all human beings underneath.
Secondly, it is a great way to recycle scrap wood pieces left over from other projects which might otherwise go unused if they were left out in the rain or sun too long since this method will ensure they get put to good use instead of being thrown away by mistake after forgetting where you placed them as some people do sometimes (you know who I’m talking about).
It also helps mask smells associated with burning plastic and rubber trash for example along with old food within your fire pit area so neighbors don’t complain as much about smoke getting into their yard even though there’s nothing wrong with letting it drift over onto their property on occasion but only when done tastefully without being obvious.
And lastly, burning wood for epoxy resin is a great way to save money on buying other supplies needed for this project which includes the mix ratio if you don’t already have them in your chemical inventory at home…which most people do but not everyone so it never hurts to be prepared ahead of time before starting any projects that could go awry without proper planning beforehand!
Disadvantages Of Burning Wood For Epoxy Resin
However, there are also some disadvantages of burning wood for epoxy resin…which is why you should consider all options carefully before deciding which type to use.
For one, it makes a mess while working with the mixture so be prepared to clean up afterward by sweeping or mopping your hardwood floors afterward unless they’re already covered in the carpet because this might not work out well if you have exposed surfaces that could get damaged after getting wet from cleaning solutions used on them later.
And secondly, it can take longer than other methods especially when using larger quantities since more time is needed for each batch which means less production during any given timeframe depending on how much is being made at once and whether or not an industrial-strength system was implemented beforehand to speed up the process which is sometimes needed for larger projects.
