Working with wood and resin

Shane Hewitt was the presenter at this week's club night, talking about the many wonderful ways you can incorporate epoxy resin into your woodturned work.

He started off by showing a slideshow of various woodturned pieces he has created using resin, often poured into a channel running the circumference of a wooden bowl's rim. However there are many ways in which you can incorporate resin into a project, and it doesn't always need to be uniform or symmetrical. The sky is also the limit as far as resin inclusions go: seashells, buttons, bone, wood, dried leaves and flowers, nuts and bolts, embellishments, laser-cut shapes, etc. You also have boundless options for the background colour used to highlight the inclusions. Black and deep blue are often popular choices, but experimenting with different hues can have spectacular results.

Shane discussed the process of preparing woodturned items for resin pouring, and how to handle and use resin in order to achieve optimal results. A lot of great information was covered regarding the do's and don'ts, such as:

• DO dovetail the edges when turning the resin channel in your wood. This will ensure the cured resin is held securely and less likely to fall out
• DO thoroughly clean your inclusions before you pour resin over them. Boil fat from animal bone, clean salt water and sand from shells, dry flora and fauna, remove rust from metals, etc
• DO apply sealer in your channel before applying your background colour, which will prevent seepage of colour into areas where you don't want it
• DO use water-based paints to paint your channel after sealing. They do not need to be expensive - poster paints work fine
• DO carefully follow manufacturer instructions for mixing ratios and controlling environmental variables such as temperatures and humidity, otherwise your resin may not cure properly
• DO work in a relatively clean and dust-free environment when mixing and pouring, so as not to contaminate your resin and spoil your results
• DO ensure your project is level before pouring resin to prevent overflow. Use a spirit or bubble level and check several angles, propping up edges as necessary
• DO use a butane torch, heat-gun or blow-dryer to release air bubbles which will surface after a resin pour
• DO use a fan to blow cool air over your poured resin piece if you are concerned about heat, generated by the resin's thermosetting process, affecting your project
• DO prepare several projects in preparation for a single resin-pouring session. This is more time-efficient and reduces wastage from mixing more than you need
• DO allow plenty of time for resin to cure fully. If possible leave your project undisturbed for at least a week before working on it again
• DO work your way up through the grits of sandpaper when trying to achieve high gloss and clarity on your cured resin. Start with 240 grit and finish at 2000 grit, then three rounds of gentle buffing with polishing paste

 

• DON'T use any types of glues to adhere your inclusions into your resin channel, as possible glue seepage may mar your results. Instead, simply use a small drop of the same paint you used to paint the channel to hold them in place until you're ready to pour
• DON'T hold your mixing cup by its base when mixing the resin and hardener - the heat from your hand will prematurely activate the hardener
• DON'T vigorously whisk the resin and hardener during mixing as you will incorporate excessive amounts of air bubbles, giving  undesirable results. Use a slow, deliberate 'folding in' action
• DON'T be in a hurry. Resin has a relatively long open time before it starts curing, so work calmly and methodically for best results
• DON'T ruin your resin finish by wiping excess polishing paste off with kitchen paper or toilet paper, which can be mildly abrasive on the high gloss surface. Use facial tissues or a clean soft cloth instead

For the full 'how-to' on using resin on woodturned projects (including lathe demos of turning the resin channel, and subsequent 'levelling off' of the resin post-cure) keep your eye on our blog for the video footage.​