How To Resin Wood

Covering wood in a coating of ArtResin is easy - in fact, epoxy resin takes wood next level, giving it a gorgeous looking finish and a glossy sheen that makes the colour and grain of wood absolutely glow!

We love using wooden art panels here at ArtResin - you can mount your artwork and pour your resin directly on the panel!  Some panels even have a raised lip specifically designed to contain resin - they make for a super easy pour with clean edges.

Measure, mix, pour, spread, cover and wait, and in 24 hours your acrylic painting will go from good to gorgeous!

Let's get started .... 



Supplies:

Discover our resin art accessories & tools!

 

Steps:

1. Wood burning your design

You may choose to wood burn your design directly onto the panel, or you can transfer your image using carbon paper as we did, and woodburn using your image as the guide. 

💡A Note On Sealing:

We always recommend testing your particular materials out with ArtResin on a scrap piece so you know exactly what to expect before you resin your final project.  There are certain cases, however, when sealing your work prior to resining is required ....

  • Sealing the wood panel. Being an organic material, wood may contain trapped air which can release into your resin as bubbles. There are many variables that can affect gas bubbles: the type of wood, how dry the wood is, humidity etc. Pre-sealing wood with a spray or brush-on sealant ( or even painting them with acrylic paint ) is an option to help to prevent bubbles. We've used these wood panels enough to know that we don't need to pre-seal them, but we always recommend testing with your particular materials so you know exactly what results to expect before you resin your final project. Again, if in doubt, you can never go wrong by pre-sealing first if it makes you feel more comfortable.    



Resin Wood- Wood burning your design


2. Calculate how much resin you need

Using our Resin Calculator, simply enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need.
👉TIP: a standard 1/8" coating for a 12 x 12" panel requires 5 oz resin ( 2.5 oz resin and 2.5 oz hardener ). Measure the lip on your panel as they can vary. The panel in our video, for example, has a 1/4" lip. In order to fill it to the top, you'd use double the amount: 10 oz total resin ( 5 oz resin and 5 oz hardener ).

Resin Wood - resin calculator




3. Measure & Stir

Working in a well ventilated area and wearing gloves, measure accurately ( by volume ) precisely equal amounts of resin and hardener. Stir thoroughly for 3 minutes total, ensuring you scrape the bottom and sides of your mixing container as you go. 
👉 TIP: for our very best measuring and mixing tips, read the blog How To Measure And Mix Resin And Hardener.


Resin Wood - measure accurately by volume
Resin Wood - Stir thoroughly for 3 minutes total



4. Pour the ArtResin

Pour the ArtResin onto the centre of your piece and spread it out to the edges using a plastic spreader or a popsicle stick. You'll have about 45 minutes of working time before the resin gets too thick to work with.
👉TIP: Read our blog How To Pour And Spread Epoxy Resin for more resin tips and techniques!

Resin Wood- Pour the ArtResin

Resin Wood- spread it out to the edges


5. Use your Artist's Torch

Using your Artist’s Torch, hold the flame a couple of inches above the resin surface just long enough to pop the bubbles, keeping the torch moving from side to side at all times. 
👉TIP: if you're nervous about using a torch, don't be! Read our blog with all you need to know about How To Use A Torch On Epoxy Resin.


Resin Wood- Use your Artist's Torch


6. Final Check of your artwork

Once the piece has been torched, look at the resin in the light for any missed bubbles, tiny hairs or bits of dust, using a toothpick to fish them out. 


Resin Wood- Final Check of your artwork


7. Cover your artwork

With a plastic tote or a cardboard box ( with the flaps cut off ) cover your piece and let it sit for 24 hrs until it’s dry to the touch.

Resin Wood- Cover your artwork


8. Wait 24 Hours

After 24hrs has passed, reveal your piece!  
👉TIP: the resin will be dry to the touch at the 24hr mark.  At this point, you're free to hang and admire your artwork on the wall, absolutely, but if you're planning on packing and shipping your artwork, please wait at least 72hrs until the resin has fully cured.


Resin Wood- reveal your piece

We hope you found this informative and helpful!

Do you want to learn more about using resin on different surfaces? See below our how-to tutorials: 



About the author: Joanne Wright

I'm Joanne, the Marketing Content Writer at ArtResin. Originally from Canada, my home is now Indianapolis, Indiana. My love of all things creative and my entrepreneurial heart means I’ve worn many hats over the years including fashion producer & stylist, retail store owner, t-shirt designer, and even vegan baker! I...