If you're looking to speed up the drying time of your epoxy resin without compromising its quality, this article is for you. We'll explore various methods and techniques to accelerate the curing process. Let’s get started!
How Long Does It Take Resin To Dry?
ArtResin is dry to the touch within 24 hours, and fully cured within 72 hours.
Say, however, you have a big show coming up and you've left it too late to pour your resin. Now you need it to dry ASAP so your artwork can be hung on time!
Key Factors Influencing Epoxy Resin Cure Times
Several factors can affect the drying time of epoxy resin:
- Temperature: Higher temperatures accelerate the curing process, while lower temperatures can prolong it.
- Proper Mix Ratio: Following the recommended proportions between resin and hardener is crucial for optimal cure times.
- Layer Thickness: Thicker applications require more time to cure all the way through.
- Ambient Humidity: Excessive moisture in the environment can hinder the chemical reactions necessary for proper curing.
Understanding these factors empowers you to predict drying times and achieve the results you're looking for.
Can you reduce the epoxy resin cure time?
Yes! It is possible to make epoxy resin dry faster, using heat.
Here are some tips on WHAT TO DO and what NOT to do to get resin to cure more quickly.
✅ What To Do To Speed Up Resin's Cure Time:
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Increase the temperature: The ideal temperature for curing ArtResin to 75-85ºF / 24-30ºC. Cure time is affected by temperature: warmer temperatures facilitate curing and colder temperatures slow curing.
- Place a space heater or heat lamp near your piece to encourage the resin to cure faster.
💡TIP: Be aware to keep temperature constant for the first 24 hours of curing. If there is a temperature drop, you can end up with things like dimples or an orange peel effect in the cured resin.
✘ What NOT To Do To Speed Up ArtResin's Cure Time:
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Don't add more hardener to the mixture thinking this will increase cure time. It won't - all it will do is throw off the delicate 1:1 mixing ratio, causing your resin to not cure at all and remain sticky indefinitely.
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Don't replace the ArtResin hardener with another brand's hardener that advertises a quicker cure time. Every paired resin and hardener within a kit work together as a system and cannot be interchanged.
- Don't add any extra agents or solvents to the mixture to try and promote a quicker cure. ArtResin is not designed to accommodate these and you will end up with resin that may not cure at all.
Here's Rebecca with a recap ...
When we formulated ArtResin, we prioritized safety, water-clear clarity, and exceptional protection against yellowing.
In order to achieve this, we chose to cut down on the additive that promotes curing (called the accelerator) for two reasons:
1. Accelerators are typically yellow in colour, so too much accelerator results in a yellow-looking product rather than a water-clear one, such as ArtResin. We felt a few extra hours of cure time was well worth it in order to maintain ArtResin's exceptional clarity!
2. The faster resin cures, the greater chance it has of yellowing. Heat is a by-product of the chemical reaction that causes resin to cure, so if it cures too fast (like, with quick-set epoxy adhesive), the heat can turn epoxy resin yellow by the time it's done curing.
Unless measures are taken to promote a faster cure, ArtResin is dry to the touch within 24 hours, and fully cured within 72 hours.
After 24 hours, a piece can be moved from its curing position and hung on a wall. The difference in hardness between a 24 hour cure and 72 hour full cure is typically only an important factor for artists wanting to pack and ship their work or if they're making coasters, bar tops, or other heavy duty projects which require a less flexible cure. For coated paintings, drawings, mixed media pieces, and sculpture for example, the marginal difference in hardness from day one to day three is negligible.
ArtResin: The Original Epoxy For Resin Art.
Check out our blog on How to Build up the Edges of your Piece To Contain A Thick Layer of Resin.
