Adding too less or too much resin or hardener will alter the reaction and the mixture will not be cured completely. Always follow manufacturer's instructions.
Too much or too little hardener will affect the cure time and thoroughness of the cure. Remove the uncured epoxy.
Things You'll Need
You let it sit, and sit, and sit, but it never completely hardens. Chances are you did not add enough catalyst, the chemical that hardens the resin.
No. It is a two-part chemical that reacts when the two mix and does nothing on its own. It will remain in its sticky form nearly forever unless mixed with the hardener which is necessary to cause the chemical reaction to make it cure and harden.
Adding too little to the resin or leaving the part in a cool or cold place to cure results in not enough heat to polymerize the resin quickly so the trick is to somehow add heat to aid the hardener in the creation of the polymer chains.
Sticky, tacky resin
This is often caused by inaccurate measuring, not mixing thoroughly or by curing in cold temperatures. Try moving your piece to a warmer spot: if it doesn't dry, re-pour with a fresh coat of resin.
Usually, it takes around 72 hours to fully cure the epoxy. Whatever the dry time, the resin should be allowed to fully cure before attempting to move or sand it. If the epoxy isn't allowed to rest until fully cured, your project will be prone to surface contamination.
It is only when mixed with an epoxy hardener that they can undergo the chemical reaction needed to cure properly. If applied onto a floor without the hardener, the resin would remain a near liquid indefinitely and could not transform into a durable flooring system.
Your resin needs more time to cure
While resin is curing, it turns semi-solid (think gelatin) but is soft and pliable. In other words, it looks like it's done curing, but it may not be. Double-check the cure time for your resin. If you're lucky, you simply need to give it more time to cure.
Artist Resin needs a 1:1 resin to hardener ratio. An increase in hardener will not make the curing process quicker.
In most cases, the reason you have resin that bends is due to the fact that the resin needs more time to cure. After 24 hours, ArtResin will be at a 95% solidity rate. If you attempt to curve or move the resin before that 24 hour mark, the resin will likely bend.
If measured and mixed correctly the epoxy will cure 100% of the time. If you have poured a surface and did not mix thoroughly, you may have some spots that cured and some spots that are still soft.
Mixing epoxy resin and hardener is an important step in any resin project, from casting to coating. The ratio of the two components will determine the performance of your final product. Too much of either component can cause issues like an uneven cure or a weakened surface layer.
Adding too Much or too Little Hardener
If you add too much hardener to your resin, it will cure too quickly and will be very difficult to work with. On the other hand, if you don't add enough hardener, the curing process will take much longer than usual if it cures at all.
Not Enough Curing Time
IntoResin epoxy needs 12-24 hours to cure (If thin items, they will be a little bendy) and around 72 hours to fully cure. Try to check your resin curing time, if it just needs more time for a fully cure, then you're lucky. You just need to simply give it more time and way to go!
If, after a day of curing, you've noticed some soft sticky spots in your resin, it means either one of two things: either the delicate 1:1 balance of resin and hardener was off, or the material just wasn't mixed thoroughly. Resin that hasn't cured will stay sticky until steps are taken to fix it.
The resin is still bendy after 24 hours because it has not been given enough time to cure fully. Even when resin seems dry on the surface, it can still be flexible and soft underneath.
While it may be tempting to speed up the curing stage with a hair dryer or other heat source, this practice is not recommended since adding too much heat can cause unevenness in appearance as well as bubbles in the product. Instead, cure your resin masterpiece according to instructions provided by manufacturers.
Whether your divots occurred during the pouring process of your countertops, or afterwards due to a soft cure, the solution is always to pour another coat of epoxy. You can pour directly over the previous epoxy pour within 24 hours of the first pour.
Layering in molds - allow each layer to set up for at least 3 hours before pouring next layer. Doming - you can apply your resin right after the 5 minute rest period, or let the resin thicken for up to 25-30 minutes.
Cure your resin in a warm oven. A 150F toaster oven is excellent for helping resin to cure faster.
Yellowing of prints: If you notice that your prints are starting to yellow or get discoloured, then you've exceeded the necessary curing time. Brittleness: A brittle resin print is a sign that you may have left the print in the curing station for too long.
Curing epoxy resin too fast
Resin reactions heavily rely on mass. As such, the more you mix, the more heat is produced. When you mix larger portions, excessive heat builds upon itself, and your mixture can heat quicker than expected —making your resin harden before you can even pour it into your mould or coat.
We recommend a minimum 1.47-ounce mixture (1-ounce resin to . 47 ounces hardener).