10 EPOXY Mistakes Beginners Make

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Күн бұрын

After years of experience, I have compiled 10 EPOXY Mistakes Beginners make when they're working with epoxy resin on builds and projects.
I get lots of emails and DM's from people trying out epoxy, so In this video I list out the top 10 problems I have found over my years in working with epoxy. Even as someone with experience, I still make these mistakes now, as you can see based on the $500 of epoxy on my shop floor.
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Пікірлер: 338

@russgoodwin7560 3 жыл бұрын

I used to work for a construction chemical manufacturer here in the states, and had to mix epoxy resins for field demos regularly. John's right about keeping your tools clean. One trick I used was I kept a 5 gallon pail with a reusable lid, that had ~2 gallons of play sand in the bottom and about a gallon and a half of acetone. There should be enough acetone in the mixture to have the top of the play sand ~2 inches below the top of the acetone when fully settled. Once you are done mixing any epoxy with a drill mounted mixing paddle, keep the paddle in the drill, dunk the paddle into the sand / acetone mix and run the paddle in the sand for ~45-60 seconds in both forward and reverse and you will get a clean paddle with little effort.

@TotalBoat 4 жыл бұрын

This is awesome. We actually recommend the opposite of your #5 , though. WE say NOT to scrape the sides bc you might leave behind unmixed Part A or B. When you dump that out - the TOP of your project becomes anything UNMIXED that you scraped out of the bucket. It's now the sticky, uncured top parts and might be little areas, but generally is a pain and not what you want. So we suggest you DO pour your mixed resin into a new cup once combined. This leaves behind any unmixed resin in that first cup and now Cup 2 is only combined resin. The unmixed parts remain in Cup 1. We say this because we get this problem OVER AND OVER again. Why little spots of uncured resin on my piece? That's why!

@opie7afe Жыл бұрын

Or once you pour it, you do a quick mix on the surface to be sure its mixed thoroughly.

@michaelvila3692 4 жыл бұрын

Way to stay positive John, instead of sulking, you came back strong and ripped out a video to save the rest of us from making the same mistakes, you are the man, thank you sir.

@pmm4177 3 жыл бұрын

Are you related to bob?

@RexMunger 4 жыл бұрын

Great info. I’ve been pouring resin for nearly 20 years. To this day it’s a bit stressful and unpredictable. These guidelines will save users a ton of headache.

@pebkacz 4 жыл бұрын

Hi from Australia John & Sam. I've been pouring epoxy since 1975 in the communications industry and it definitely is a Science. It ws used to fill containers where cable was terminated ( just like filling empty beer cans). Always the same type and always handled like a medical clinic would handle blood in syringes. Great message and great pour projects. Stay Safe!

@vincehubbs2923 3 жыл бұрын

What would recommend for a 2 inch filler

@tad2ik 2 жыл бұрын

This is proffessional tradesman! Even tools hanging on the wall make perfect square! Pleasure to watch

@MsFamfun Жыл бұрын

@tad2ik I can’t focus on the don’t for looking at tools on the walls. I’m using pegboard and tools still not straight

@craigm8884 4 жыл бұрын

love the show you make it easy to learn things that you need to know for projects.

@angim8984 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info. I was planning on doing a small side table for practice. I'll be sure get the proper stuff to make a mold.

@akquicksilver 4 жыл бұрын

Great video John. Experience is a wonderful thing. Humility is a virtue my friend. Good on ya.

@justinr5841 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the clear info. I’ve been wanting to do a smaller epoxy pour on a box lid. I’ll be sure to take this to heart and try not to be cheap about it.

@Cro-mos 4 жыл бұрын

I love this stuff. I like the double cup method of stirring.

@ouroboros6125 6 ай бұрын

I use epoxy in dioramas and it's insane how epoxy finds a way as you put it. I sealed the terrain I'd built in several thin layers of mod podge. The sides. Under it. Wrapped the dam in so many and so thick layers of tape I thought to myself "no way this can leak". It was an underground watery cave with a crocodile built using XPS foam. Filled it in, WAITED AN HOUR TO MAKE SURE NO LEAKS. Then went to bed. Next day it was empty and the epoxy was all over the floor. Turned out that a tiny, tiny hole in the XPS foam wasn't covered properly, and through a tiny ass crack down it had leaked out from under it. If there is as much as NEEDLE PIN pole - epoxy will find that path seep out. All of it. Building dams and masking epoxy projects is a nightmare. Because you have to not only take measures to prevent leaking. You have to triple up on that and then some. Epoxy is like Houdini one moment it's here, the other moment it's there, and suddenly it's everywhere. Epoxy leaks is like the eternal demonic nighmare chasing your projects. It will find a weakness. And it will crush your spirit.

@Mastercreeper22 4 жыл бұрын

I just did a massive river table for the first time and lucky me it didn’t leak but I wish I saw this before I did mine

@brandonkeaveney310 3 жыл бұрын

New watcher and want to get into making tables w epoxy and wood. Love your videos, keeping doing what your doing!

@fleetswoodshop3339 4 жыл бұрын

THANK YOU FOR THE INPUT .THAT HELPS A MILL.FROM DOUG IN HOUSTON

@matthewderezinski8103 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tips, good luck with the cleanup!!

@batman7380 4 жыл бұрын

Love the advice. I'm planning on making one for myself in the future. Would like to see a river chair instead of a table with a river style seat and back.

@richardwade511 3 жыл бұрын

What a cool idea!!!

@michelgauthier4953 3 жыл бұрын

This should be a channel on how to do a KZfaq tutorial video. Just to the point and clear! Just about to mess around with epoxy for first time and these videos are spot on!

@tomasjosefvela1 3 жыл бұрын

Happy I found you channel, awesome projects and some really good tips. I'm wanting to start experimenting with epoxy with my daughter this summer so we are enjoying learning on youtube.

@deborahborse4885 3 жыл бұрын

I've made a lot of these mistakes over the years : ) I added 2 steps recently - 1: after sealing the mold I fill it with 1/2" of water, from a graduated pail so I know how much water I put in, and let sit overnight. Answers the question - will the mold hold water?. 2: I then fill the entire void with water, keeping track of how much I put in, and then remove it all. Answers the questions - how much epoxy do I need to mix and is my mold level?

@AnnieChamberlain 2 жыл бұрын

Great ideas, Deborah! Question: is this for molds that aren't including wood? I'm assuming that in step 2, you would be wetting wood that you wouldn't want to get wet right before mixing with epoxy, correct?

@CraigStrong 2 жыл бұрын

Great tips. On the volume vs weight measurements, if weight ratio is unavailable from the manufacturer, I mix my first batch using volume then convert my volume measurements to weight measurements by weighing two cups with the proper volume of both minus the weight of the empty cups. Mark it on the bottle (e.g. 1 : 0.85) and I'm weighing from then on.

@kosinskiarek 4 жыл бұрын

I think someone commented on your other video in the same way I feel about this, You are not only great maker but you are entertainer. Thank you for providing quality content to us DIY bastards that rather watch KZfaq then another episode of Cardashians ( I think that's how you spell it) Thank you John you are awesome!!!

@Wolfnstone 4 ай бұрын

I once worked as a fiberglass laminator here in the U.K. Mostly making boat hulls. Was a "shoddy" operation in an old RAF storage shed. We had a curing room that was just a section in the corner lined with plastic sheeting with a propane heater and a thermometer. Was great overtime sat for 24hrs turning the heater on and off😂

@FredMcIntyre 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info John! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

@DevinTrierMaker 4 жыл бұрын

Really enjoyed this video John - very informative but still a little quirky to match your personality. Nice edit, nice content. Thanks for sharing with us.

@John_Malecki 4 жыл бұрын

💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

@papacapp6855 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the vids, I really learn a lot and am always amazed, great work

@kraziecatclady 3 жыл бұрын

I'm building a chess set for my son with epoxy squares and I'm pretty nervous. I'm glad I decided to watch this before starting the pour.

@Rami7605 3 жыл бұрын

Its nice u build ur own gifts. Ur son will appreciate that his mom is super cool!

@danielcampbell5387 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the info. Great video! I'm just a beginner and your video helps me a lot.

@alexanderkerkour2856 2 жыл бұрын

John we love you, take care of yourself.

@alisonphilp7497 4 жыл бұрын

Very informative thank you love your work 🙏

@joshyingling 4 жыл бұрын

I was pouring my first epoxy river table last year, 10ftx45 inches, thankfully I built a fishtank around the massive pieces of wood because I had a leak too, it just ran under the wood and made it half an inch thicker there. Cost a lot of epoxy though. Great video mang!

@GibClark 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you 👍👍👍👍

@gianpietroprevitali7103 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing!!

@traviscozza7177 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for tje info, great video

@patheffernan3418 2 жыл бұрын

Hi John. Love your videos. While I am uber-careful with my molds I am also paranoid about having to manage a leak. I’m curious as to how you cleaned the mess from your shop and if it cost you any tools/benches.

@Nomadboatbuilding 4 жыл бұрын

Johnny boy. Yes yes yes. Great advice across the board. One thing I'll put out there: West System, which is my personal choice for epoxy, has excellent user manuals related to a range of epoxy uses that has a ton of solid information applicable to all epoxy products. West System was pretty much the first outfit to bring epoxy to the home user market and they do a ton of comparative testing. This isn't a plug for West System specifically but for educating yourself as much as possible.

@Nomadboatbuilding 4 жыл бұрын

Just one more plug: E-book "Epoxy Basics" by Russel Brown. This is specific to boatbuilding but has a ton of applicable info for other epoxy based projects.

@MCsCreations 4 жыл бұрын

Great tips, John! Thanks a lot! 😃 Stay safe there! 🖖😊 BTW, heat melts epoxy. Use a heat gun for cleaning. 😬

@AmericanWoodsmith 3 жыл бұрын

Great Info

@wildcreatures9810 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Lots of good tips here.

@pdlremorquage5286 2 жыл бұрын

first off, you are freaking funny. 2nd, thanks for all the tips. started working with resin and decided my first project to be a dinner table with 25 liters pour and reclaimed wood plank. hopefully your guidance will help me thru this!!

@Poopdar 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. I would only add the concern of adding too much pigment, especially on smaller pours. No more than 10% of the total volume is I what I normally hear.

@paulbuffington9709 4 жыл бұрын

I am waiting to see you make an Epoxy Live Edge Corn Hole board set. I first started following you after I saw you on Fix This Build That making a Corn Hole board set.

@Fixthisbuildthat 4 жыл бұрын

His best project to date still :)

@nanoreaper5002 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome Job John

@jeej333 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this! Please keep sharing your knowledge. Home shop projects make the covid BS bearable.

@manicmaker52 4 жыл бұрын

Great info...Awesome video...that sucks about your shop...

@lexwilkinson123 4 жыл бұрын

Made an epoxy fill on a 26” poplar slice after watching this. About a 6” hole in the center but the grain was nice.. Taped it up nicely with tuck tape and duck tape.. solid. Then after I pored a bit I got the great idea to put a nice little slice of red cedar in the hole.. It was floating up so I put a little weight on top, and you guessed it, I broke the tape seal.. epoxy dripping all over my bench and ultimately the carpet lol. I put some scab lumber under it and kinda re-sealed it and saved about an inch or so of the epoxy. Of course the tape and scabs are nicely stuck and had to pound the scab and slice off the bench and slice! Lesson learned. Love your videos!!!

@fpvtrys2632 4 жыл бұрын

Freedom Units , was worth the whole vid!

@getyourshttogether 4 жыл бұрын

Could you do a video demonstrating what happens if you mix brands on resin just something to get the point across and it would be interesting to see

@AK-ru3sg 2 жыл бұрын

"Rectangular cubes..." Most excellent dude.

@K-FOREST_Original 4 жыл бұрын

I don't know much about epoxy or woodworking, but I sympathize with your good work. Like you said, it will help beginners and experienced people. ^O^

@ksteak27 4 жыл бұрын

3:47 - You got a standing ovation from all of us here at the Department of Redundancy Department. :)

@rhovey1059 3 жыл бұрын

Offer not good in sector R after curfew.

@Dust76tr 3 жыл бұрын

Isn’t that second ‘department’ redundant? ;)

@rhovey1059 3 жыл бұрын

@@Dust76tr it is. It is from a 1970 ish comedy album by Firesign Theatre. Yet it seems like it could have been coined by some modern government genius.

@sadkingbilly 3 жыл бұрын

@@Dust76tr yes, and it's brilliant :D

@rhinopaul115 4 жыл бұрын

On my first river table, I only violated a few. Temperature, leak, level...so 3 wrong out of 10. That's a solid "C"

@jaredhowell7104 2 жыл бұрын

Pouring next weekend. Thanks for the tips.

@ad1rteebum_673 4 жыл бұрын

Also when dealing with large pours make sure its well ventilated and use a respirator. The VOCs are nothing to mess with in epoxy.

@walterrider9600 4 жыл бұрын

thank you

@mahanzehi1583 3 жыл бұрын

Hi, thanks for your education, Can you tell me which kind of epoxy resin I must use for up to 10 inches ?

@Near2Future 3 жыл бұрын

I want to make a desk resin table. I just don't know what tools & if i'll need a desk for it to set on.

@MillerWoodcraft 4 жыл бұрын

Tip #1: Stabilize bandsaw by epoxying it to the floor. I would make a sailor blush If I returned to my shop in that condition, hopefully nothing was damaged

@thomaslaborde4627 3 жыл бұрын

I discovered your videos yesterday I have been binging on one since I do have a question for you though. I live in the Phoenix Arizona area so I guess pretty hot in the sun at the hours pretty strong and I have a Bar but I’ve built for in my backyard. I put bar top epoxy on top of the counter area and it looked great for about a year and then the sun started eating yet do you have any suggestions on a product that I can use that would be protected against UV light thanks a lot love your videos

@ValiousTV 3 жыл бұрын

Nice tips. I'm new to using epoxy. Is there any tips for ventilation? Can you pour indoors like in a basement? Is the voc's like paint or worse?

@maciejwrobel2385 4 жыл бұрын

Did you make table with epoxy river for outdoor use? I'm most interested in how it should be finished and how it behaves under changing weather conditions. I will be grateful for answer :)

@debbiesmtih 3 жыл бұрын

So when you do a pour, of any kind once the max amount of inches per say has been poured in order to do another pour to continue filling do you have to let that first one dry completely?

@gordroberts53 2 жыл бұрын

Started with your 5 epoxy tip beginners video, now this one, I am at least 30 times smarter about this than before I watched them. Anyway I’ve done or will do everything you’ve suggested and feel ready for my first pour today. I was particularly pleased to hear you mention Exopoxy as their flow cast product is what I’m using today. Thanks for sharing!

@ozloya 4 жыл бұрын

Is it possible to thin down the epoxy to use as paint finish? Thanks in advance for your help.

@whidzee 3 жыл бұрын

What is the best tape to use if you're wanting to fill bug holes or cracks that go all the way through your piece? Any issues with the sticky side of the tape being in contact with the resin?

@grahamrosso3929 2 жыл бұрын

great video. is there a epoxy product you would recommend for a combination of smaller kid's crafts to pours up to 2 inches?thx

@alexanderherbert9236 4 жыл бұрын

Question about using wood to reduce the amount of epoxy used. Have you done it? Not something that will be visible after the poor, just to reduce the volume needed. Most pieces seem to be colored as is, so anything past 1/4" isn't visible. If you plan it out right you could even raise the wood from the base and anchor it where your legs will go so nobody knows. Essentially rectangles and triangles suspended in the mold. The only concern that comes to mind would be structural, but I'm not sure how much having the varying materials would impact it. What are your thoughts?

@dallaswainman3395 4 жыл бұрын

Wish I saw this before I did my epoxy table. It cracked twice and I’m sad, I’m gonna fill it but still sad

@Danae42 2 жыл бұрын

Has anyone been using him as a podcast while you're busy? Do it! He sounds like Tom Hanks ! Fantastic job with the projects and channel, gotta love yuh

@robertvanderzel1318 3 жыл бұрын

Is there a good place to buy drift wood or wood that works well for river tables?

@oven2066 4 жыл бұрын

Like 50% of the mistakes (minimum) seem to amount to not reading the bastard label properly

@John_Malecki 4 жыл бұрын

Reading is hard !!! Trust me haha . I wish I could audio book label

@is6781 4 жыл бұрын

Us men don’t read and just go

@blakedarbey8879 3 жыл бұрын

Loving the videos, I am looking to do a big pour soon for a table to go in my new house im building, Table is going to be 5,720 L x 1,150 W {(AU) Awesome Units} but I am not sure if it will work how I am thinking, What are you thoughts and experiences on using large hollow objects (i.e. Jack Daniels Bottles) in a pour? does this change the stability and strength of the pour?

@StacyVCole 3 жыл бұрын

'Gave a Thumbs up 30 sec. into the video when I saw the Black Coffee poster. After seeing the rest, you more than earned the positive thumb: I am the proverbial "beginner."

@ryanbiggs7083 4 жыл бұрын

Can we see the cleanup video? :DD

@kadinkol 3 жыл бұрын

I wanted to do an Epoxy pour for a fireplace mantle that is outside. Im in Texas. Is this doable due to the heat?

@hiddentidesgaming Жыл бұрын

May seem silly as this is an older video, but for those who do end up having an issue like you did where it all came out even when you thought everything was perfect. How did you go about cleaning all that up and did it affect any equipment including the safety gear such as your fire extinguisher? Also a suggestion for anyone who does store resin, do it like food, label when you purchased and opened the stuff that has a pot life.

@zero00044 Жыл бұрын

Doing my stuff in my apartment. Temperature is definitely the hard part. Instructions on all the resin I've gotten say between 70 to 85 is best. Well I can't stand temperatures over 65. Anything more than that and I start to sweat. At 80 I'm literally dripping. I even keep my ac on during the winter. So yeah, it definitely takes an extra few days to fully cure.

@broproful 3 жыл бұрын

Hi John. Where are you in Pittsburgh? I live in Mt. Lebanon. I would love to stop by your shop sometime if that’s appropriate. I’m in new epoxy Gal and I just have some minor questions but you are very good at explaining things and I think you and your work is impeccable

@user-gt7ht4wv5h 3 жыл бұрын

I am going to do the end cut of the tree project and it’s .5” thickness, and my question is: can I fill end cut with Casting resin to the top of wood pieces and then apply epoxy resin for the top coat?

@brianp54 3 жыл бұрын

Great instructions!!! What happens if a live edge 6” wide, 1/2” thick board is not completely dry? Will it effect later? Thanks

@Cello-Pam 2 жыл бұрын

I'm guessing you looked up using damp wood in resin, since your question about it was from a year ago. I've been looking it up, and man! The advice is all over the place! I'm even thinking about getting a moisture reader bc I'm worried my piece might be too damp. But then the percentage of moisture advice was all over the place too! I hope you found the advice you needed and your piece turned out beautiful

@KittensJamesandLily 3 жыл бұрын

Do you have a clean-up video for the spill? I have one in my garage right now and want to learn how to remove it :(

@Rutger360x 3 жыл бұрын

Can I use linseed oil or normal interior varnish for finishing my project?

@jonathonweigel8635 3 жыл бұрын

Freedom Units is now forever ingrained into my vocabulary.

@sadkingbilly 3 жыл бұрын

Just the phrase is ridiculous. Free to what, make up shit as you go, then stick with it even though the rest of the world uses a normal, logical and simple system? Sounds like "freedumb" to me lol.

@mikedonaldson8898 4 жыл бұрын

Great tips. Another tip, because this drove me crazy until i figured it out. Do not clip your mic where your "man chain" can slide and make clicking sounds! LOL

@yobryan88 4 жыл бұрын

That saw hat is sick

@Smb12233 4 жыл бұрын

C'mon its braddock, you couldn't remember syringes?! Haha. Good video brother!

@heartofdawnlight 4 жыл бұрын

Under Mixed: i only do small crafts epoxy art pieces, and typically have a bit of leftover in the bottom of the mixing cup (makes a neat color disk/coaster if you want it), when under mixed, if the soft spots on the exterior, it can still be liquified epoxy thats unable to cure, or a glob of hardener. I imagine if bad enough, its gonna be a really hard job to "fix" on a large scale. as first you have to clean out the epoxy/hardener from its spot, then remove its stickyness, and then fill in whatever gap was there (good luck color matching)

@madebymolnar8011 3 жыл бұрын

I'm somewhat new to using resin and have never heard of anyone using anything other than epoxy to seal the sapwood. Does it have to be poly acrylic or could I just use regular poly?

@paulgebhart1413 4 жыл бұрын

What kind of caulk do you recommend?

@evorook463 3 жыл бұрын

I'm doing a small epoxy project, I've got the West System 105 and 205 setup and appreciate your tips in this and your other videos. Any tips for small epoxy jobs? In my case, I'm working on a table that I think was made from weathered railroad ties, and due to warpage two of them are splitting from each other. I'm hoping to both fill the split (so it stops splitting), and also flatten out the tabletop by filling a few of the notches and holes. I am planning to use some Nashua Foil Tape to seal under the holes and split, because I was told that it can withstand the exothermic reaction. Any tips or key considerations I should think about before I try and go on this project? :p

@ivan7453 4 жыл бұрын

Using litres............bloody good!

@worshipwatcher55 3 жыл бұрын

Please forgive my ignorance but I'm confused about the application of tape and calk to the mold. Should I make the form, add the tape and then add the calk to the corners on top of the tape? If so, why not tape the apply the tape with a 90degree bend in each corner to prevent leaking? Thank you in advance for any helpful input.

@Mastercreeper22 4 жыл бұрын

How do you get your resin back to the original pour look?

@patrickherforth9869 3 жыл бұрын

what was it you sealed the live edges in the interior of the river?

@duckilla1290 4 жыл бұрын

Is there a way to thin out epoxy while maintaining the set time.

@blaked7532 Жыл бұрын

Here's an old school tip I learned back in the 90s before apps were a thing........ Get yourself a crapton of plastic airsoft rounds and fill the mold void with them, then use an empty shop vac to suck them all up and then pour it into buckets to see your total volume and recycle them for later odd shaped volume pour projects.

@raagkhurana 4 жыл бұрын

What can be used beside polyacrylic to completely seal the inside live edges for a river table. Ive seen people brushing the live edges with epoxy and waiting to cure before the Main Pour. Please help

@John_Malecki 4 жыл бұрын

That also works, you can use a faster setting thinner epoxy.

@pinkpandalette 4 жыл бұрын

Have you ever had epoxy foam after applying heat to pop surface bubbles?

@372trip2 8 ай бұрын

I use those blue Polyethylene tarps from Home Depot on my floor when I resin stuff. Any dripped resin once cured doesn’t stick to tarp. I once peeled right off a gallon of it. So I wonder if you used the tarp to lay inside one of your molds for river tables instead of all that tape