DEEP POUR BASICS

1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POT LIFE AND WORKING TIME?

Pot life
Pot life is the time that your mixed resin and hardener sits in your mixing container before it is poured into your project. With most resins, pot life is shorter than working time.

The volume of resin you are mixing has an effect on the pot life. For example, a 9 oz cup of mixed resin will have a longer pot life than a gallon or 3 gallons of mixed resin. If you are working with over a gallon of resin, we recommend pouring it out into your project right away. Larger volumes of mixed resin have an exothermic reaction and generate heat much faster. Once it is poured into a 1 ½ to 2 inch depth there is still open time to work with it.

To extend pot life, you can mix your hardener and resin into 2 or 3 smaller containers. For example if you need to mix 60 oz total, you can mix 20 oz in each container which will buy you more time before you have to pour it out. If you are working on a larger project and you are mixing 1 gallon to 3 gallons at a time in one mixing container, the mixed resin and hardener will generate heat and will need to be poured into your project right after mixing it. If you are working with smaller amounts of resin you will have more time with your pot life.

Working time
Working time is the time you have to work with your resin after it has been poured out of your mixing container before it gels and starts to harden on your project. It is the time window to be creative with your project.

2. CAN I USE DEEP POUR FOR COATING?

Naked Fusion Deep Pour is not recommended for coating.  When it is poured less than 1/4 inch it will take too long for it to cure. If you are working on a river table or a wood project that needs to be sealed before your pour, we recommend using Naked Fusion Artist’s Resin to seal your wood. It will cure faster and you will be able to pour your table sooner. You can also use a water based polyurethane to seal your wood and let it cure fully before you pour. Naked Fusion Deep Pour is designed for deeper casting and is not recommended for thin layers.

3. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY DEEP POUR RESIN PROJECT TO CURE?

Deep pour resin varies in curing time based on the amount of ounces poured. Larger pours over 12 oz will cure faster and smaller pours under 12 oz will cure slower. Temperature also plays a part in the speed of curing time. A small pour can take 12 to 48 hours to get hard to the touch and a week to reach full strength. A larger pour can get hard to touch in 12 to 24 hours and reach full strength in a week.

4. HOW DEEP CAN I POUR MY DEEP POUR RESIN

On smaller to medium pours in molds our deep pour resin can be poured over 2 inches deep and up to 4 inches deep in narrow molds.

On larger river tables or larger volume pours:  for best results we recommend pouring 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches deep and pour it in two pours to reach desired depth of 2 to 3 inches.

This resin is not designed to pour less than 1/4 inch deep or for thin coats.  When pouring 1/4 inch molds or coasters Deep Pour will take between 24 to 48 hours to cure hard to the touch. Deep Pour may remain in it’s liquid state for up to 36 hours. It is a slower curing resin with fantastic air release. During the 1st 24 hours the resin releases any bubble or air as it sits in it’s liquid state providing a beautifully crystal clear casting once it cured.

5. SHOULD I SEAL MY WOOD BEFORE I START MY PROJECT?

The wood that you are using in your river table or in your resin project should be dried and seasoned so there is no moisture trapped in it. Once it is dried and ready to use, you can apply a thin coat of Naked Fusion Artist resin over the wood to seal it and let it cure for 8 hours. You can also seal your wood with a water based polyurethane and let it cure before your pour. Make sure to never use an oil based sealer or any oil based products underneath resin. It will repel the resin and prevent curing.

6. SHOULD I MEASURE BY VOLUME OR WEIGHT?

Always measure Naked Fusion Resin by volume and never by weight. The hardener and resin have different weights, so they will not be the correct ratio if you measure by weight. The Artist’s Resin is 1:1 ratio and Deep Pour Resin is 2:1 ratio.

CLICK ON INSTRUCTIONS BELOW FOR EACH APPLICATION

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CASTING MEDIUM TO LARGE MOLDS

Naked Fusion Resin Instructions for Casting Medium to Large Molds

  1. Make sure your resin is stored at room temperature around 70 degrees. Recommended working temperature differs based on the volume of the pour. For small molds, recommended temperature is 70-75 degrees.  For medium to large molds recommended temperature is 65 degrees to cool and slow the exothermic reaction during the curing process.
  2. A great trick to figure out how much resin you will need for you mold is to pour water into your mold to the fill point. Then pour the water into a graduated container to see how many ounces are needed to fill the mold. It should give you a pretty close estimate of how many ounces are needed. Make sure your molds and graduated cups are fully dried from the water before use and there is no moisture left in your mold.
  3. Cover and protect all surfaces on and around your work area with plastic sheeting before you begin. Make sure you are in a dust free and hair free work zone.
  4. Wear hand and eye protection as a precaution when working with this product
  5. Take graduated containers and measure 2 parts of part A Resin to 1 part of part B Hardener. Your resin and hardener should be mixed by volume and not by weight.  Mix the container of part B and part A together. Depending on the amount of the mix stir by hand with a stir stick or with a drill for 4 minutes making sure to scrape all the edges and base of the cup to make sure everything is stirred into the mix.  It is very important to measure the 2 to 1 ratio very correctly. When stirring the Deep Pour it is not about the length of time but that it is fully mixed and combined with attention to detail. We recommend folding the bottom up and pushing the top down while scraping all the edges and bottom of the container to make sure every part of the mix is well combined. You will notice that as you begin to stir the 2 parts together the subtle appearance of resin swirls will start to form as A and B combine. Once the strings/swirl patterns fully go away and the mix is really clear then the mix is combines. Transfer your mixed part A and B into a separate container to make sure the bottom of the original cup doesn’t have any unmixed areas. Then it is ready to pour. If  you are pouring  a larger quantity of resin, it will have a shorter pot life.  We recommend pouring your resin into your project quickly. If you are working on a smaller project, the pot life is longer and you will have more time to pour out your resin.
  6. Tips for adding pigment: depending on your project and color combination you can mix your pigments into part A first.  Especially if you are mixing multiple colors it is easier to mix all your different colors into the part A before adding B. It will add more working time for the resin mix if you get the colors right before adding the part B. Make sure your ratio is 2 to 1 of resin and hardener taking into account any slight adjustments from adding pigment. See more information on colorants and pigments in tips.
  7. Pouring your resin into the mold: Use a mold release spray before starting. We recommend pouring at the 2 inch depth on some molds you can pour deeper than 2 inches if there is less cubic inches in a medium size mold. It can be helpful to torch or use a heat gun on 1/4  inch sections as you’re pouring to your 2 inch depth to release the bubbles in the deep part of the mold as you build up the depth of the pour. After you reach 2 inches let cure for 12 hours then continue with additional layers following the same method with torching or use of a heat gun. If you have items to embed in your resin carefully plan the location of your items and which layers you want to place them in.
  8.  For 30 minutes to 50 minutes after your pour, use a torch or heat gun to release any last bubbles as they continue to rise to the surface. As the Deep Pour Resin is continuing to cure any small bubbles left in the mix will usually release on their own during the long cure time because of the low viscosity. Cure time will vary depending on total volume of resin poured your mold. from 12 to 36 hours to be hard to the touch and 72 hours to a week for full strength. De-mold once resin is cured hard and firm. ( Tip: If you decide to cover your project make sure the cover leaves a large margin for air flow. The bubbles will release on their own but if there isn’t air flow for them to release they can get trapped in the resin.)

Note : We do not recommend measuring by weight because the resin and hardener don’t have the same weight so the 2 to 1 ratio could be inaccurate. Always measure by volume.

Note for Encapsulating Items in your Resin: Various objects have air in their pores or fibers which will release into your Deep Pour while it is curing. So we recommend pre-sealing those types of objects with a seal coat of our Artist’s Resin. Brush on a thin coat and let the object cure for at least 12 hours before you do the 2″ deep pour layer and place them into the deeper poured resin. Once they are sealed then the air from the objects will not escape into the deep pour resin and you will achieve perfect crystal clear results.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CASTING RIVER TABLES AND LIVE EDGE WOOD TABLES

Naked Fusion Resin Instructions for Casting Live Edge Water Tables

  1. Working with wood, your wood needs to be seasoned and dry before you start your project.
  2. Seal your wood with either a thin coat of water based polyurethane or a very thin coat of The Artist’s Resin. Follow instructions for mixing and coating from The Artist’s Resin instructions.  Do NOT try to seal the wood with a thin coat of Deep Pour Resin because it is not designed for thin coats but only for deeper pours and because of the Deep Pour’s Slow exothermic reaction it will take too long to cure. Let the water based polyurethane or The Artist’s Resin seal coat cure for 8 hours before pouring the 1st Deep Pour Layer.
  3. Note: The air in the wood can create bubbles when it isn’t sealed first with a thin coat of resin or polyurethane.
  4. Make sure to store your resin at room temperature around 70 degrees. Recommended working temperature differs based on the volume of the pour.
  5. For small river areas we recommend working and curing temperature of 70 degrees F.
  6. For medium to large river areas we recommend working and curing temperature of 60 to 65 degrees to cool and slow the exothermic curing process.
  7. Cover and protect all surfaces on and around your work area with plastic sheeting before you begin. And make sure you are in a dust free hair free work zone.
  8. Wear hand and eye protection as a precaution when working with this product
  9. How do you know how much resin you will need for your project?  Measure the Length x Width x Depth= Cubic inches  of your river area. Then multiply your cubic inches by .554 ounces of resin.
  10. Note: It’s always good to make a little extra mix resin/hardener mix above what you calculated to make sure you’ll have enough and account for any variables.
  11. Take graduated containers and measure 2 parts of part A Resin to 1 part of part B Hardener.  Mix the container of part B and part A together. For larger quantities mix with a drill for 4 minutes making sure to scrape all the edges and base of the container to make sure everything is stirred into the mix. For smaller quantities you can mix by hand with a stir stick.  Transfer your mixed part A and B into a separate container to make sure the bottom of the original cup doesn’t have any unmixed areas. Then it is ready to pour. Be mindful of the pot life. If mixing larger quantities of resin and hardener your pot life will be much shorter. If mixing a gallon or more make sure to pour the resin out with in 10 minutes before it heats up too much. You can elongate pot life but separating your mixed resin and hardener into smaller containers so the quantity  of the mix is less and it won’t generate the heat as quickly. Pot life starts once you mix resin and hardener together. Working time starts when you pour the resin into your river table area.
  12. Note: We do not recommend measuring by weight because the resin and hardener don’t have the same weight so the 2 to 1 ratio could be inaccurate. Always measure by volume.
  13. *Tips for adding pigment: depending on your project and color combination you can mix your pigments into part A first.  Especially if you are mixing multiple colors it is easier to mix all your different colors into the part A before adding B. It will add more working time for the resin mix if you get the colors right before adding the part B. Make sure your ratio is still 2 to 1 precisely of resin and hardener. See more information on colorants and pigments in tips.
  14. Depending on the size of your river you can pour larger wider rivers at 1 to 1.5 inch depth and for smaller more narrow rivers you can pour 2 inch depth in one pour. Larger rivers and Larger Tables=more mass of resin that will generate heat quicker it may be a good idea to pour a slightly more shallow depth to insure that it won’ t heat up too much and reach your desired depth of 2 to 3 inches in 2 pours.
  15. Pour your resin /hardener mix into your river and torch all the bubbles that rise to the surface. Continue to watch your poured surface for about one hour after the pour and torch bubbles as they rise to the surface. You can re pour an additional layer in 8 to 10 hours and continue the same process until you reach the desired depth. ( Tip: If you decide to cover your project make sure the cover leaves a large margin for air flow. The bubbles will release on their own but if there isn’t air flow for them to release they can get trapped in the resin.)
  16. For a finish coat, we recommend doing a final  1/8 inch coat of The Artist’s Resin for a final layer on your table. It will add extra hardness to the finish. Follow instructions on The Artist’s Resin instructions for mixing and coating.
  17. Let project fully cure and when it is hard to the touch you can demold. To reach full hardness is 72 hours to a week.

HOW TO COMBINE LAYERS OF DEEP POUR RESIN WITH LAYERS OF THE ARTIST’S RESIN

To pour a 1/4 inch coat of The Artist’s Resin you use the Deep Pour Resin: The Deep Pour takes quite a bit longer to cure depending on how deep you are pouring. You can pour a 1/4 inch flood coat of Artist’s Resin without sanding the Deep Pour if you pour when it is slightly firm but still tacky enough and already done with the gel/heat phase of curing. With Deep Pour there isn’t an exact time frame because temperature and volume affect the cure time.

The General Rule with both resins or when layering  the 2 different resins is you can repour layers when the heat generating phase of the curing is done which is when it is still tacky but firm. Then you will achieve the chemical bond. The other thing to keep in mind, if you are planning to use a spreader to move the resin on this layer you would have to be careful not to disturb the Deep Pour layer if it is still very tacky. If you keep the spreader high on the surface  and don’t make contact with the Deep Pour layer it should be fine.  If you prefer to wait until it is cured hard then you will need to lightly sand then clean with acetone before pouring the Artist’s Resin coat. If you wanted to do the base with The Artist’s Resin and Deep Pour layer afterwards the same instructions would apply. The same instructions would also apply if you were casting in layers and wanted to mix different layers of each resin to embed objects or get color layered effects.

HOW TO MIX DEEP POUR

Take graduated containers and measure 2 parts Part A Resin with 1 part Part B Hardener. Whether stirring by hand or with a drill it is most important that all areas of the mix are well combined and mixed together. When mixing the Deep Pour it is not about the length of time but that it is fully mixed and combined with attention to detail. We recommend folding the bottom up and pushing the top down while scraping all the edges and bottom of the container to make sure every part of the mix is well combined. You will notice that as you begin to stir the 2 parts together the subtle appearance of resin swirls/strings will start to form as A and B combine. Once the strings/swirl patterns fully go away and the mix is really clear then the mix is ready. As an extra precaution you can take your mix and pour into another container and mix again to make sure there are no unmixed areas in the bottom or sides of the original mixing container. Then it is ready to pour.

TIPS FOR ENCAPSULATING ITEMS IN DEEPER POURS

Encapsulating Items in your Resin: Various objects have air in their pores or fibers which will release into your Deep Pour while it is curing. To avoid have trapped air from encapsulated items we recommend pre-sealing those types of objects with a seal coat of our Artist’s Resin. Brush on a thin coat our properly mixed Artist’s Resin and let the object cure for at least 12 hours before you do the 2″ deep pour layer. Place the objects into the deeper poured resin project once they are sealed then the air from the objects will not escape into the deep pour resin and you will achieve perfect crystal clear results.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DEEP POUR

Due to the high purity of our deep pour resin and it’s lower viscosity, in very rare occasions the Part A Resin can respond to hot and cold fluctuations from transport or warehousing. Season temperature fluctuations on rare occasions can cause slight separation of the Part A Resin ingredients. 

How do I recognize this?

You will see a mild cloudiness or white residue at the bottle of the bottle in your Part A. Your Part A Resin is still in perfect condition. It just needs to be warmed and stirred back into a clear solution. See instructions below:

INSTRUCTIONS TO MIX PART A BACK INTO SOLUTION:

  1. Warm your tightly closed Part A Resin bottle in a hot water bath from water that was heated up on the stove. It requires hotter water than tap water for this process but it doesn’t need to come to a boil.
  2. Leave it in the hot water bath until the white areas or cloudiness completely disappears. It may take a little while. As it sits in the hot water you will see the resin go back to it’s original clear appearance.
  3. Once the cloudiness or white areas fully disappear then stir it or shake it well with the lid tightly fastened to get the resin fully mixed and back into solution.
  4. If it doesn’t fully dissolve right away repeat the process with hotter water until it is fully clear.
  5. Once it is fully clear and well stirred or mixed then give your Part A a chance to cool fully back down to room temperature before you mix it with the Part B Hardener.

(If you mix it when it is still warm, it can cause it to cure too quickly and may have issues from curing too quickly. So, it is better to cool it to room temperature before you start your project.)