Preserve Wedding Memories Forever with iCoat Casting Epoxy HV
Are you looking for the perfect way to immortalize wedding bouquets and create stunning floral keepsakes? Look no further than iCoat Casting Epoxy HV (CE4100), the ideal solution for flower preservation and beyond. Flower Preservation Made Easy iCoat Casting Epoxy HV is a quick-cure casting epoxy that’s perfect for preserving wedding bouquets and other cherished floral arrangements. Its carefully formulated viscosity prevents flowers from floating, ensuring they stay in place exactly as you design them. Crystal-Clear Results One of the standout features of iCoat Casting Epoxy HV is its exceptional bubble release properties. You have a generous 30-minute window where bubbles naturally rise to the surface, resulting in crystal-clear finishes that showcase your preserved flowers beautifully. Beyond Wedding Bouquets While perfect for wedding mementos, iCoat Casting Epoxy HV’s versatility extends to various creative applications: Floral jewelry: Create unique pendants or earrings with tiny blooms Decorative coasters: Embed dried flowers in functional art pieces Botanical wall art: Preserve and display pressed flowers in resin frames Paperweights: Encapsulate special blooms in elegant desk accessories Quick-Cure Convenience With iCoat Casting Epoxy HV, you can demold your floral preservations in just 24 hours. This rapid curing time allows you to complete projects quickly, perfect for time-sensitive wedding keepsakes. Long-Lasting Beauty Thanks to its excellent anti-aging properties, your floral preservations will maintain their clarity and beauty for years to come. This ensures that wedding memories and other special moments stay vivid and cherished. Easy Application Tips To achieve the best results with your floral preservations: Use an infrared temperature gun to ensure your epoxy is between 80-82 degrees Fahrenheit before mixing. Mix only the amount you can use within 5-10 minutes to prevent premature heating. Pour your mixed epoxy into your mold promptly to avoid excessive heat buildup, which can lead to amber layers. Ready to start preserving beautiful memories with iCoat Casting Epoxy HV? Order today and transform fleeting moments into lasting keepsakes!
How to pick the right epoxy – Not all epoxy resin are the same
How to pick the right epoxy We are all familiar with the phrase “all men are created equal,” a great sentiment, the same though cannot be said about epoxy. Many people think of epoxy resin as a glue, a sealer for flooring, objects, or a wide variety of commercial purposes. While true to a degree, modern-day technology has developed formulations that are designed for use in very specific applications in controlled environments. Epoxy was originally invented in the 1930s to be used in dentistry but quickly evolved into a plethora of adhesives. Epoxies are still used today to line water tanks, repair bridges, and many other commercial uses. But, it has taken on a whole new life in the construction industry and the arts and crafts world. Like most commodities, epoxy ranges in manufactured quality and price. Introduce pigments, mica flakes, additives, and variables like heat and humidity, and you better have some experience to lean on to get you that bubble-free, crystal-clear look you and working so hard for as a lot can go wrong. I’m here to help you choose the right epoxy for the job. So the question is, How to pick the right epoxy for your project or job? Epoxies used in the construction and arts and crafts can be divided into three classifications: Countertop epoxy, tabletop, epoxy, or finish-coat are epoxies that are designed to be poured over a finished substrate to provide a high gloss protective layer at ¼” or less. WHAT TO WATCH FOR? A well-formulated epoxy for this application should have good ultraviolet light protection and a high heat rating to protect against ambering. Also, good bubble release, zero water retention rate, and a slew of flow agents and other additives to make sure every job is successful. Casting epoxies are made to pour thicker than ¼” up to as much as 3″ or 4″ deep for river tables, cutting boards, and coasters. Pay attention to the demolding time of your project as some deep cast epoxies can typically take up to a week to dry properly vs a crystal clear epoxy with a low thermic rate can be demolded in 24 to 48 hours. WHAT TO WATCH FOR? There are many types of casting epoxies and selecting the right one is essential to provide a great finished product that won’t crack, bubble, foam, or be too flexible or too hard for the project. Metal Illusion floor epoxy is a 2:1 mix made to lay out at 10-14mil on an epoxy flooring coating application. It can be pigmented with metallic effects, acrylics, or dispersion colors or simply used as a crystal clear topcoat. With unparalleled bubble release, it creates a beautiful, long-lasting floor when applied over one of the suitable primers. It can be used on wood, concrete, canvas, and most any other well-prepared substrate. Tim Phelps is a thought leader in this space, a 30-year veteran of both the epoxy and decorative concrete industry as well as the U.S. Military. He has been featured on TV home repair shows like SpacesTV and various online outlets. He started iCoat Products 30 years ago to help contractors and tradesmen deliver top-quality work to their customers and over the years has developed superior iCoat epoxy systems that are best-in-class and have been stand-out products at the annual World of Concrete Show. Tim can tell you how to pick the right epoxy and more. He always makes himself available to those skilled in the industry and those looking for a start, contact him at 877-669-1110 or tim@icoatproducts.com
Epoxy Art Resin Best Practices
Epoxy Art Resin Best Practices. If you are looking to get the best results from using Epoxy Resin here is a great resource. Click the image to load or download the PDF. If you have questions about epoxy art resin best practices, Tim can help and tell you how to pick the right epoxy and more. He always makes himself available to those skilled in the industry and those looking for a start, contact him at 877-669-1110 or tim@icoatproducts.com Hear more from Tim on his podcast Concrete Conversations where he discusses Best Practices in commercial applications like countertops and bar tops. Resin Mastery: Exploring iCoat Epoxy focuses on showcasing the versatility and quality of iCoat epoxy resin products while providing valuable insights for artists, DIY enthusiasts, and professionals in the resin industry. River tables, flower preservations, wedding flowers, jewelry, coasters, cups, bowls, ring holders, molds, charcuterie boards, floral tips and so much more. Each episode will provide product spotlights, expert interviews or user stories, tips and techniques, FAQs, marketing and promotion tips, safe use, listener engagement, and an educational focus.
Top 10 Things I Learned My First Time Using Epoxy Art Resin
I’ve heard a lot of buzz about Art Resin, how much fun it is to work with, and the creativity that it can bring out in you. Cutting boards, river tables, tumblers, decorations, coasters, jewelry, I could go on. Plus, I like to be artistic but I also like to make utilitarian things – things you can use. Plus there is a lot of money in reselling things you make. There is a list published here [LINK] about what people are selling, on what platform, and how much they are making. It is a great resource. A friend of mine has been doing epoxy countertops, flooring, and more as an installer with the iCoat Network. His house is tricked out and he seems to be doing very well for himself. He gave me the iCoat website so I could buy my first bottle of Art Resin. This was my first lesson, the Art Resin is made from 2 different chemicals part A, an epoxy, and part B a hardener, when you mix the 2 of them at the right ratios they react and start to harden into a resin. I purchased a very affordable 16oz kit with silicone molds so I could get familiar with making coasters and other items that these reusable molds could help with. They arrived at my door super fast. I put down some parchment paper in my kitchen and taped it down. I am not a messy person so I wasn’t at all worried about making a mess. I got a small mixing bucket and a few solo cups for mixing small batches. I had stirrers and some plastic knives which work great in the solo cups. I mixed my first batch of iCoat Art Resin trying to follow the 1:1 instructions. iCoat’s bottles make it really easy to see how much you have poured. Lesson 2. Let the bottles level after pouring to see if you really have got a close 1:1 mix, otherwise, it can look like you do but you can see the settled epoxy and hardener don’t lie. Also, it doesn’t have to be really exact, that was good to know too. The description of the iCoat product says “crystal-clear” but when I poured a 2mil amount in the mold it didn’t look that clear. I got on the chatbot on the iCoat site and they answered right away, here is where I got Lesson 3. As the mixture starts to activate it will get clearer without doing anything, but if you want it really clear “Hit it with a propane torch” they said. I don’t have a propane torch or even know how to use one. They asked if I “had a lighter gun” and they said “to use that about an inch away from the epoxy resin,” it worked great and instantly made it clearer. (I do now have a small propane torch, my neighbor showed me how to use it and it is a professional touch) Lesson 4. Make sure you are working on a level surface as when the resin mix settles it self levels, which is awesome unless you are on a slope. In my molds I was doing a back to school idea I found online, easy, and a great first attempt. I added some stationery bits and pieces, crayons, pencils, erasers, paper clips, and some glitter for fun. Then I poured the rest of my mix to fill the mold to about 2mil from the top of the mold. Lesson 5. Things float! they crayons and the pencil started to float up and I had to keep pushing them down. They finally behaved once the resin was 30mins to an hour in. To fix this in the future, I waited after my first 2mil pour for it to tack up and added them and added a small mil or so of resin to set them in place before covering them completely, patience here is your friend. The activation of the epoxy and hardener creates heat. It is amazing to feel the heat that is created in the mold, it is not going to burn you but still very interesting. Lesson 6. Things can melt, my wax Crayola crayons started to melt with the heat. Again back to the patience, I now coat them in advance with a thin layer of epoxy and let them get close to dry, this stops them melting. Also, doing small layers reduces the heat effect. But working with objects that don’t melt is absolutely preferable. I heat-torch my projects as I add epoxy to make them crystal clear, this releases the bubbles that can happen. Where do these bubbles come from? Lesson 7. As the mix settles and fills small air pockets, the air is forced upwards, the less viscous the bubbles will float and “outgas” the more viscous or thicker the resin as it set over time the bubbles will have a hard time releasing, this is where the heat torch is your friend. Bubbles in epoxy resin are also a byproduct of the quality of the mixture, iCoat assures me their product is American made and has the lease bubble issues due to its production. (See all epoxies are not the same) I waited for the resin to cure, after a few hours it was setting up really nicely and after maybe 5 hours the shell was hard. I waited a full day until I took them out of the molds and here is where I learned Lesson 8. The mold was not releasing from the resin, one of my silicone molds actually started tearing. I didn’t think resin adhered to silicone but it does. I called iCoat and they said I could put the mold in boiling water, take it out, shake off the water and try and release it, that worked, and released the resin. They followed up with this great advice for the future, Lesson 9. Like all epoxy resins are not the same, the same goes for silicone, there are
Epoxy vs. Resin – What’s the Difference?
A lot of people are asking, Epoxy vs Resin, What’s the difference? Does it really matter? Here are a few things that seem to make sense and of course you have to factor in colloquialisms. In the builder world, they talk Epoxy, in the artist community they talk Epoxy-Resin. Let’s look at the Artist side first, people who make jewelry, crafts, molds, pendants, countertops, tables, etc. For them, if asked, “What did you make this out of?” they would reply “Resin,” “Casting Resin” or “Epoxy Resin.” the cured end product of mixing epoxy resin and a hardener which has a chemical reaction and solidifies over time. Usually 1:1 A and B parts. The builder side, now here is where things get more in-depth and complex. When you are dealing with Epoxy being used in public areas, certain building code standards come into play, is it food safe? Is it non-slip? Does it meet health codes? They are also mixing in other elements and products like colors, metallic and mica chips, sand, and other components. What will the reactions be, will there be odors, etc. So for them colloquially, Epoxy serves the purpose. Wikipedia notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epoxy Epoxy refers to any of the basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins, as well as a colloquial name for the epoxide functional group.[1] Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. Art Epoxy resin, mixed with pigment, may be used as a painting medium, by pouring layers on top of each other to form a complete picture.[21] It is also used in jewelry, as a doming resin for decorations and labels, and in decoupage type applications for art, countertops, and tables. So what’s the definitive answer? It depends on the use and then the colloquial applies, for arts and crafts = Epoxy Resin. For builders, contractors, and tradesmen = Epoxy (Floor/wall/shower coatings) Epoxy and decorative countertops, Epoxy paint. At the end of the day, enjoy your time working with this great product.
New Artist Customer Epoxy Coupon
Take 5% off your Artist Resin Project with this coupon code