Universal epoxy: what you can do from resin with your own hands

How to pour epoxy on the floor, river tables, decorations and decor

In the past few years, there has been a real boom - not only pendants and all kinds of gift small things, but also exclusive furniture are made from epoxy. Let's find out why the interest in the material, quite popular in the USSR and practically forgotten for decades, flared up again.

A little materiel for educational program

Epoxy resins are oligomers containing epoxy groups and, under the action of various hardeners, are capable of forming crosslinked polymers. That is, epoxy is not used in its original form. All the characteristics for which it is so valued, the resin receives only after the polymerization process by reaction with hardeners.

Epoxy has the following properties:

• resistance to the action of halogens, that is, elements of the 17th group of the table of elements: fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, astatine, which are strong oxidants;
• resistance to a number of acids (except for strong oxidants) and alkalis;
• has high adhesion to metals;
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• minimum shrinkage of the mass after solidification;
• It looks like a yellow liquid, like honey, or a brown mass, like tar.

If the resin is cured with the correct technology, then it is harmless. In an uncured consistency, it is quite poisonous, therefore, it is necessary to work with epoxy in compliance with safety measures.

Where is epoxy used?

Epoxy has been known for almost a century; it was first obtained by the Swiss chemist Castan in 1936. At that distant time, the creator of the material could not even imagine what wide application this resin will receive.

So, now epoxy is used in the following industries:

• Construction (self-leveling floors, road marking, bonding of structures, pipelines, paints and varnishes).
• Radio engineering (sealing, electrical insulation, filling transformers).
• Shipbuilding (watercraft hulls, propellers, fuel vessels)
• Mechanical engineering (stamps, tooling, machine tool guides, containers, bearings, springs).
• Rocket and aircraft construction (power structures, covering of wings, empennage, helicopter blades, missile tanks, gas tanks).

Epoxy is also used in the manufacture of more everyday items, such as mouthpieces.

Application of epoxy for self-leveling floors

IntroCom

FORUMHOUSE user

I recently poured a polyurethane two-component floor. It turned out just very beautiful and, I hope, durable... The only problem– short life of the solution, I managed to pour it in the hallway, but not in the bathroom, it turned out that I screwed up half of the mixture, hence the moral, if section 2, it must be mixed proportionally, i.e. pour proportionally into other containers ...

The self-leveling floor technology is quite simple, if you know how to work with your hands, and you carefully approach all aspects.

1. Preparation

Calculate your floor area so you know exactly how much resin you will need for the job. It is better to initially dilute a little more than later in an emergency mode to dilute to an uncovered area.

Best of all, such a floor lies on a concrete base. Resin is also poured onto tiles, wood and other surfaces, but in this case it is necessary to carefully approach the process of preparing and leveling the floor. If there is old paint on the floor, it must be removed. If the floor is glossy, sand the surface for better adhesion to the epoxy. Cracks and chips on the floor must be carefully repaired.

Floor moisture should be no more than 4%. If you poured the concrete floor recently, then at least a month must pass before you can move to the self-leveling floor.

Before starting work, the floor must be swept, washed with soapy water (to degrease), protect the walls around the perimeter with film or tape, and leave the floor to dry for 12 hours.

2. Floor priming

As a primer, you can use special epoxy primers or an epoxy base coat of 1 mm. The second option is fine if you have a flat concrete floor. The primer is applied in 1 or 2 coats according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Use a spatula or squeegee. The time required for complete drying is also indicated by the manufacturer.
When applying epoxy, use a roller or brush to go over corners and seams, and for the main surface, use a squeegee or trowel. The needle roller will help expel air bubbles. Drying time is about 12 hours.

3. Preparation of epoxy resin

Do not forget that it is imperative to work with epoxy with gloves, glasses and a respirator!

The key to success in preparing the mortar is strict adherence to the proportions of resin and hardener. When mixed, a reaction occurs with the release of heat. If the proportions are out of proportion, the epoxy may not harden, or harden too quickly that you will not have time to finish, or even boil. Be sure to carefully read the instructions, use a measuring cup and / or balance.

After mixing the ingredients in a bucket or large basin, mix thoroughly with a mixer or drill for 4-5 minutes. Poorly mixed epoxy will not harden.
If you want your floor to be colored, add dyes or pigments that are widely available on the market to the solution. The main thing is that they are not water-based, since epoxy is not compatible with water.

4. Filling the first layer

Start at corners and seams with a brush. Then pour the resin over the center and spread it with a needle roller or squeegee all over the floor. The layer thickness is usually 5-7 mm.

5. Fill the second layer

After the first layer has solidified until it peels off, you can proceed to filling with the second layer. The number of layers can be increased to give the floor more strength or volume. Each subsequent word is poured after the previous one has dried. The curing time of the last layer until the floor is ready for use is at least 72 hours.

Amazing epoxy river tables

Countertops that are fully or partially embedded in epoxy are perhaps the most common resin applications outside of general construction purposes. This is not surprising, because at the table, writing or dining, we spend quite a lot of time, and we want to spend this time with comfort. The unique epoxy pattern perfectly helps to create this coziness and mood.

Work and dining tables from Ace_rus21.

You can fill not only a fragment of the table, but also the entire surface of the countertop.
Interesting and also want to try to do something similar?
As Anastasia Gerasimova, an experienced DIY video blogger, claims on her Youtube channel, even a representative of the weaker sex can do it.

Life hack on how to simplify calculations when making a table from slab and epoxy.

Anastasia Gerasimova

Video blogger

I take the board, draw lines of the length and width of the slab with chalk and write the dimensions on them, then photograph from the top from the stepladder with minimal distortion. I load the photo into autocad, draw a line in the program and scale it with the line drawn with chalk. Next I draw the outline of the table and the fill area. Then I fill in these areas and get the size of the fill area in cm² in the program. Then it remains to recalculate this in m², multiply by the planned height of the table, and we get the volume of resin in m³. We translate this into liters. Liters in accordance with the information on the resin packaging are converted into kg. Taking into account the unevenness of the surface and the resin residues that remain in the container, we multiply the resulting number by the coefficient (I have it 1.05), and we clearly understand how much resin we need for the planned product.

Anastasia's arsenal of epoxy products also includes a hair comb:

And a pendant made of wood:

Epoxy - you're just space

What is common between space and human fantasy? Infinity. What is common between space and epoxy? A riot of colors and uniqueness.

These are the cosmic beauty products obtained from epoxy resin.

Jewelry:

Clock:

And other home decor:

Inspired?

A few life hacks and tips to keep in mind when working with epoxy:

• The hardening time of the product is about 24 hours.
• Work in ventilated areas and where the temperature is at least 22 degrees.
• Use sealed molds, as any leak will affect the beauty of the product. If you are making wood formwork, seal the seams. For small items, it is convenient to use silicone baking dishes. You can also use soap for very small items.
• Stir the resin thoroughly.
• Add blades of grass, berries, beads and any other details to the products, even insects. Use tweezers for delicate and small parts.
• All surfaces when combined with epoxy must be clean and sanded.
• If a bubble forms near the surface of the product, blow on it through the straw.

As you can see, epoxy is a great source of inspiration and creativity. Try it and you will succeed too. It turns out that chemical oligomers can be bright and cute too. Just remember the safety rules and strictly follow the proportions and manufacturer's recommendations.

Share in the comments your experience with this interesting material.

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Master class on making an exclusive table available in one of the previous materials. And for lovers of loft style, a whole first-person story loop. In the video - how to make a brutal table for a gazebo.