There is also air in the wood. It’s best to seal the area to be poured first. Then pour the resin. @Zach_Kaplan
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OK so let’s clear things up, the air bubbles are caused by mixing the resin and the hardening agent, it’s called gassing. you minimize the gas build up by mixing the two parts very slowly, also, after a min or so of mixing you should slowly pour the mixture to another container (always a round container with straight sides and a flat bottom) repeat this step a few times, then after it’s all mixed and there is no cloudiness in the mixture, tap the container a few times so any air bubbles in the mixture rise to the top, let the mixture sit for a couple mins, then pour the resin mixture. use a propane torch to run over the surface of the poured resin, it should only pass over the piece very briefly, not stay in place or you will cook the resin. think of how you used to pass your hand over a candle flame as a kid, it should be that quick. if you haven’t got all the bubbles out by then…they are now going to stay in the resin. mix slower next time.
It’s only caused by the mixing of the compounds and the chemical reaction caused by combining the two parts.
Not from “air in the wood”
I have poured epoxy over a 6 foot slab of maple, we simply sanded the maple down to 400 Grit sandpaper, and wiped it down with tack cloths then poured the epoxy, We never sealed the wood first…the epoxy is the sealant,
also one last thing, follow the measurements of each amount of chemical exactly how the manufacturer says…its not measured by volume by the way, but by weight. the best way to measure each chemical before mixing is with a scale, you actually notice a performance difference once you start measuring it that way
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Thanks for that information
I really appreciate all of your input!
@Zach_Kaplan I’m not quite sure what exactly caused them. It could have been linked to the acrylic paint. It may have burned by pointing too long either the heat gun on it. It seamed to liquified again at the pouring process. On the other try I let it dryed it for quite some time and sealed it with clear spray paint and it was so much better.
@LanceCameron are you sure there can’t be any air in the wood causing the bubble because sometimes it really looks like they come out of the wood like building bubbles from the bottom of a pot with water.
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that is the resin degassing after you pour it. every bit of movement causes air bubbles, I lightly bang my project on the table after pouring and before cooling, West systems and most resin manufactures recommend a torch to remove the air bubbles, not a a heat gun, you can direct the torch to go directly to the bubble and not just generally heat the whole thing, and scrape all the excell resin off the board after you pour but before you run the torch, the less crap piled up the easier it is to remove any bubbles and also to sand and finish later
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Certain hardwoods like maple may not release air into the resin but saying that wood in general does not let air into the resin is false. Dry pine for instance has a very loose grain structure and will soak the resin into the grain thus displacing air into resin that has not soaked in. I highly recommend sealing carved areas you want to inlay with resin. If you are doing a whole table top the recommendation by many manufacturers is to do multiple coats which in essence seals the wood with the first coats.
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that’s not air from wood, that’s air from, wait for it…air
a gap in wood is a negative space, the only thing you need to do block all the extra openings in that crack, and make sure you fill it to the level of the wood, then once that cures you can pour the resin for the surface itself.
it is not false, oxygen is less dense than epoxy resin, it could not “seap through wood” and push through epoxy resin, last time I checked, wood does not come with a built in air compressor to create pressure and push through a dense material like epoxy resin.
multiple coats are to strengthen the table top epoxy, not to seal the wood more, also we never seal all 4 sides of a counter top, we leave the bottom untouched, this allows for expansion and contraction due moisture, nothing escapes resin if you coat all 4 sides with a thick enough layer, the resin will crack or the wood will snap if it expands or contracts.
I have poured resin over many many slabs and counter tops over the years. wood does not push air into resin and create bubbles. mis handling of the product creates bubbles
resin is just a top coat, that’s all, so if your theory of air expulsion via wood into the top coat were correct, then I should have to seal wood before I poly coat to avoid air bubbles, or seal prior to watco oils or lacquers.they are top coat sealers, you are not meant to shake poly coat, because it creates bubbles in the clear coat, I have never seen air bubbles come through polyurethane clear coat from the wood after brushing it on and it’s much thinner than resin is.
I’m sorry but the info you are providing is not correct, I’m not trying to disrespectful, just trying to keep the correct info flowing, I would hate for someone to take the wrong steps and ruin a project or epoxy not cure correctly.
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Let’s talk about bubbles; whether you’re using our epoxy resin to coat a table top, artwork, or a tumbler, they are going to happen! After pouring your epoxy, you will start to see air bubbles rise to the surface and form. Don’t worry; this is common! Bubbles can even continue to develop for 60 minutes after the curing process has begun. Some of the bubbles rising to the surface will pop on their own, but you will have to get rid of the rest to achieve a glass-like surface.
Here are some of the methods that are used to get rid of bubbles:
Option 1: Popping bubbles with a pin or a toothpick
Bubbles will pop when you use a toothpick or a pin, but we have found this is a very labor-intensive process of eradicating bubbles, especially for larger pieces of artwork. You should only use a pin or toothpick for a very small piece of art or as a last minute touch up.
Option 2: Blowing on bubbles with a straw
Blowing on bubbles with a straw can cause the bubbles to pop, but it’s also a slow process. This method might work on small pieces, but it’s not efficient for large artwork.
Option 3: Using a hair dryer to pop bubbles
Heat helps to fight against bubbles, but the heat of a hairdryer is just not intense enough to pop bubbles efficiently. The problem with using a hair dryer is that the air blows around dust and hair that you will be using near your wet epoxy. We have found there are better options than using a hair dryer for bubbles in epoxy.
Option 4: A heat gun
A heat gun will get rid of bubbles more efficiently because the heat is much hotter than what you would get from a hairdryer.
But here you’re still blowing a lot of air onto your wet resin, which is a chance of blowing dust all over it too.
Option 5: A butane or propane torch
We find that the heat and intensity of a butane or propane torch is the most efficient way to get rid of bubbles in your resin.
You can use a small culinary torch or a bigger propane version for large art pieces or tabletops and countertops.
Pro tip: Never leave a flame unattended and work in a well-ventilated area. Keep the flame far away from flammable substances. Make sure you use a back and forth motion when torching your project and hold your torch far enough away from it, so you don’t scorch and burn the resin. Be sure not to keep it in one spot for too long, as over torching can cause dimples, waves, fish eyes, and yellowing, as well as damage your project.
Pro Tip: Because bubbles can continue to develop for 60 minutes after the curing process has begun, be sure to keep checking your project to complete last minute touch-ups.
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I’m not going to argue with you.
Thick = high viscosity.
Good information
Haldor, sorry for the late response. I only saw my notification appear today.
As for vacuum, I run it full out! Meaning, it draws down to -30 on the pressure gauge. I have a vacuum pump and aluminum/glass chamber that resembles a stock pot for cooking.
For my parents who live in North Carolina. My initial cutout was 1/32-1/16 to large for the inlay.
I used some liquid poly dyed black and it actually resulted in a very nice outline. What started
out as a fix, is probably going to be used again as an accent.
I discovered that your mixture amount is extremely important. For small areas, don’t use a torch, and make sure the temp in your shop is between 65-70 degrees. Took me a few tries but in the end those three things, and a bit of luck… I had a successful result. C.
I have built and epoxied many table tops including Cherry, red Oak, Maple, and other woods. I have bubbles coming up from the wood every single time without exception. I suspect that different brands of epoxy act differently in terms of bubbling they sure act differently in other ways. I am at the point that I will only use one brand, (https://www.stonecoatcountertops.com/). They also have a number of great instructional videos.
I always do a thin “seal coat” to start using 1oz per SF followed by one or more flood coats of 3oz per SF. I get the bubbles out with a propane torch and usually run over it 3-4 times over the first hour or so. If there are still bubbles in the seal coat just sand them out the next day and the flood coat will fix the fogginess from the sanding.
