This is not meant to scare you away from working with resin! Resin is a fun, versatile, and pretty much safe medium to work with when worked with right.
When mixing/pouring resin
- Wear disposable gloves. Some people are highly allergic to resin and you probably don’t want to find out the hard way. If you get resin on your hands it is also hard to clean off and it just isn’t good for your skin.
- Work in a well ventilated/open room. If your room is small try opening a window, use a fan, ect ect Some brands of resin have stronger fumes than others. If possible try using a low fume brands (I have found EasyCast still has very strong fumes even though they advertise otherwise.) If you are not able to work in a well ventilated area or your resin has very strong fumes invest in a respirator.
- Cover your work surface. Anything resin touches will be ruined. I don’t recommend newspaper because resin can leak through it and destroy the table underneath. Wax paper usually works pretty well.
- Tie up long hair, don’t wear loose/baggy sleeves. Again, anything resin touches will be ruined. I recommend wearing clothes you don’t mind getting ruined when wearing resin. Wearing old aprons is also a good idea, especially when working with large amounts.
- When you are done with pouring your resin put it up somewhere safe to dry, especially if you have kids/pets in the house.
When sanding resin
- Wear a mask. Wear a mask. Wear a mask. Resin dust will ruin your sinuses and is just awful to have in your airways.
- Wear safety goggles. It will keep resin dust out of your eyes and keep you safe if a piece slips out of your hands and comes flying towards you.
- Tie up loose hair, don’t wear loose jewelry, no loose sleeves ect. Basically you don’t want anything getting caught in those fast spinning sanders/buffers.
- If possible work outside. If you cannot work outside please remember to go outside immediately afterwards and brush off all the dust on your clothes.
When glazing resin
- Basically follow all the safety precautions for pouring resin.
- Read the safety precautions for your glaze before use
Also anything used for resin is no longer safe to use with foods, don’t do that. Don’t reuse any molds with chocolate or any other foods. Buy a new mold. Any other tools you use with your resin, do not re-use with food. I don’t care if you cleaned it, it isn’t worth risking, the resin may have seeped into the mold/item. Just buy a new one.
