7 Ways to Eliminate Bubbles from Your Resin

Don't let bubbles be the undoing of your next resin project!

Bubbles are the bane of every resin crafter's existence... no matter whether you're a resin beginner or you've been working with resin for a while. They can be really frustrating. But there are ways to minimise, or even eliminate bubbles from your projects.

There are many different things that cause bubbles and there are just as many ways to deal with or get rid of them. Half the battle is working out WHY you got bubbles. Once you know why you're getting them, it's a whole lot easier to deal with them.

Try some of these tips and tricks to beat those pesky bubbles.

How to Deal with Bubbles in the Mixing Stage

1. Avoid Vigorous Mixing and Stir Slowly

Resin needs to be mixed thoroughly for it to cure. If you stir fast or whip the resin, you'll incorporate a lot of bubbles into it. 

Try stirring slowly. It will take longer, but when you're working with epoxy, you have plenty of time, so stir slowly, and you'll end up with way less bubbles to deal with. 

For even fewer bubbles when mixing, check out this post to find out my SECRET WEAPON!

2. Rest the Resin

Once you've mixed the epoxy resin, let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Set a timer so that you don't forget it.

Most of the bubbles you mixed into the resin will rise to the surface. They're much easier to deal with once they're sitting on the surface of the resin than when they're suspended in the resin. 

To see how to pop bubbles on the surface of resin, scroll down to "How to Deal with Bubbles AFTER Pouring"

3. Warm the Resin to Avoid Micro Bubbles

If you've ever mixed resin and it looks cloudy instead of clear, hold the cup up to the light. 

Most likely, it's full of tiny, microscopic bubbles. These bubbles are so small that they can't rise through the resin to the surface and if there are thousands of them, the resin appears cloudy. This is what happens when you mix cold resin.

If your bottles of resin feel cool/cold to the touch, try warming them in a container of warm water.

Here's how to warm your resin:

• Fill a container with warm to hot tap water
• Make sure the lids are tightly on your bottles so no moisture can get inside them. 
• Place the bottles in the water for 10 minutes 
• Remove and dry the bottles. 

The bottles should no longer feel cool. Now you can go ahead and mix the two parts together. Don't forget to refer to the instructions in your resin kit - they will tell you the optimum temperature for working with your resin.

Warning: Never mix hot resin. If the bottles feel hot, let them cool before mixing the two parts together.

How to Deal with Bubbles AFTER Pouring

Mixing resin isn't the only place where you'll encounter bubbles. Even if you have no bubbles after mixing, there are still other ways that bubbles can be introduced into the resin, so having some tricks up your sleeve to deal with them is essential.

4. Drag Them Out of the Resin

When you put textured items into resin, quite often, a bubble will get trapped against the surface of the object. 

You can avoid that happening by "painting" a thin layer of resin onto the object with a stir stick before placing it in the mould. 

If you still manage to get a bubble, use a toothpick to dislodge it and then drag it out to the edge of the mould where you can remove it from the resin.

Expert Tip: You can also run the toothpick around the bottom edges of the mould to dislodge bubbles that get caught between the side wall and the bottom of the mould. Then you won't have holes along the front edges of your pieces when you demould them.

5. Use a Straw

Once bubbles reach the surface, you can blow through a straw to pop them. The carbon dioxide in your breath will pop them.

6. Use a BBQ Lighter

This is one of my favourite tricks because it's so quick. 

If you're working in a mould, use a BBQ lighter, a gas torch or other small naked flame. If you're working on a large coated surface like a kitchen bench top or a resin painting, use a butane torch. 

Pass the flame BRIEFLY across the surface of the resin. Use a back-and-forth motion so that you keep the flame moving across the resin surface at all times and don't linger in one spot. 

7. How to Get Rid of Bubbles in Resin with Alcohol

If you're uncomfortable using a flame on the surface of the resin, then this tip might be for you. You can use alcohol spray for resin bubbles.

Fill a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol and spritz the surface of the resin.

The alcohol breaks the surface tension causing the bubbles to pop and you'll see the bubbles pop right before your eyes. 

And being alcohol, it quickly evaporates without affecting the resin and leaves no trace of alcohol at all. What a NEAT TRICK!

Rubbing alcohol is available in many different concentrations. I've used rubbing alcohol as low as 64% and it still works, so anything above this will do the job.

And here's a BONUS TIP: 

Use a Heat Gun to Pop Bubbles

I prefer to do this in the mixing cup rather than when the resin is in the mould. 

Why?

Because the temptation is to concentrate the heat too long in one spot to pop a stubborn bubble. This can cause the resin and the mould to fuse together permanently. And then the only way to remove the resin is to destroy the mould.

So, just give the resin in the cup a short burst with the heat gun and you'll see most surface bubbles pop.

Watch the video to see all these tips in action!

Now you have a host of different ways of dealing with bubbles. Go forth and create bubble-free resin projects!

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Happy Resining!


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