Your First Pour: A Set of Coasters
Project one: episode coasters
This first project builds genuine skill: measuring, mixing, colouring, pouring and demolding your very first piece. Four simple coasters teach everything before we introduce complex techniques.
What you need
- A silicone coaster mold (4+ cavities, no release agent needed)
- Your resin + hardener (recipe for the total volume)
- Two or three colours you like together
- Nitrile gloves, mixing cups, stirrers, butane torch
Step by step
- Wipe the mold clean and dry, and place it level
- Mix your resin batch with the exact ratio and rest it 5 minutes
- Split the batch into cups and colour each one
- Pour each colour into a coaster cavity (layered or swirled - your choice)
- Pass the torch over each pour to pop surface bubbles
- Leave flat, covered with a clean box or tray to keep off dust, for full cure time
Watching them as they set
Within minutes the colourful layers may swirl on their own - that is normal and welcome. Resist the urge to poke or adjust; touching curing resin fingerprints the surface, and "fixes" almost always make it worse. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
After the full cure
Leave the coasters for the full cure time stated on your resin (often 24-72 hours). Demold by flexing the silicone gently and pressing from the back. Your first four coasters are done - slightly imperfect and completely yours.
Tip: Cover fresh pours with an upturned plastic tray or cardboard box. It costs nothing and protects your work from the dust that settles while resin cures for days.
Practical exercise
Finish your first project:
- Complete the full coaster pour described above
- Keep a written log: resin brand, ratio, temperature, colours used, cure start time
- When cured, demold and inspect: note any bubbles, streaks or edges
- Photograph the set before using them - that is your before/after reference
Check your understanding
Why not touch the resin while it cures? Touching wet resin fingerprints the surface and usually makes things worse.How long do coasters typically cure? Usually 24-72 hours - always the full time on your resin's label.How do you demold safely? Flex the silicone gently and press from the back until the piece releases.
Answer the questions out loud or on paper. If any are hard, re-read this lesson before moving on.
This is a free preview lesson
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