There are times when you need something that resin can’t stick to. Knowing what makes a good resin art and crafting surface isn’t the only thing this information can help you with. Knowing what resin doesn’t stick to can help you get resin to do some cool things.
Mold release. Use mold release to make sure the resin doesn’t stick to the molds. It also helps molds last longer. Use it to de-mold resin jewelry and crafts so that the mold doesn’t bend or break when you try to remove it. This can cause warping and small cuts that affect future castings.
Wax. In either case, resin will not stick to the wax. Car and furniture wax are the same. If you want to make a hole in your resin charm or casting, this is a good tool. Allow it to dry, then remove the wax.
Polyethylene plastics. Polyethylene is found in both plastic sheets for painting and sandwich bags. These won’t let resin get stuck to them, which makes them great for protecting your resin art and crafting area from getting dirty and messy. Besides, they’re cheap and can be thrown away if you don’t want to clean them up after you finish your resin project.
Anything with a greasy surface. Suppose you have metal sheet that was used in an industrial setting and has a thick waxy, oily, or greasy coating. Resin will not likely stick to the surface. The resin will stick to it like glue if you get rid of all the grease.
Silicone. So, this is a little bit of a sleight of hand answer, but silicone is itself a resin. Because other resins won’t stick to it, it can be used to make things like molds. In this case, you can add more silicone to make it work better. It will stick together if you don’t use a rubber to rubber mold release.
Polyethylene or polypropylene plastics. These are the main parts of a lot of plastic molds for resin that are made. The best way to make sure you have the best results is to use a mold release with it.
Painter’s tape of packing tape – Clear or brown tape can be used. This is very important if you want to make open-back bezel pendants with resin. Once the resin has set, peel the tape off! How to make open-back resin pendants shows why the tape is important in this text.
Pro tip: Use painters’ tape to protect a surface. If the resin gets on the tape, let it dry a little, then peel the tape off, leaving a sharp edge.
Wax paper, parchment paper or freezer paper. Putting the waxy side up when you tape it to a surface will help the resin to harden.
