how to get rid of air bubbles

Yes, you CAN get rid of bubbles after your resin has dried! Simply sand down the entire surface of your piece, making sure you pay special attention to the areas with bubbles. Wipe away all the sanding residue with a damp paper towel. Apply a fresh coat of carefully measured and mixed ArtResin epoxy resin. Cover. let it cure and your piece will look perfect once again!

Bubbles are one of the biggest issues we hear about at ArtResin - read on to learn some great prevention tips and how to fix bubbles if they've already popped up!

Why Are There Bubbles In My Resin?

Our clever chemist formulated ArtResin with a bubble release agent to allow for easy de-gassing -that is, it encourages the bubbles to rise to the surface immediately so you can torch them out before the resin starts to thicken and cure. Some of these bubbles will pop on their own once hitting the surface, but to get a flawless, glass like surface, we need to use a torch.

💡TIP: A torch is the BEST line of defense against bubbles - nothing beats that flame to zap out bubbles for a flawless, crystal clear, ArtResin finish!
There are, however, a few other reasons why bubbles may pop up.
Here are the most commonand some tips on how to prevent them:

1) Off-gassing

Porous, organic materials like wood, leaves, fabric and even some soft, lower quality papers contain air and moisture, which they absorb and emit depending on the climate. These materials will continue to "breathe" ... releasing air even after being covered with resin. This is called off-gassing and it results in air bubbles in the resin, sometimes hours after you have poured and torched.
To help prevent this, you need to pre-seal your work, prior to resining.
For paper, leaves, fabric etc, you can use either a brush on or a spray sealant.
For a sturdier material, like wood for example, you can use a brush-on sealant or a even a very thin coat of ArtResin, rubbed in with gloved hands ( see our video on How To Resin A Charcuterie Board to see how it's done. )
You may still get a bubble or two ( in which case you will need to sand down your piece and apply another coat ) but pre-sealing can greatly help to minimize bubbles.

💡TIP: When using an organic material, like wood, pre-seal your work to help prevent off-gassing

2) Reactions

Occasionally, you may find that there is a reaction between ArtResin, photo paper and the adhesive used to mount the photo to your substrate.
This reaction can result in ... you guessed it - bubbles!
Pre-sealing with a brush-on or a spray sealant will create a barrier between your photo and the resin, to prevent bubbles from forming as your piece is curing.

💡TIP: If in doubt, always err on the side of caution and pre-seal your work, especially if you're using photo paper.

3) Cold temperatures

The ideal temperature for both your ArtResin and your workspace is slightly warmer than room temperature: 75-85F or 24-30C.Room temperature ArtResin epoxy resin is crystal clear, with a beautiful, honey-like consistency. Cold resin, on the other hand, will be thick and clumpy, making it difficult to work with. It will also take on a cloudy, milky appearance due to thousands of cold-induced microbubbles - you will never be able to torch these bubbles out.

💡TIP: Don't use cold resin. Room temperature is advised for optimal consistency and to reduce bubbles.

How To Fix Bubbles In Cured Resin

Thankfully, epoxy resin is very forgiving, meaning that many problems ( including bubbles ) can be fixed with a simple sanding and re-pour.

Here's what you need to do:

1) Sand

Sand down the entire surface of your piece, paying particular attention to sanding out the bubbles. The purpose of sanding is to create some tooth for the fresh resin layer to adhere to, so it's very important that you sand the entire piece and use a coarse sandpaper, like 80 grit. After you've sanded, your piece will look scratched, but don't worry! The ArtResin will fill in all of those scratch marks and your piece will look crystal clear again.

2) Wipe

Use a damp paper towel to wipe off all the dust. Wipe as many times as necessary - your surface needs to be absolutely clear of any sanding residue before you pour your fresh layer of resin. Feel free to use a can of compressed air as a little extra insurance, especially if your piece has any nooks and crannies where dust may get trapped.

3) Pour

Mix a fresh batch of carefully measured and thoroughly mixed ArtResin as directed, and re-apply a fresh coat of resin over your sanded and wiped piece. Spread as desired, torch out any bubbles, cover and wait 24 hrs for a touch-dry cure, and 72 hrs for a full cure.

See?
No scratch marks - just a gorgeously glossy, crystal clear ArtResin finish!

So remember ...
use room temperature ArtResin on your pre-sealed piece to help prevent bubbles ... and if you already have pesky bubbles in your cured resin, follow our simple steps to get rid of them. Here's Joanne with a re-cap!

Frickin bubbles ....