If you love nature and wear real flowers, seashell pendants, or earrings, chances are they are made with epoxy.
Yes! Epoxy is a glue-like substance that lets you do a lot of DIY crafts and arts. Not only ornaments, but you can also do tea trays, phone cases, hair clips, and the list goes on.
One of the great things about epoxy is that you can mold it to any shape you want. But it takes a lot of time to set.
When you are done with your crafting, you will need to keep it in a warm place to set, which might take forever.
Use a hairdryer to make your epoxy set faster. It will take ages and your hands might fall off. What about the oven? It is a heating element, right?
We are going to talk about whether can you cure epoxy in the oven in this article.
Can You Cure Epoxy in the Oven
The quick answer to your question if you can cure it in the oven, is yes. But there are a lot of factors that are related to it.
What type of epoxy you are using, if you are using a hardening element, what type of substance is in the epoxy, and the size, all of which make a huge difference if you are using an oven to cure it.
As an oven is not a toy of any sort, taking one wrong turn can end up destroying your epoxy. So note all the things you are using.
After that, you can put your epoxy mold in the oven to cure it. And remember to check on it from time to time.
Although the details seem to be intimidating, curing your epoxy in the oven is not at all a hard job. If this is your first time, we are going to explain the process to you.
Process of Curing Epoxy in the Oven
Normally people use a hardener in their epoxy to cure. And leave it in the hottest room in the house.
But a hardener sometimes makes the epoxy crumble and everything falls into pieces.
Also, some people use a UV (Ultraviolet) light, and a heat gun, which is good for small crafts in small bunches.
For bigger epoxy designs, you will need a bigger space to cure. And this is where the oven comes in handy.
When you are all done with your epoxy design, just pop it in the open and turn it on at 100-150 degrees.
It will take about 1-2 hours to set depending on the size. If your design is large, then you can also set it to 170-200 degrees to lower the time.
But everything depends on the mixture itself. If your epoxy comes with a hardening agent, you shouldn’t pop it in the oven.
Another thing you should keep in mind, you need to have a clean oven to cure your epoxy. So if you had cooked a roast, pizza, or a chicken in the oven for last week’s dinner, you better clean it up.
And if you are an enthusiast, investing in a low-powered oven would be the best thing to do.
The Things to Keep In Mind While Curing Epoxy in the Oven
There are certain things you should keep in mind while curing epoxy in the oven. Here are a few of those.
- Never leave your epoxy in the oven unattended. As it is a fragile thing, it might overheat and meltdown.
- Check for the mixture ingredients. If there is a hardener in the epoxy, chances are you don’t need an oven at all.
- Depending on the shape and size, your epoxy might take longer or a few minutes to cure.
- To know if your oven is good for curing your epoxy, use a small batch of them to test. If it turns out good then you can go on with your venture.
- Always wear kitchen gloves while working with your oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cure resin faster in the oven?
Yes. Curing resin is faster in an oven. And you don’t even need a powerful oven to cure your resin. A toaster oven at 150 degrees should do the trick. Normally a resin craft takes over a few hours to set in. But with an oven, it can be cut down to 1 or 2 hours.
Can I heat resin in the oven?
Yes. But not all resin can be heated up. There are two types of mixtures for a resin, one that just requires mixing and the other one that needs to be heated up before mixing. The second type can be heated up in an oven at 300-350 degrees without any trouble. Make sure your oven is clean and you are not cooking afterward heating your resin in it.
Conclusion
Epoxy art and craft is one of the most mesmerizing works. You can do it for hours without getting bored. As you can preserve your design in it in a life-like state, they are much more preferred than keeping things in a jar. But be aware of overheating while curing your epoxy mixture. It will either melt or crumble if you leave it in the oven for longer than you should.
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