Thread: Resin?

Casting resin is good for filling the holes. As you pour it in the top, it's going to pour out the bottom, so you will need to blank it off with a piece of ply or MDF.
Cut a piece of blank to the shape of the burl. Leaving about 5mm around the edge of the blank, coat the rest of it with wax so the resin won't stick. Working quickly, put hot-melt glue around the unwaxed edge of the blank and attach the burl. Make sure it seals completely around the edge or you'll have resin everywhere. You can then pour resin in from the top. To get bubbles out of the rsin, hit it with a hot air gun. Add resin in several goes, allowing the resin to dry between each addition. After it's full of resin, remove the blank. You'll need to plane the excess resin off the bottom.

By doing it in several goes not one big go that fills the holes from bottom to top (roughly 3cm height), won't it cause problems by making it look like there are multiple goes? ie it will look like having 4 sheets of glass not one nice big clear sheet?

thanks for the tip about the hot glue gun and MDF. will definitley give that a go. i've only done resin once before, and it was for a fairly small hole, and was back in 2003.

Here's a photo of the good side of the burl slab. I would like this to become the top of the platter.
Would it be better to pour in the resin into these small holes (to then filter down to the large holes of the base), or fill it up from the base? Also, see several small cracks in the burl - would it be advisable to pour a thin (1mm) layer of resin over the entire top of the slab (and let it run down the sides, so that the natural edge is sealed in)?

The only advantage of doing it in several goes is that the final shrinkage won't be as far below the surface. I've never noticed layering, because you're looking down on it. It would be more of a problem if you could see it side on.
I'd be inclined to pour the resin from the side with the most holes. You'll need to seal the cracks, so doing it the way you suggest seems reasonable.

Ok stupid question - where can I get some resin?
Tried Bunnings with no luck. Phoned Cabbots but they had no clue for where to get some. I live in south-west Sydney. Don't want to have to wait 3 weeks when I go to Trend gain (open day)

Last I was in my local Bunnings they stocked Diggers Clear Casting Resin, my local Home Hardware also has it or you can look up Barnes in Sydney, or Nuplex (used to be FGI). This is assuming that by "resin" you actually mean clear polyester casting resin.

Thanks Fred. Found the barnes site and will order some online

G'day bassmansimon!
On most occasions the only way you see layering is when dust or other contaminants settle on the layers between pours or the epoxy is not mixed the same.

Ok I'll do my best to do layers but consistent mix, dust-free

Thanks for the tips everyone. I did the resin over the last few days and sanded it today. Still a fair amount of sanding to go to and then probably some water based Cabothane to finish, but enjoy a pic of both sides. Thanks for he help!

bassmansimon,
Once you've sanded the resin to about the right level, mask off the resin areas and switch to one of the metal polishing compounds (sold in auto shops to remove/polish-out scratches on cars) and finish with that. The resin will then have a polished mirror surface. Try NOT to get any of the compound ground into the timber though as it's a b*gger to try to finish the timber afterwards. Another way is to give the whole surface a coat of your final finish and then 'polish' the resin through the finish and this will keep the timber clean.

good luck, fletty

Thanks. Already put one coat of cabothane on before I read your post. Will continue with that, and then do the masking off in reverse like you suggested. Thanks for the tip

Thanks for the help. I got sick of the cabothane, and stripped it back. Sanded to 1200, then u-beaut eee ultra shine. Made the resin totally clear. Final question for help please - what final finish should I use? It will be for serving food on. Is it done now, or does it need additional coat of something?