Epoxy resin is often used to create vivid and brightly colored works of art. But before you can add any vibrant colors, you need to start with clear epoxy resin.
Resin can sometimes have a yellowish tinge, which can dull the colors you’re trying to highlight. But a quality crystal clear resin will let the colors you add shine through. Crystal clear resin isn’t just great for creating art, though. You can use epoxy resin to preserve and protect wood surfaces. If you own a bar, for example, you’ll probably want to protect the wood bartop with epoxy resin. It’ll add a professional and sleek finish to your bar, while also keeping the wood surface safe.
You’ll notice that epoxy resin will typically be sold in bottles of two. One will be labeled “epoxy resin” and the other “hardener.” Once the two are combined, they’ll start to harden from a liquid into a solid. Keeping them in separate bottles has the obvious benefit of allowing the resin to actually be workable. The most important thing to note when working with epoxy and hardener is that the proportions are very important. The manufacturer’s instructions should be closely followed, otherwise, the results will be blotchy, bubbly or otherwise inconsistent. Thankfully, all of the options below make it easy by formulating their epoxy and hardener in a 1:1 formula, which is easier to remember and harder to get wrong. Another thing you may want to keep on hand is a heat gun. This will help you remove bubbles.
It’s worth noting that epoxy resin isn’t the only kind of resin. Some key properties of epoxy resin is a glossy finish and short curing and working times. If that’s what you’re looking for, then we’ve rounded up some crystal clear epoxy resins.
1. East Coast Resin Epoxy Resin 1 Gallon Kit
This epoxy resin from East Coast Resin is designed to go on crystal clear, and it includes two half-gallon bottles. The first bottle is the epoxy resin, and the second is the hardener. The bottles are clearly labeled with part “A” and part “B,” making it easy to follow the steps. The finish is high gloss which will give your finished product a shiny, eye-catching look. East Coast’s epoxy resin is also self-leveling, meaning that it flows quickly for more even results.
Pros: High gloss and clear finish. Made in the US. Designed to be easy to use.
Cons: Sometimes prone to scratching easily.
2. MAS Tabletop Pro Epoxy Resin & Hardener
If you have a bigger project to tackle, consider this option from MAS. While most of the epoxy resins on this list come in one-gallon kits (two half-gallon bottles) this option is a two-gallon kit (two one-gallon bottles). And, instead of the milk jug style bottles, these bottles have a rectangular shape and a top handle, making them easier to pour. Plus a spreader and brush are included. The formula is crystal clear the epoxy resin is manufactured in the US.
Pros: Large two-gallon size. Spreader and brush included.
Cons: Somewhat thick, which can make it harder to work with.
3. DR. CRAFTY Clear Epoxy Resin
This epoxy resin from Dr. Crafty is designed with (you guessed it) crafting in mind. The smaller 64 oz (half gallon) size suits a variety of crafting tasks where you don’t necessarily need to coat an entire bar tabletop. Included with the bottles are two pouring cups, a plastic stirring spoon and a plastic spatula. The formula is designed to be crystal clear, self-leveling and high gloss.
Pros: Longer working time. Comes with accessories like pouring cups, spatula and stirring spoon.
Cons: Longer work time in this case also means a longer cure time, which may be an issue for some projects.