Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Tips and tricks you must know for perfect epoxy pours. Brought to us by Squarespace. Go to squarespace.com/makesomething to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MAKESOMETHING.
Epoxy (Provided by TotalBoat): bit.ly/4xNpdko
Halcyon (Provided by TotalBoat): bit.ly/3UP4UVu
Check out @JonLaymonStudios
Never pour epoxy in a rising temperature environment. Pour on a steady or falling temperature. If the shop is warming while it cures, air in the wood expands and pushes up through your coat. Source: West System User Manual & Product Guide
Room temp 72 to 75°F, humidity under 60 percent. High humidity means cloudiness. Source: Jess Crow (temperature). Humidity guidance is standard across epoxy manufacturers.
Silicone cups and spatulas. Cured epoxy pops right off, no waste, and no wood fibers from stir sticks contaminating the pour. Source: general shop practice
Warm the bottles before mixing. Thinner resin releases bubbles better. BUT... warm resin means shorter pot life. You bought flow, you paid in time. If you use a water bath, dry the bottles completely, because a single drip of water contaminates the pour. And if you leave a bath set up between pours, drop in a chlorine tablet so the standing water doesn't go funky. For thin pours you can skip the vacuum chamber entirely. Source: Jess Crow (recommends a heating pad or electric blanket instead)
Mix slowly and scrape the walls and bottom. Fast stirring whips air into the resin. No need to use a mixer for thin pours. Save the drill paddles for large-volume, thick pours. Source: general shop practice
Double-cup it. Mix, transfer to a clean cup, mix again. Make the second cup wide and shallow. Less heat buildup, longer working time. Never let mixed resin sit in a deep cup. Exotherm feeds itself and it kicks fast. Source: general shop practice
Prep depends on the surface. Bare wood just needs sanding and dust removal, then a thin seal coat, because air trapped in the grain will bubble up through your flood coat. Oily woods and any non-porous surface need a solvent wipe first, fully flashed off. Residue causes fisheyes. Use penetrating epoxy to seal soft or rotten wood. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy System Instruction Sheet
Torch, don't use a heat gun. The flame breaks the surface tension and the bubbles pop. A heat gun just blows dust around. Fast passes, 6 to 8 inches off, keep moving. Stopping means scorching. Heat guns are great for manipulating the resin for artistic purposes. Source: Jess Crow
Not all torches are equal. You want a wide swirl flame, not a pencil point. A propane torch head like the Bernzomatic TS8000 covers ground fast and pops bubbles across a whole tabletop. A little butane pencil torch concentrates heat in one spot, so you're crawling across the pour and scorching as you go. Save the pencil flame for detail work. Source: Bernzomatic product specifications
Use baby powder for any unmixed epoxy where it doesn't belong. Baby powder removes the stickiness. Source: Jimmy Diresta
Cured bubbles? Drill out, refill. Source: Jon Laymon
Hard is not cured. With TotalBoat High Performance and Slow hardener, you can demold at 24 hours, but full cure is 5 to 7 days at 77°F. It feels solid the next day, but it will still scratch easily. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy product page
With Slow hardener you can pour right over the first coat while it's still tacky, no prep needed. Miss that window and you need a mechanical bond: scuff with 80 to 220 grit, blow off the dust, wipe with denatured alcohol, let it flash off, then pour. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy System Instruction Sheet and TDS
UV protection topcoat to prevent yellowing if it will see direct sunlight. Wait for full cure, not the 24 hour demold point. Then sand to 220 or 320 so the varnish has something to grip, blow off the dust, wipe with denatured alcohol, and let it flash off before you coat. Source: Jess Crow
★ TOOLS / SUPPLIES (affiliate links) ★
Silicone Bowl Set: amzn.to/4geWqj3
Mini Bubble: amzn.to/4qumTwe
1LB Refillable Propane Cylinder: amzn.to/3S2pml6
Chlorine Tab: amzn.to/4imm0nt
Epoxy Resin, Jess Crow Book: amzn.to/4qwVSIw
Sous Vide Water Circulator: amzn.to/46nqBhX
Wax: amzn.to/46lRi6E
Thermometer: amzn.to/4wLy6dz
Silicone Spatula Set: amzn.to/4gwXLAD
Propane Refill Adapter: amzn.to/3S9JG42
Bernzomatic Torch (TS 8000): amzn.to/3S6qCnj
3M HDPE Tape: amzn.to/45MOU8W
Circular Bubble Level: amzn.to/3SPunh5
Leveling Feet: amzn.to/3UP4r5G
Tips and tricks you must know for perfect epoxy pours. Brought to us by Squarespace. Go to squarespace.com/makesomething to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MAKESOMETHING.
Epoxy (Provided by TotalBoat): bit.ly/4xNpdko
Halcyon (Provided by TotalBoat): bit.ly/3UP4UVu
Check out @JonLaymonStudios
Never pour epoxy in a rising temperature environment. Pour on a steady or falling temperature. If the shop is warming while it cures, air in the wood expands and pushes up through your coat. Source: West System User Manual & Product Guide
Room temp 72 to 75°F, humidity under 60 percent. High humidity means cloudiness. Source: Jess Crow (temperature). Humidity guidance is standard across epoxy manufacturers.
Silicone cups and spatulas. Cured epoxy pops right off, no waste, and no wood fibers from stir sticks contaminating the pour. Source: general shop practice
Warm the bottles before mixing. Thinner resin releases bubbles better. BUT... warm resin means shorter pot life. You bought flow, you paid in time. If you use a water bath, dry the bottles completely, because a single drip of water contaminates the pour. And if you leave a bath set up between pours, drop in a chlorine tablet so the standing water doesn't go funky. For thin pours you can skip the vacuum chamber entirely. Source: Jess Crow (recommends a heating pad or electric blanket instead)
Mix slowly and scrape the walls and bottom. Fast stirring whips air into the resin. No need to use a mixer for thin pours. Save the drill paddles for large-volume, thick pours. Source: general shop practice
Double-cup it. Mix, transfer to a clean cup, mix again. Make the second cup wide and shallow. Less heat buildup, longer working time. Never let mixed resin sit in a deep cup. Exotherm feeds itself and it kicks fast. Source: general shop practice
Prep depends on the surface. Bare wood just needs sanding and dust removal, then a thin seal coat, because air trapped in the grain will bubble up through your flood coat. Oily woods and any non-porous surface need a solvent wipe first, fully flashed off. Residue causes fisheyes. Use penetrating epoxy to seal soft or rotten wood. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy System Instruction Sheet
Torch, don't use a heat gun. The flame breaks the surface tension and the bubbles pop. A heat gun just blows dust around. Fast passes, 6 to 8 inches off, keep moving. Stopping means scorching. Heat guns are great for manipulating the resin for artistic purposes. Source: Jess Crow
Not all torches are equal. You want a wide swirl flame, not a pencil point. A propane torch head like the Bernzomatic TS8000 covers ground fast and pops bubbles across a whole tabletop. A little butane pencil torch concentrates heat in one spot, so you're crawling across the pour and scorching as you go. Save the pencil flame for detail work. Source: Bernzomatic product specifications
Use baby powder for any unmixed epoxy where it doesn't belong. Baby powder removes the stickiness. Source: Jimmy Diresta
Cured bubbles? Drill out, refill. Source: Jon Laymon
Hard is not cured. With TotalBoat High Performance and Slow hardener, you can demold at 24 hours, but full cure is 5 to 7 days at 77°F. It feels solid the next day, but it will still scratch easily. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy product page
With Slow hardener you can pour right over the first coat while it's still tacky, no prep needed. Miss that window and you need a mechanical bond: scuff with 80 to 220 grit, blow off the dust, wipe with denatured alcohol, let it flash off, then pour. Source: TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy System Instruction Sheet and TDS
UV protection topcoat to prevent yellowing if it will see direct sunlight. Wait for full cure, not the 24 hour demold point. Then sand to 220 or 320 so the varnish has something to grip, blow off the dust, wipe with denatured alcohol, and let it flash off before you coat. Source: Jess Crow
★ TOOLS / SUPPLIES (affiliate links) ★
Silicone Bowl Set: amzn.to/4geWqj3
Mini Bubble: amzn.to/4qumTwe
1LB Refillable Propane Cylinder: amzn.to/3S2pml6
Chlorine Tab: amzn.to/4imm0nt
Epoxy Resin, Jess Crow Book: amzn.to/4qwVSIw
Sous Vide Water Circulator: amzn.to/46nqBhX
Wax: amzn.to/46lRi6E
Thermometer: amzn.to/4wLy6dz
Silicone Spatula Set: amzn.to/4gwXLAD
Propane Refill Adapter: amzn.to/3S9JG42
Bernzomatic Torch (TS 8000): amzn.to/3S6qCnj
3M HDPE Tape: amzn.to/45MOU8W
Circular Bubble Level: amzn.to/3SPunh5
Leveling Feet: amzn.to/3UP4r5G
