When we discuss about home , furniture have big proportion to discuss. Furniture industry development very fast, it be push industrial player to make more diversification products. Improventment product varioation, can get with resin. So, what is resin? well , let me know to describe resin. Resin is chemical subtation it is thick, transparant, not soluble in water and flammable. We can find resin in nature like from pines and insects. Resin already used for long time ago and now more develop.
I have joined resin trainning few week ago. On this article i want to share my knowledge about resin. There are two variants resin. They are epoxy and polyester. Two of them have basic similiar benefit. But, although have similiar benefit there are high difference of quality product. Epoxy resin is more pricey that polyester. There are difference both of them:
1. shelf life : epoxy is longer and polyester is shorter
2. mixing : epoxy is easier and polyester is more difficult
3. scent : epoxy is unscent and polyester is sharp scent
4. casting : maximal casting of epoxy is 2 cm and ployester have longer time to dry while casting is thicker.
5.dry time : epoxy didnot depent with temperature and polyster depent with temperature (25-30 celcius degree)
6. Savety : epoxy are save and fireproof and polyester can destroy sterofoam, plastic, photo with ink
7. Final result : epoxy are dry and clear and polyester need top coat and little bit sticky
8. Strength : epoxy is elastic and polyester is easy to crack
Picture 1. Epoxy Resin from Propan Brand
Furtniture resin have high price because raw material is expensive and should have good skill. So, furniture resin worth to develop. The factors to considered for resin application are:
1. Mold
The mold material from silicon or wood. It is easier when use mold silicon but it is limitless shape. Wood mold have more variation shape because you made mold according the needed. When we use wood mold make sure that every corner covered. Do not forget to covered base and edge with masking tape.
2. Material
Not at all material can combine with resin because resin are hotness and dry. Some of materials like flowers or leaves can not combine with resin. They can be burn and the result can not maximal.
3. Wheather dan humidity
Resin polyester need certain temperature and humidity to dry. For example, when temperature is coller it will impact to dry process will be more difficult. In otherwise, when temperature is hotter make resin easier to crack.
4. Ratio of resin and catalys
Mixing among resin and catalys is a important thing. Mixing ratio which not accurate would impact to power drying resin. Less mixing would resin couldnot drying perfectly and over mixing would resin cracked.
5. Choose resin type
Determination type resin depend on needed. In fact, polyester using more than epoxy using. it was because signification price among them. Plyester price is Rp 30.000,- - Rp 70.000,-/ litre and epoxy resin is Rp 300.000,-/ litre.
Nowdays, technoloy growht very fast, it is easiet to get information about everything. we could got Knowledge and research about resin from internet like youtube tutorial , research from journal, and etc. Now, i would shared tutorial which contain some detail attention when learn making furniture resin.
1. Mold and material
We mush determined what would we made, so we could choosen materials and mold size we needed.
Picture 2 is table molding with variation of arrangement wooden block. The mold made from plywood with size 50 cm x 60 cm x 3cm. Made sure that molding have right angle, precision, and tightly. Inside the mold have to covered by transparant duct tape. This function is to covered genuie part of wood and made it easier to take resin from the mold. Next step is arranged wooden block according our taste. Before pouring the resin, we should coveres sides part of wooden block with mixing catalisator and resin with ratio 2:1. The mixing has layered over molding base. It took more than 2 hour until dried. But, if it let 2 hours or more is better because it made liquid mix seep depper into the wooden pores. The function covered base molding with liquid mix was to avoided buble pops or water from wooded pores. Therefore, wood with high moisture did not allowed to used.
2. Preparing mixing
This experiment use epoxy resin from propan brand. One set resin + catalisator size 1lt is Rp 300.000,-. Comparation resin A and catalisator (B) was 2:1 . When we made mixing, we should know basic calculating. If wanted coloring resin it could added pasta coloring 2-5% from resin A volume.
Picture 3
Making resin mixing need comparation 2:1 (resin:catalisator). Picture 3 showed that first layer volume is 2.8 lt then we could made mixing 1.8 lt for resin and 0.9 lt for catalisator. Thickness pouring of epoxy resin maximum 2 cm to avoid crack. When a mold have 3 cm of thickness it did twice pouring. The first pouring is 2 cm then take a rest 4 hours and the second is 1 cm.
3. Pouring Resin
Mold potition before it would poured had to flat potition. To make sure the mold did not crooked it could used waterpass. After poured resin, it will be bubble pops on surface layer. Bubble pops can be clear by hairdyer or flame gun. Take attention for distance and temperatur to avoid resin burn.
Picture 5 showed resin variation with blue and silver. After mold already dried it can be released and finishing. Subpriority of epoxy resin is while finishing process did not cause crack because epoxy resin are elastic and strong.
Picture 6
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