How To Make Epoxy Resin Matte

www.artresin.com
Epoxy resin is valued for its high gloss protection but, from time to time, you may prefer the look of something less shiny on your artwork.
The matting agents typically used with epoxy resin are highly toxic, but would you believe us if we said that with some sandpaper, wax and a little elbow grease you can create a gorgeous non-gloss finish, without any chemicals or solvents?
Here's how:
1. Using a spray water bottle, generously spray down the surface of your artwork ( wet sanding helps prevent micro dust particles from scratching the resin surface, giving you a much finer, smoother finish than dry sanding. )
2. Wearing a dust mask, sand down the wet resin surface with 320 grit sandpaper, either by hand or with an electric sander. You'll notice that a paste begins to form: when the paste becomes thick and dry, you'll know it's time to stop.
3. Generously spray down the sanded surface and, using a piece of lint free paper towel, wipe off all of the paste. Spray once again and repeat, spraying and wiping 2-3 times until the surface is perfectly smooth and you can no longer see any scratch marks.
4. Repeat the process 2-3 times with the 600 grit sandpaper before moving onto the 1500 grit. Ensure the resin surface is evenly sanded and smooth before moving on to the next grit. If there are any scratch marks you can't get rid of, you may need to jump back to the previous grit and sand some more.
5. Once you've removed all sanding marks, spray with water and wipe. Repeat this process until all traces of sanding residue have been removed. Dry your piece thoroughly. Then, with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth, apply a generous coat of wax and spread it evenly across the entire surface of the resin. Use a fresh cloth, apply firm pressure and rub in a circular motion to polish your piece. Stop polishing whenever the finish is as smooth as you'd like it to be. If there is any haze left on your piece, use a fresh cloth to wipe it off. You can use an electric polisher at this point but be aware that the resin will get shinier and shinier as you polish it.
For full step-by-step instructions, see our blog:
www.artresin.com/blogs/artres...
Voila! You now have a beautiful, silky smooth, matte finish on your artwork!

[@sarojinimehta4978]

This is the thing i was looking for.

[@sariannakranz931]

Thanks!!!

[@pamcarr4003]

Thank you so much! I like the two you, you work well together, thanks again for the great content, Pam

[@maeganherrera505]

Could you do this on a coated tumbler?

[@TrashWeeaboo]

Great video! Thank you for the time you put into this but I noticed how the mask was put on to protect yourself. Just a paranoid person I guess but it didn't seem like it was on fully sealed because when you talk it would push up and the metal part wasn't on the bridge of the nose.

[@kakashykun]

Would mineral oil also work? Thank you very much for the video. Great information

[@Artresin]

It should work!

[@66jdwilson]

I didn't see in the video where the tung oil was used...????

[@Artresin]

Hi Jeff, they didn't actually use the tung oil on these two demonstrations, they chose to use the cutting board wax. Joanne mentions that the tung oil has a bit of a brownish tint to it so she prefers to use it on wood rather than artwork that may show the colour. The cutting board wax and the tung oil are the last step of this process and you can choose to use either one of them.

[@jasmondisaacs]

I make coasters. Can I use woodblock/cutting board oil? I have some and wanted to make sure. I have sanded down because i was going to use more resin but I want to test matte finish. Also does oil have to be added repeatedly if its something like a coaster/trivet? if you decide you want gloss can you add resin later? Sorry so many questions! but i love your videos and ART RESIN is my FAVORITE resin by far for my coaster. I will start making items for food use. So I know woodblock/cutting board oil is safe and i'd love to be use it on something other than my wood projects! Hope this makes sense! Thanks for the video :)

[@Artresin]

Hi Jasmond - I would definitely give it a try to see if it works ... I don't see why it wouldn't, but try it out on a test coaster to see if it gives you the results you're looking for. If you decide you want to add another coat of oil or wax down the road, you certainly can. If you want to restore the gloss, just give the coaster a sanding ( it will look scuffed, but don't worry ) and then you can pour or brush on ( with a disposable foam brush ) another coat of resin. Hope this helps :)

[@jasmondisaacs]

@@Artresin this is so very helpful! Thank you so very much :)

[@peggytalbot2837]

I would be concerned about discoloration...would this not yellow over time?

[@Artresin]

Sanding won't cause the resin to yellow,. if you are concerned with the wax or oil causing yellowing, Joanne does mention that the Tung Oil has a yellow tinge and she recommends only using that on darker backgrounds like wood. You can choose a cutting board wax instead.

[@lindabrien1547]

Were do you buy the cutting board wax ?

[@Artresin]

Hi Linda, You can try online or at a home improvement store :)