How to Sand and Polish Epoxy Resin to a Mirror Finish - Step by Step Guide

[@marleny1956]

This is the first video I’ve come across that has helped me clearly understand how to sand and polish resin. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@randyhakes9050]

Was that a message disc

[@marleny1956]

@@randyhakes9050huh?

[@deekthefirst]

Me too 👍

[@kimberlydugan-n6g]

Ditto

[@stevel6117]

After staring at my first dull Resin effort and wondering why I couldn't get it to look clear, hey presto 1 video later and I can smile again, thanks.

[@lisaparker1919]

Finally i understand how to sand and polish my resin and can finally complete the 2 side tables i have created. Thankyou

[@glasscastresin]

Best of luck finishing your tables.

[@NOturtle]

Good tip on oiling the wood. I'm working on an epoxy river table and I was taping the edges so I wouldn't get compound on the wood and noticed the edges were super clear. Now I'll seal the wood and not worry about the compound touching the wood.

[@glasscastresin]

It's still best to avoid spreading the compound onto the wood too much but treating it first certainly helps to prevent staining.

[@Kauzfreund]

Thank you very much for this video. Superbly explained! And many thanks for the helpful information about processing time and material.

[@CaptJack-e6d]

Outstanding video, very clear and included a lot of PRO tips! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@owaisconceptstudio7195]

Atleast i find the perfect video for the perfect way to polishing thanks

[@stadenart]

Wow! What an excellent video. I have watched several videos from other channels, but they come up short, skipping steps or glossing over details. You provide concise explanations, but with much needed detail on both the procedure and the products used. This will have immediate impact and take my epoxy pours to the next level. Thank you. I'm heading out to your website to look at the products now.

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks for the feedback, we try and cover every process in detail and not miss anything out. We think it's important to show not just the result, but how to get there and the work involved.

[@LatDad]

This was a very good educational video. I found it very easy to follow the steps and feel comfortable and confident, that when I try it now I should be in good shape hopefully.

[@glasscastresin]

Great to hear, glad you found the video useful.

[@krulamichal]

This is the best video about sanding I've ever see

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks - glad you found it useful 🙂

[@ThomasGates-y4h]

Thank you I’ve been using resin for a while and couldn’t figure out how to get it polished right. This really helped a lot. Thank you.

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you found the video useful, thanks for watching.

[@dashad670]

Just huge thank you from USA!!!

[@glasscastresin]

You're very welcome, hope the tutorial helps.

[@LaserGraphics-n9i]

Loved this video, learnt so much cheers Kyle the best I've seen on finishing Resin

[@erichturk8243]

Thank you for the advice on sealing the wood first. I hadn’t seen that before and my project turned out perfect

[@glasscastresin]

Great news, glad to hear it.

[@MrBigMalT]

Best tutorial on polishing resin I’ve ever seen. Good work guys 👍👍👍

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mylifetattoos247]

I feel like a took a really great course today! I’m ready to finish up this counter top I started 4 years ago!! Thank you!👊🏼🙌🏼🙏🏼

[@glasscastresin]

Best of luck finishing it off

[@DonaldWilliamsJr-g6x]

Thank you, your step by step instructions were fabulous and very understanding. I've built a set of cornhole boards, and a friend poured the resin for me. I would appreciate it if I could se d a pic after I have co pleated the project.

[@glasscastresin]

Hi Donald, Sounds like a great project, sure if you want to send some photos through to [e-mail] we'd be delighted to take a look.

[@reuma7823]

Hi from New Zealand, thank you for this great tutorial. I get excited when I want to learn new projects, but then I get anxiety. But I try & push myself & after watching this video...well I'm goanna give it ago. I'm happy to to start a new project & I'm happy to be a new subscriber, thanx loads looking forward to watching more from you 🥰

[@davetv4705]

Thanks for this tutorial. You sounded very professional. I can't wait to try.

[@glasscastresin]

Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@fujicahzakura7832]

your videos very detailed..thank you for sharing this video sir i learn a lot with this...🎉🎉🎉🎉 please make more tutorial video like this. God bless you always❤

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks for the feedback, keep an eye out for our next tutorial project.

[@artisan998]

This tutorial is well overdue. I was asking about this from you 3-4 years ago but thankfully KZbin saved the day back then

[@glasscastresin]

Mmm, sorry we didn’t have this video when you needed it but glad you found what you were looking for. I hope the project worked out well 👍.

[@tealmountaintrekking6141]

Geez, sorry he didn't work around your schedule. 😂

[@Sweetknives]

Excellent demo on the product, will be trying this process out on some knives for my channel. Thanks again!

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks Sweetknives :)

[@terrybrockhoff8168]

What a very informative video , found it very useful , and very easy on the eye so it was easy to watch

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks Terry, glad you found it useful :)

[@shabanakhan5759]

Thankyou this was. really very clear and helpful tutorial. Want to buy some materials.

[@markdarlington9914]

Thank you wish to start making knife scales using wood and epoxy this tutorial has taught me so much and saved me money as in sanding discs i now know the correct ones to purchase thanks again

[@johnnyf.4169]

Love this video. Explained step by step

[@FireHeartCreations]

That answered so many questions i've had

[@Rockysbeats]

Thanks for the tutorial amazing results! and dont forget..if you polish a table its still a table!

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks for watching.

[@genovevahester2899]

Absolutely great video, thank you.

[@anthonydeakin3834]

I’m new to this resin thing but after making a bottle top table for my bar I’m keen to move onto bigger and better. The polishing video will help me as I move ahead, thanks.👍

[@glasscastresin]

It is our please Anthony, glad to hear it has been useful :)

[@hustlaz2k]

now i know what the diff between rotary and dual action. how and when to use it. thank u.

[@glasscastresin]

Glad we could help.

[@wormsorensen3715]

Thanks. This was clear and very thorough. Just what I needed. 👍😁

[@shanelover]

Thank you for this very informative video!!! Well done and very descriptive, covering all the bases 👍

[@roy_8693]

WOW! Very nice. Nice presentation. I'll be using these tips in my current project. Thanks

[@glasscastresin]

Thank Roy, I'm glad it has proved useful to you - let us know how you get on with your project! :)

[@kimaskew4874]

I agree. Having the right materials DOES make a world of difference!!

[@4414_br]

hi, thanks so much for the video - so detailed and helpful! however, no matter what i do, i am getting the swirly pigtail marks from the sander. i am trying to follow the instructions in this video exactly, and the sanding pads do not look clogged, but i cannot get rid of them. any advice is appreciated!!!

[@glasscastresin]

Make extra sure both the surface and the pad are clean. If you pick up even the smallest bit of coarser grit or debris, it will scratch the surface leaving those pigtail marks.

[@JerryWilliamson]

Perfect. Thank you for being so detailed.

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks Jerry, glad you enjoyed the video!

[@georgehill8285]

Awesome tutorial, thank you!

[@glasscastresin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@onjofilms]

I have polished glass from 80 grit to polish. Kind of the same.

[@RicardoIlardo]

Finally an alternative to extremely expensive 3M products! *Thanks*

[@1xbetloverbangladesh23new]

Thank you so much for your nice video, I have a question please help me how can I use epoxy resin on basin and old basin and how to make perfect and glass glossy smooth finishing

[@andy-bru4532]

Thanks so much for this tutorial, it worked wonders 🎉

[@rezaurrahman1178]

very helpful video love u & ❤❤I like this job very much, I will start very soon InshAllah

[@paulharrison3651]

I'd love to know exactly which connector you found for your Dewalt sander (which I also have) so you can connect it to your shop vac. Having a hard time finding one.

[@glasscastresin]

We fabricated an adaptor using some carbon fibre tube.

[@stephengano1173]

Amazing video

[@sawyerhackett1509]

Great video! Super helpful

[@Xceloverdose]

Fantastic video. So useful. Thank you! Instantly subscribed and bought several products from your site!

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you found the video useful!

[@insightukltd5791]

What an awesome video thanks

[@aaronwhite901]

Gonna be rewatching this because seeing multiple passes is new to me! Can this be applied to a resin table top that has a few flowers sticking out so it can be a flat shiny surface?

[@glasscastresin]

The flowers should really be fully encapsulated in the resin which will prevent them from absorbing moisture and decaying any further. If they are protruding from the surface then you should cut the flowers back flush and sand out a small amount of resin around the flowers, you can fill with a small quantity of resin to seal them in place. This can then be sanded flat and polished as demonstrated in the video. Alternatively you could cut the flowers back to the surface and apply a 2mm coating of GlassCast 3. GlassCast 3 cures with a flat glossy finish so you shouldn't then need to do any more finishing work.

[@tonitoni8584]

Very well explained! Thank You a lot!

[@bpresinandsteel7212]

Good video! Is it posible to sand it to 400 grid and then buf with oil, and if oil is dry wed sand it to grid 4000 and then polish?

[@glasscastresin]

Unlike woods which will absorb the oil to then be polished the oil will just sit on top of the resin and then be wiped off. Really, the only way to polish the resin is to work though the grades and then polish the surface. You can apply lacquers but these too then may need polishing themselves.

[@oliverigeler]

If you use Glasscast50 and then put a layer of Glasscast3 on top, do you still need to polish the 50 in order to make the whole thing clear all the way through?

[@glasscastresin]

Hi Oliver, You would apply the GlassCast 3 at the 'B' stage or key up the surface of the 50. Either way, you don't need to polish the surface first and any scratches from the keying process will be filled with new layer of resin.

[@lookingouthere]

I want to cut narrow strips out of a decorative epoxy slab that I poured and then be able to polish the strips and glue them together around her rectangular stainless steel box. How do I glue the strips in the box and how do I glue epoxy to epoxy?

[@glasscastresin]

You can use a clear epoxy adhesive such as ET500 which will bond both the epoxy and wood to the metalwork. Just be sure to prepare the surfaces with 120 grit key to promote bonding. A degrease on the metal will also be advised. www.easycomposites.co.uk/rigid-5min-epoxy-adhesive

[@greglegakis4177]

What would you say was the total time it took you from beginning to end to finish the polishing process?

[@glasscastresin]

You could estimate between 1-2 hours for a piece this size.

[@greglegakis4177]

@@glasscastresin thanks. What would you recommend for spot sanding and polishing? I did a small 17 by 17 project that came out pretty good but dripped off the edges. After it hardens I tried doing an additional epoxy repair by tripping epoxy on the places that it didn't cover. Unfortunately I ended up making it lumpy around the edges. Is it possible to sand and polish some areas but not mess with the good areas? Hope that makes some kind of sense?

[@glasscastresin]

@@greglegakis4177 Small areas can be polished by hand or a more precision rotary tool. Masking off the good areas will mean that they don't become scratched or scuffed by any oversanding.

[@jjkk657]

Is it okay to use orbital sander for buffing? I have buffing pads for sander. 😊

[@glasscastresin]

Sure, they provide a similar action so there shouldn't be any reason why this won't work. A polisher probably has a higher RPM so will likely take longer using a sander. Still, much faster than doing it by hand.

[@llamadave1]

Do you polish the bottom to be the same?

[@glasscastresin]

For the most transparency then you you would need to polish both sides of the resin. If the resin is pigmented with a tint or a solid colour then often it's not required to do quite as much finishing work as on the top side of the surface.

[@15dogtown]

Good video on polishing epoxy, however the danish oil finish doesn't protect the wood from getting stained/stripped off by the polishing compound as you can easily see at 10:50, and from my experience as a woodworker who works with epoxy every day this is something I still struggle with to find a solution, would be nice if there was actually a good method in polishing the epoxy without messing up the wooden sides other than just epoxying the entire wooden surface just to be able to evenly sand/polish the river

[@shaboo2]

THANK YOU...THIS IS THE $64,000 QUESTION! To complicate it even further, I don't like wood to have the unnatural glassy look of epoxy. I would much rather have a satin look on the wood. (BTW, I asked almost the same Q here 11:49 before I saw yours. I notice he answered all the questions except yours. I.have not seen ANYONE address this critical issue. I do hope he answers.

[@sarahweerheim6123]

This answers my question, thank you! Incase anyone else is struggling with this same problem. I'll explain my situation... I make Chess boards. Half the squares wood, the other half epoxy. Obviously I can't sand just the epoxy squares without getting the wood. I was wondering what the point of finishing was if the buffer was going to remove material. Now I understand. I guess the only way to seal the wood properly would be to cover it in something that has the same strength at the epoxy and that brings us back to finishing the entire thing with epoxy so it can all be polished to the same level. Thanks again guys. Looks like I have a choice between leaving the wood exposed or coating it in epoxy.

[@mikechis051]

Could the wood be taped to protect it from the polish, or no?

[@crheming]

@@mikechis051 No the tape doesn't hold up. Been there. Dealing with abrasives and high RPM polisher.

[@AlbertoMayagoitiaHill]

Ahora si entendí cómo lijar y pulir el epoxy. Gracias..!

[@traceyhilder3426]

Fabulous video I will be adding those to my list for sure

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks Tracey :)

[@ÇağatayŞavkılıoğlu]

Hi, thank you for this great tutorial 👍 I will do same steps but ı have question mark. You apply that polish also to wood. Are those polish can apply also for woods? Should ı apply only resin part or both of them? I wish that; ı explained my self clear 😊

[@glasscastresin]

Its only really for polishing the resin itself and would be best to avoid getting it onto the wood as if it gets into the grain, it might alter the appearance of the wood itself.

[@eduardovigil5609]

Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question regarding the speed setting of my orbital sander (from 1 to 5) for each grid and polish stage. What’s your recommendation? Thanks a lot.

[@glasscastresin]

Hi Eduardo, we recommend a high speed but low pressure. You need to keep checking the surface of the item to make sure that it doesn't get warm, if it does move onto another part of the item.

[@eduardovigil5609]

Thank you very much for your prompt response.

[@dank6408]

Awesome! How to protect it from scratches now going forward?

[@glasscastresin]

The epoxy resin is generally a hard wearing surface once fully cured. Occasional light polishing will remove any build up of scratches during use.

[@eltea3592]

Can you add a finish like Osmos to both the wood and the epoxy? Great video thanks.....

[@glasscastresin]

A product such as that wouldn't improve the finish on the epoxy in any way. As an oil based product it would simply sit on the surface of the epoxy so can be wiped away once applied to the wood. If you are using a one with a stain to alter the appearance of the wood it would be a good idea to so this relatively quickly rather than letting it sit on the epoxy, especially with light coloured or clear resin.

[@UncleLouigisfamousyt]

Hey there 👋. Wondering if the sanding swirl marks will be seen in my opaque black epoxy River table after I top coat with table top epoxy? Or does the top coat epoxy fill on the swirlies and make it all uniform? Thanks!

[@glasscastresin]

A flood coating will completely fill any scratches on the surface. In fact, you will want to key the surface with 120 grit abrasive.

[@UncleLouigisfamousyt]

@@glasscastresin oh wow, so glad I asked. I thought because it was solid black epoxy that the clear coat would accent the scratches. Thank you so much for responding🙏.

[@yasmintapia9238]

Thank u for this very informative video...can u help me where to get the different grit papers n the polishing compound

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you found it useful. You can find the abrasive papers and the polish from our website. www.glasscastresin.com/

[@Heart-Radiance]

Awesome video, thanks so much! I am exploring setting in stones with my epoxy, any suggestions on sanding process for this?

[@glasscastresin]

If the stones are covered completely then the process is the same. If trying to sand around stones sticking out, that would be much more fiddly.

[@AndrewCowling-y4w]

Excellent video cheers

[@SimonHayter]

How well does the danish oil work with such high grits?! Nornally these oils have a sweet spot between 120 to 240 max.

[@glasscastresin]

The oil in the instance is to protect the wood from the polishing compound used on the resin and prevent it staining. Once the resin has been polished the wood can be retreated and finished appropriately.

[@AmyVoss-w9z]

Thanks for the step by step video. I’m wondering if you wore a specific mask during sanding?

[@glasscastresin]

A good quality P2 or better quality mask is recommended for epoxy sanding dust.

[@HayleyHarber]

Do you have to make sure the scratches are sanded out from the previous grit if you're doing a top coat instead of polishing?

[@glasscastresin]

If you are doing a top coat then we recommend just keying the surface with 120 grit. Because you want some texture on the surface for the resin to grip too then you aren't looking to polish the resin at this point, as long as the surface is flat.

[@djalexhyde]

Thanks for a great video, and a Nice website.

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks for watching.

[@garyverlaine]

Thank you for this. How much product and materials would I need for a bar top that measures 22ft x 2.5ft?

[@glasscastresin]

Assuming you mean how much resin would be required. You'd need a 15kg kit for our GlassCast3 to cover a countertop of this size.

[@ramcgmecom]

Great video, very well executed! One thing I didn't see addressed - should this be done on both sides of the piece? I imagine yes as if the bottom is not as clear as the top you'll see that as you look through it. I've made several river tables, though all with a dark epoxy - not see through, so I sand the bottom up to 180, while the top is sanded to 800 (on the epoxy part).

[@glasscastresin]

Thanks for the feedback. Correct If you wanted to be able to see through the entire piece with clarity then you would also need to polish up the underside of the 'river'. If, as in your case the bottom side is hidden then you can do as much or as little finishing as you please.

[@bjames901]

When staining wood, I guess you wouldn’t want to sand up to 1200? Maybe stop on the wood around 320 and keep sanding the epoxy?

[@benfranklin7013]

can you comment on the speed of the polisher for the polishing compounds-starting out and progressing through the passes. Is 5000 slow enough to 10000 too fast or is this adequate? Thank you.

[@glasscastresin]

We would typically aim for around 800-1500 RPM. If the surface starts to heat up then reduce the speed and or pressure and wait for it to cool.

[@fhumeau]

Thank you for making this video!

[@glasscastresin]

Glad you found it useful, thanks for watching.

[@vivekanandan1616]

This video is very helpful for me

[@glasscastresin]

Glad it could be of use :)

[@kenbartholomew8825]

Nicely done!

[@Chiranuj]

What will happen if you overheat while polishing resin surface?

[@glasscastresin]

If you overheat the resin, its likely to mark and distort/burn the surface.

[@matthewransom6469]

I use rubio monocoat on my projects but it says to only sand the wood to 180 grit. So how do you do all these steps and not sand the wood in order to still be able to use rubio monocoat

[@glasscastresin]

only the resin needs to be sanded so, depending on the shape, you may be able to carefully sand the resin. Alternatively once the resin is finished, mask it off then go 180 grit on the wood.

[@metv6858]

Fantastic tutorial 👍🏻

[@Rubypours]

I needed help getting the bubbles out of my artwork. Can I use a dremmel and various pads to do this?

[@glasscastresin]

you can if they are too deep to sand through. Care needs to be taken so that they can be filled in.

[@ludovicdubois6449]

bonjour, for a next polishing use, should the pads be cleaned? and if yes, how ? merci

[@glasscastresin]

If they have any build up, gently clean in soap and water then carefully rinse and dry before next use.

[@favillaverde]

How do you manage the wood when the stain I'm using recommends only going to 180 grit. Is it possible to polish the resin without further sanding the wood to a grit higher than 180?

[@glasscastresin]

Ensuring that you sand up the whole of the resin surface well without going over to the wooden section might be difficult but may be possible if you are careful. You could always key up the surface of the wood with 180grit once the resin surface has been polished

[@johnhorry9995]

Brilliant. Can you use the sander instead of the polisher?

[@glasscastresin]

If you have an appropriate polishing head for your sander then absolutely.

[@kenlong1758]

Thank you. Quick question. I know in the video you had finished the wood. And then you continue to polish the epoxy. However, in the end it look like you took off some finish of the wood. So did you go back and finish the wood again?

[@glasscastresin]

It's inevitable that in polishing the resin the pad will cross over onto the wood and take off some of the coating. It's perfectly fine to go back and top this coating up once polishing is finished. It's recommended to give the wood a good clean first to remove any polishing compound which may have transferred onto the surface so as not to trap it under another layer of wood finish.

[@raydwyer2293]

Can you start the wood + epoxy project by running the piece through a standard shop wood planner? Ray.

[@glasscastresin]

Yes you can. It can be useful if there is a lot of material to remove or a warp you are trying to sand out. A drum sander can also be used to do the same thing.

[@Phil535]

I see quite a notable discolouration to the wood where the polish has made its way into the grain of the wood. Any tips for removing that?

[@glasscastresin]

Hi Phil, you should be able to clean away most of the remaining polish with a damp cloth. The wood preservative (oil in our case) should be enough to prevent it from staining to much an and make cleaning the residue off fairly easy. It may want another coat of oil once finished polishing.

[@inzanewoodworks6777]

What do I do if I can still see squiggle lines after doing all of the steps including the polishing? Do I need to start over again at 400? Maybe 600

[@glasscastresin]

If you can still see the scratch marks from a more course abrasive then yes you need to go back a step or two and remove them. You don't want to move onto a finer grade until all of the scratches have disappeared. Once they have, you can move onto a finer grit.

[@iaine27a]

would you use the same process for smaller areas of resin-for example is its being used to fill large crack/splits in a piece of wood that will be turned?

[@glasscastresin]

Yes, the same process would be used for any size of resin.

[@personalexperience3637]

For epoxy strengthened with fiber glass what do you suggest for the 'glass' look ?

[@glasscastresin]

Any additives mixed with the resin, be this a reinforcing fibre or filler powder will inherently reduce the clarity and be seen within the resin to some extent.

[@arcis1985]

Great and simple lesson 😉

[@ludovicdubois6449]

bonjour, I have a very important new question, I have to finish my table and I would like to know if the 2 finishing products that you use in this video and that I bought protect the surface from stains, scratches ……… I look forward to your response to finish my table, thank you very much

[@glasscastresin]

The polishes do not offer additional protection to the resin surface. Durability on resin surfaces is down to the properties of the cured resin itself.

[@ludovicdubois6449]

@@glasscastresin ok so for everyday use of the table, aperitif, dinner, it is better to have a product like Rubio monocoat 2c?

[@balllegend8519]

I was so worried how i will be able to polish epoxy when its mixed with wood. Thank you for disclosing that! Do you think its a good idea to oil and also polish the wood?

[@glasscastresin]

Hi, it entirely depends on your personal preference when it comes to finishing. I would recommend some kind of treatment prior to polishing the resin as it will protect the wood from potential staining from the polish used on the resin.

[@azhardhawan7390]

Used it for the first time last weekend definitely worth buying if you're a person who likes detailing your own car recommend first time to use on lowest setting 800 so you don't burn paint don't leave in one spot keep moving it over paint easy to use kzbin.infoUgkxfzbDkCRyv3CFXnLZI4APZtRRuG2uRmP2 truck looks like new again used maguires black light battery life like all milwaukee products seem to hold up well 😀

[@genovevahester2899]

If you have a 3d object, do you sand and polish all the sides? Thanks

[@glasscastresin]

Yes you can if you need to do so to get a good finish.

[@alexanderechon9014]

what if you dont have an orbital sander machine? is it ok to manually do it?

[@glasscastresin]

Yes it just takes longer to do by hand.

[@mchtzn]

Perfect done !!! 😍

[@atauhamos3272]

Super nice video! I have a artwork that I would like to polish but the resin layer is only 2mm thick. How much material is removed during this process? Thank you very much!

[@glasscastresin]

In reality, very little - fractions of a millimetre as you're only working down through the deepest scratches. As you progress to the next, finer level of abrasive papers, the only material you're removing is between the scratches, you're not going deeper; the idea being that your smoothing out the surface prior to polishing.

[@laurenlicata8003]

Can you put an oil based poly over the epoxy after following all these steps?

[@glasscastresin]

This sort of product is designed to soak into a wood so it wouldn't coat the resin at all and would wipe off the surface. It would be ideal for the wooden area of a river table but wouldn't have any effect on the resin.

[@ShollyHyams]

Do both sides need to be sanded and polished?

[@glasscastresin]

If the resin is clear then yes you will need to polish both sides to give you the best clarity through the resin. If not, then it really depends on the finish from the mould, how likely you are to see under the table and if an unfinished surface bothers you.