Epoxy Resin Kit 2 Gallon-Crystal Clear, UV Resistant, Self Leveling, Food Safe for Table Top, Arts and Crafts, Wood Casting, Jewelry Making, Use with Mica Powder, Silicone Molds, Alcohol Ink

So I have been wanting Epoxy the top of my bar for some time. I have been saving ticket stubs to events I have attended for over 35 years. So, the last thing I wanted to do was screw this up. I read the reviews for LOTS of different products. What I found most helpful was reading about other peoples experiences with the product. Especially people who had never done this before. Therefore, I am going to go ahead and add to the product knowledge of this epoxy.First, I will say what many other posts said - FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. If you take short cut, you are going to pay the price. Your epoxy won't set or you will have other issues. So let's start with the mix. I did what everyone else had recommended. I affixed my ticket stubs to my bar counter tops. Now I should also mention this. I have a high counter top and a low counter top. I did a test run on my low counter top. On the lower counter top, I had taken CD jewel case covers (i had hundreds) and affixed them and did the same process. This was my test run. It did not turn out perfect. However, the imperfections were 100% MY FAULT. I read some 2 and 3 star ratings and looking back on them now, I would venture to say a lot of the screw ups I read were user error. Not trying to be hard on the DIY user, but much of the complaints I read were user screw ups. My test runs had issues because I didn't anticipate a lot of things. Now back to the mix. First, don't go cheap. Use a two new containers EVERY TIME you do a mix. My counter top was big - 2' x 10'. When I did my first test, I did it with a quart plastic mixing container. That would have taken me all night. I quickly switched to a 5 quart bucket. Get the ones that have the ounces marked on the side. I mixed batches 64 oz at a time. I did just like it said. Mix for 5 minutes and then transfer to a second - clean container and mix for 3 minutes. I just used Alexa for this part. About the mixing - this stuff is hard to mix together. I did my first batch or two with a paint stick. Eight minutes of that is brutal. I read a review with a guy who had used a paddle paint mixer on a drill. So, I decided to give it a try. First time, I screwed up. I thought use a high speed - full trigger - and get it mixed good. That was stupid. Just creates one big air bubble - actually thousands that make the mix look like milk. i was able to use a heat gun to get the bubble out. However, it took forever!!!! Second time, I just pulled the trigger until the paddle started spinning - lowest setting possible. I just moved it around and reversed the paddle every couple of minutes. Worked great. I don't think it came out with any more bubbles and they came out easily.Pouring the mixture was something most people didn't really talk about. When you do your seal coat, you can move it around with a blade. Be gentle or you will create valleys. Now on the flood coat, no one ever said to move the product around. The indication is that it is self-leveling. I would say that is accurate to a point. If you just pour it and let it run, it is going to stay really thick - between 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch. I didn't want it that thick. So, just like the seal coat, I moved it around again with a blade. I just used a 6 inch putty knife. This stuff is STICKY. I bought a 40 pack of rags from Home Depot and a gallon of denatured alcohol. I used this stuff a lot to wipe things off and clean up my putty knife. Once I poured out all the product on the bar top, I just worked it around making sure I got it up tight in the corners. I does self-level and it was just a thinner coat than the 1/2 inch.I used a heat gun to get out bubbles once I poured the epoxy out. I liked the gun because mine has a fan, think hairdryer, and covered more area. The bubbles come right out. It was a very easy process. However, don't do it once and leave it. You will get sneaky ones that creep up out of no where. I went back and checked it every 30 minutes for the first two hours of dry time.Ok, last couple of items. First, temperature - I kept the temp in my basement between 70 & 75 the entire time. Do what they say and don't let it go below 70. This will screw with the curing process. The final thing I would say is this. Once you have mixed it, the consistency is like thick honey. My bar is 3/4 inch laminated oak plywood. I have taken a piece of 1"x3" and made a half inch dado cut and used this trim piece to cover the edge of the ply wood. It fit really snug. I thought there was no way this was going to seep in, behind, down, and then back out of that piece of trim. Well, it did in a couple of places. if I was doing this again, I would run a bead of caulk on the under side of the bar to prevent those drips from happening. I was able to wipe it all up and keep the underside wiped down, but I had to do this for like two hours until the product got thick enough it no longer seeped out.Ok, sorry this is so long. But, i found the long review really helpful as I planned my project. I used two of the two gallon kits to do my upper and lower bar. Keep your environment as dust free as possible. Little threads and dust particles will get on the top and there is nothing you can do. This includes shutting heat vents in ceiling that are close to bar (learned that on my lower top.) . Final comment - TAKE YOUR TIME. This is not a go fast process. You have to be willing to go slow and be patient. I included a couple of pictures of the finished product. Love the way it turned out.

The media could not be loaded. Love this epoxy! Follow the directions and you will be pleased! This is my second table top, and the first one looks just as good. Easy to use, pour, and plenty of working time. Minimal bubbles and turned out fantastic!

2nd time I've used this product. Comparable in quality to Stonecoat, but cheaper. Always workable, cures very nicely and end result is spectacular.

Longer then expected.But worked for what i wanted.I just use this on plywood.Was planning to do this in sections but the directions said I had 30 to 40 minutes.I was almost done and was about 25 minutes into it when it gelled up.I was hoping to redo a few spots with what was left but ended up having to waste about 1/3 rd gallon.Didn't expect that.Also, directio s said no power tools for mixing.Not sure why but it was easy enough to mix by hand.This product turned very cloudy while mixing but as I kept going it cleared up again.After the pour I had a extremely large amount of air bubbles.Last epoxy I bought I mixed with power drill and had very few bubbles.On the plus side, worked very well.Did as I wanted and expected.Bubbles were not a problem since this was the first coat and won't be seen.The next day the epoxy was well setup and I sanded for the next coat.Just put the next coat on.Won't know til tomorrow how it comes out.

For first time users, I would highly recommend mixing small amounts and trying little jobs. The product can produce amazing results BUT has many nuances. This is my 2nd kit (and was substantially better than the first from a different manufacturer).I used the product in a cool garage - 55-60f so realize my comments relate to THIS TEMPERATURE. This is a big deal as the viscosity changes dramatically based on temp. If you're using this in the summer in Phoenix in your garage with the door open, this will flow like water!Viscosity will dictate 1) how this flows and if not properly contained completely, how quickly it drips out 2) how it traps bubbles and how thick you can/should pour it 3) if it will level itself out or not. There is NO optimal temperature as you need to figure out how to use it and then decide what works best for your application.I needed a build up to about 1" in certain areas of my project. I took 4-5 applications to get it there based on temp and bubble trap. To that, adding epoxy in layers is super easy, takes no prep other than keeping to clean and then pouring again within 24-36hrs. In fact, I routinely needed to sand edges off based on my forming method (packaging tape which worked pretty well but did allow for some dripping at times) AND POURING FRESH EPOXY OVER MATTE SANDED AREAS RENEWED it to CLEAR AGAIN. This was fantastic when I first tried this and realized I didn't need to sand down with 400-600 grit before repouring. This made reworking an area so easy.Using wax paper or parchment paper under your project works great. It peels off easily after curedUsing a heat gun can help a lot. It eliminated a lot of bubbles that came to the surface. It also quickly warms up the epoxy which increases flow which again, can be good or bad depending on your application. When it thins out, more bubbles can also come to the surface and burst. Heat guns can be used to shape the epoxy for up to 2 hours or more after initial pour. I used it to level out the product when it won't cover an area 100%. Once I set it outside after it'd been sitting for a few hours in my garage to cure in the sun.It actually started to move in direct sunshine at 70F after 6 hrs!!! This does not set quickly at 60f.Curing - it is noted in the instructions and is true that it takes a LONG time to fully cure (up to 3 days I believe). If you want to sand an area, it is gummy for the first 12-24 hours making sanding difficult if you want to keep working. Heating it up will cure it more quickly as it'll move the reaction forward faster, but it's not going to happen in minutes or even a few hours.Overall, I think this is a great product. I will use it again for sure. Just really think about how it works both chemically and it's physical traits to help you figure out how to manipulate it. Try small first and don't get in a hurry. It's taken me 2 weeks of working on my project every day to finally get it right mixing 6-10 oz at a time for several sq feet of uneven surface (root ball I'm encasing)