The 5 Stages of Waiting for Resin to Cure: An Emotional Rollercoaster!
We’ve all been there… Well, maybe not all of us, but if you’ve ever worked with resin, you know the struggle. You pour a beautiful, shimmering epoxy masterpiece, and then… you wait. And wait. And wait some more.
Waiting for resin to cure is an emotional rollercoaster, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, you’re about to find out exactly what it’s like. Here are the five inevitable stages of waiting for resin to set:
1. Denial
"This will totally be done in 12 hours."
You check the bottle. It says 24 to 48 hours for a full cure, but surely yours will be the exception. Maybe if you keep the room warm… or stare at it hard enough… it’ll be rock-solid by morning.
You give it a gentle poke, fully expecting it to be dry - only to leave a fingerprint in Cassie’s masterpiece. (Again.)
Could be worse, though. At least this time, it wasn’t a full handprint on a table top. (Yes, that happened. Yes, I panicked. No, Cassie hasn’t let me forget it.)
2. Bargaining
"Maybe if I put a heater on it, it’ll cure faster?"
This is where logic takes a backseat. You start Googling “how to speed up resin curing” and stumble upon a mix of solid advice and absolute nonsense.
Some people suggest a UV lamp… on non-UV resin. (Interesting theory.) Someone else swears by a hairdryer. You briefly consider just blowing on it, like it’s a birthday candle.
Desperation is officially setting in.
3. Anger
"WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG?!"
The resin still looks wet. You glare at it. It glares back (probably).
At this point, you start blaming everything - the weather, the humidity, the phase of the moon, that one time you looked at it wrong.
Your workshop becomes a no-go zone as you loudly declare that resin is the worst, and you’re never using it again. (A blatant lie, obviously.)
4. Depression
"This is my life now. Just me and this never-drying resin."
You accept defeat. You stop checking it every 20 minutes. You resign yourself to the idea that this piece may never come out of the mould.
Maybe it’s time to take up a less stressful job/pastime - knitting? Gardening? Skydiving? (Actually, Cassie can have that one - I don’t do heights.)
5. Acceptance & Joy
"Oh my god. It’s cured. IT’S CURED!!"
One day, when you least expect it, you touch the surface… and it’s hard.
You shout for joy. You do a victory dance. You immediately start planning your next project, completely forgetting all the pain you just went through.
And just like that… the cycle begins again.
So, consider this your official warning - working with resin is an emotional journey. But would we change it?
No chance.
Here’s to many more wood and resin projects, many more chaotic workshop days, and many more moments of absolute madness. 😆