UV Resin Transparent, Crystal Clear Hard UV Glue for Jewelry Making & DIY Crafts – Solar Cure Epoxy Kit, Low Odor, Sunlight & UV Lamp Activated (120G)

I felt the need to write my own review of this UV resin to offset the (in my opinion unreasonable) negative reviews. I just bought my second bottle, as the one I've been using for over two years is finally starting to get low, and it's been so wonderful that I don't want to risk running out. Below, I'd like to address a few key points: 1. Usefulness. The photo I attached is of a small (8" tall), clear, light-up Christmas tree decoration, the top 1/2" of which had broken off and gotten lost. I was able to reconstruct it easily by dabbing on a bit of resin at a time and curing it mid-drip to make new branch-tips. You'd never know it had broken. That said, the resin doesn't stick super hard to most things other than itself, so making sure to sand surfaces prior to application--or even better, applying it in such a way that it can flow around part of what you're repairing in order to lock onto it mechanically--is very important. 2. Shelf life. As I said, I've been working with the same open bottle for two years now, and it works just as well as ever. The tree light in the photo was repaired last week, and the resin cured hard and clear like normal. 3. Yellowing. I have never, ever, had issues with yellowing or color distortion with this resin. In contrast, the "clear" UV resin I bought to use with my 3D printer yellows significantly with additional UV exposure, to the point of turning amber after several minutes of post-curing. The same amount of UV exposure makes no perceptible difference in the color of this resin (the one I'm reviewing). 4. Curing. Okay, I think I know why some people are having trouble here. I have a 405 nanometer UV lamp for post-curing 3D printed resin things, and I've found that this resin never cures fully with that light (the surface stays tacky and takes fingerprints). Luckily, I have a 395 nanometer UV flashlight intended for spotting pet urine, and it cures this resin fully and flawlessly. I would never have thought that the exact UV wavelength would make such a difference, but it seems it does. So if you're having trouble getting this resin to cure with a UV light, double check the wavelength. If it's 405nm, try 395nm instead, and see if that helps. (Edit: I found the flashlight's original packaging, and it claims it's "390-410nm", so maybe the broad spectrum makes a difference? Also, I noticed my resin wasn't fully curing with that flashlight anymore, and it turned out that I needed to change the batteries. Unfortunately, the light will continue emitting a purple glow long past the point where it's no longer strong enough to fully cure the resin, so it's something you have to stay cognizant of as you use it.) 5. Bottle size. Really?? Yes, the resin sometimes comes in a bottle of a slightly different size. Sometimes business have to order their containers from multiple different manufacturers depending on availability, and therefore the exact shape and size can vary. That doesn't mean they're trying to cheat you. Shake the wet cat food out of your skull. Did you get the volume of resin advertised? Then there's no problem. smh 6. Storing the container. The bottle is made of opaque black plastic that, as far as I can tell, lets in no light whatsoever. I'll occasionally shine a UV light directly at the bottle to cure any resin drips that have accumulated on the outside to make them easy to clean off, and I've never had it affect the inner contents in any perceptible way. So I guess what I'm saying is that I wouldn't worry about the bottle starting to harden prematurely from incidental light exposure. I'd worry more about extreme temperature fluctuations. Update: I finally ran out of my first bottle and opened the new one. First, I noticed that the bottle was slightly shorter and wider than the previous one, but seems to be of the same volume. The next thing I noticed was a strong herbal smell (not a chemical smell, oddly enough), like something you might whiff at a Traditional Chinese Medicine shop. I don't find it at all off-putting myself, but some might. Beyond that, I can't tell a functional difference between this resin and that of my previous order.

The negatives I keep hearing about it remaining tacky I can attribute in part to people using low powered UV lamps or flashlights. I used a UV flashlight to test it and while it did cure it still felt a bit tacky. I left the flashlight on it for a good 5 mins and it felt less tacky but not tack free. I got a 36W UV lamp and put it in there for a total of 4 mins...the surface was crystal clear, beautifully smooth and completely tack free. I don't know if it made any difference but I also treated it like I would a two part resin where I put the bottle in a container of hot ( not scalding) tap water for about 20 mins to warm it up so it would flow more freely and any bubbles would rise out a little easier. . Winter here is pretty chilly so even if the ambient temperature feels OK it's best to make sure your resin is decently warm. Can't attest to the bottle size if it's in fact a full 120g since I have nothing to compare it to but so far I like this resin and just wish they sold bigger sizes. I will be buying again. I have had a decent amount of experience with two part resins. When I started learning about UV resins I wanted to try it in order to achieve some effects that was very difficult or not possible with regular two part 24 hour resins or even a quick cure will not achieve. The resin does have a smell but it is not overpowering. However, even so wear a respirator and gloves because many people who enjoyed this hobby had to quit because of developing allergies from repeated contact with the resin on their skin of breathing fumes. I don't use this for large projects, mostly to cover up certain objects like stickers or paper because since it can be dried so quickly there is little risk to it saturating the item and deforming it. I tested it on a vinyl sticker I was encapsulating in resin from an inkjet printer and did not coat it or seal it beforehand, the colors did not run or smear. I did leave the sticker to dry overnight in a warm place to make sure it was completely dry. Did some quick experiments of covering inkjet printed paper designed ( small ones ) and there was no running or smearing either. I would still prefer to seal it with Krylon UV Resistant Sealer or Modge Podge but this seems to work great if I need to get something done quickly. As far as appearance it is crystal clear with virtually no bubbles. Any that do show up can be fish out with a needle or popped with a lighter if they are close to the surface like regular resin. Even better is to leave it in a sealed contained ( for the fumes ) to let all the bubbles rise up to make it perfectly bubble free.

Did the job nicely. Used it for oven baked clay project. Cured under a UV light for a few minutes and it was fully dry, not tacky at all. The project is glossy and hard now. Good resin sealer for clay projects.

I'm basically bed-ridden. This product is great for someone who can't move quickly. Keep it out of sunlight, and it stays plyable. There is a smell, but it can quickly dissapate. What I don't like? 1) size of the bottle and product doesn't quite go a long way. 2) a UV light does help cure the product, but you are left with a sticky product. 3) sunlight seems to allow it to dry out better. I left the product in the sun for about 2-3 months. Yes, months. I don't have the strength to do much. Being young and stuck inside, it's a fun hobby. I removed some of the molds yesterday. The sunlight cured the exposed parts, but it was still sticky on the sides and backside. I will have to see if a particular protectant will seal, and get rid of the stickiness that lets finger prints stay in the item. 4). Uv light is great for starting the curing process, but the product is still sticky, even on the top. My suggestion, fix the stickiness, or have a sealant available for pieces that stay sticky, that can protect the product from light handling. I used the product in layers, small layers. There's no reason why it shouldn't have cured 100% For someone who is confined to bed, it's a great idea, and fun! But the curing process is enough for me to search for a new product. My little suggestion, if you are going to sell such a small product, for a higher price, fix the curing issues.

works great. Yes you can tint it with mica. Be careful using sunlight to cure it. direct sunlight will cause the resin to heat and swell, and the part in the shade will not swell, so you may have a piece that isn't level. If you are going to use sunlight, the whole piece has to be in the sun equally, or all not in the sun equally. past that, this is pretty great stuff.

be sure to buy the UV flashlight that is linked to this epoxy - it will make your life much easier! For repairing broken glassware, or filling chips, or sealing gaps.... as long as the UV light can reach the glue, it will harden literally in seconds! Note; as the batteries wear down in the flashlight, cure time gets longer, until it won't fully cure. Easy fix with a new set of batteries. Seriously, this stuff has all kinds of applications, and is actually fun to work with on crafts.

Meant for small projects. This doesn’t dry all the way through unless you’re really using a powerful light with a good 10 minutes. 😅 I’m only a beginner tho. Did what I needed it do to with sealing my shrinky dinks. Making resin jewelry was not a success tho. 😅

I used the resin to make some plastic pins for friends. They took longer than expected to cure (I left them out for at least 10 hours) and they’re still a little tacky and not as hard as I would like them to be. The resin is very clear and shiny which looks great, but I’m not sure if I would use this again given the curing problems I had.