I used to agonize, waiting 1 – 3 days just to see my resin reach the complete cure stage. If there is one thing I hate about art, it’s waiting patiently, standing by without seeing what the final design looks like.
I tried searching for a way to speed up this entire curing process.
Why? I forgot to check in my art after a couple of days passed, or sometimes life got in the way, and I got busy.
That’s when I searched and found a way to accelerate the curing procedure using a food dehydrator.
How to fully cure the resin in less than 2 hours
Before utilizing the dehydrator, remove any food remnants that are present in the machine. Ideally, it should be newly cleaned, and no oil stains are present.
Then bring out the food dehydrator tray and prepare your resin art.
First, preheat the machine before doing your resin art. Next, prepare the desired mold and place your epoxy resin solution to begin the process.
Image 1.1 Sample Resin Mold
Thirdly, you can add the desired embellishment and crystals you wish to include as part of the resin. Lastly, once the preparations are complete, simply place your wax on the uppermost level of the dehydrator machine.
- Set your resin on the first floor level of the dehydrator
- Close the door and set the timer for a total of 2 hours. For the first hour, set the temperature at 35° C.
- Then for the second hour, Raise the temperature to 40° C until the time runs out.
- Once done, turn off the machine but don’t open it yet. Wait for 30-45 more minutes to let the engine cool down. If the temperature of the tray is safe to touch, remove it along with your resin art. Only separate the art from the tray once you are on a clear table.
- Slowly remove your resin to verify its curing process. Now you just found a new way to speed up the curing process.
Safety Tip: Wear appropriate gloves when you decide to pull out the tray.
Pros vs. Cons of Resin Curing with Food Dehydrator
| Pros | Cons |
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Resin curing is not always a perfect process; even a new method like a food dehydrator will not always be 100% effective.
This is why we listed some of the advantages vs. disadvantages.
When compared to the traditional method of curing, such as through a hot desk lamp or a heat gun (We’ll break down each alternative later in this article), using the food dehydrator method is a stress-free option that doesn’t require you to constantly check every second to see if it’s doing well or not.
You can take 2 hours off to relax and unwind,
Then come back once in the middle to raise the temperature slightly.
Think of the waiting time as a reward. Drink a cup of tea or watch a Netflix film while waiting. Then once that time is up, you now have a handcrafted artwork waiting for you.
Another Advantage: Resin odor won’t leak out.
There won’t be overpowering smells while the machine is operating, provided the door is closed correctly. As promised, the goal here is a hands-off method.
But with its benefits comes one disadvantage:
Not all food dehydrators are quiet during their operation.
Dehydrators make noise because of the fan that is operating on the machine. However, not all food dehydrators are like this; it’s essential to select noiseless ones less than 60dB.
Avoid This: Red Flags when curing resin art
When it comes to using the food dehydrator machine, it’s tough to mess things up. Generally, the main mistake most beginners commit is constantly changing the temperature every minute or so.
Doing this would result in uneven forms and lumps in your resin because of the changing climate.
This is why we generally advise one temperature for the first half, then changing it only slightly for the next half.
You also want to avoid having to open and close the door of the dehydration machine during this process.
While this might seem an obvious tip, the process would include the preheating activity.
As an artist, avoid switching any trays during the preheating process. It would help if you only opened the door once when the epoxy resin is ready to be cured.
Extra Note: Honest Opinion: Elite Gourmet Food Dehydrator Review
Ultimate Cheatsheet: Alternative Ways to Quickly Cure Resin Art
If you want to compare the different ways to cure resin art, we just compiled an easy-to-view list for you.
| Food Dehydrator Machine | Hot Box Method | Heat Gun | Oven | Space Heater | |
| Curing Time | 2 hours | 50 – 75 minutes | It depends on how even you spread | 16 – 32 hours | 24 – 72 hours |
| Materials | Food Dehydrator only | Large box, packaging tapes, strong double-sided tapes, cutter, reflective insulation sheets, and heating lamp with bowl | Heat Gun only | Oven only | Space Heater only |
| Cost | $40 – $160 | $10 (not including heating lamp) | $15 | $60 | $30 |
Note: We’ll be skipping the food dehydrator functionality since we already discussed it in detail in the earlier section of this article.
1. Hot Box Method
| Pros | Cons |
| *Affordable
*DIY Method *Doesn’t let heat escape |
*Takes time to set it up
*Stable materials are needed to support the lamp |
If there is one thing that the hot box method is the most significant art, it’s curing resin during the frosty seasons.
When exposed to cold, resins get too thick and cloudy.
The problem with curing resin in the wintertime is inconsistent drying results. This situation might demotivate your resin hobby if done for an extended period of time.
Here’s a quick YouTube video showing how to make your own hot box for resin curing for under $10.
But it’s not all comfortable. There are some drawbacks when it comes to following the hot box method.
For one thing, you need to source the proper materials and find suitable box sizes that match your resin art’s dimensions.
Both big and small sizes of boxes have their pros and cons.
A bigger cardboard box will allow you to explore massive measurements of your resin, while a smaller one would limit your creativity but prove to be a space-saver.
At the same time, the walls of the box should be able to support the total weight of the heating lamp.
They are prone to crumble accidents wherein the insulator sheets might disintegrate from the load of the heating bulb and crash down on top of the resin art. No one wants that.
Image 1.2 Another resin hot box variation
However, the main advantage of following the hot box method is its ability to trap the heat inside.
What would typically destroy the curing process for any resin art would have an inconsistent heat flow. A conflicting temperature will make your resin appear sticky and waste precious time for reheating.
This is the most inexpensive method.
You would only need to spend less than 1/10 of the cost compared to other techniques.
To find out if this hot box method is proper for you, ask yourself, “Am I the type of person who would do DIY projects or rather spend some money to buy a ready-to-use product?”
What Makes it Different: Inexpensive. Performs best during the winter season.
2. Heat Gun
| Pros | Cons |
| *Safer than propane torch or lighter
*It is the advanced version of blow dryer 2.0 |
*Accidentally over-shaping your resin art.
*Only targets surface bubbles and not the ones at the bottom. |
They are considered much safer than using a propane torch or lighter since there is no physical flame spouting out.
At the same time, it doesn’t mean that the chances of fire risk are 0%.
One main benefit is that it produces a lot of heat with very little air. Think of it as the advanced version of the hair dryer.
The main difference between the two is the former won’t blow your resin everywhere, unlike the latter. It is also effective in blowing the air bubbles out.
Heat Gun Tip: If you want to avoid the sticky feeling that you get when placing your hands on the heat gun, make sure your hands are clean from any resin, stickers, or embellishments. It is optional to use gloves but wiping your hands is a must.
After thoroughly using the heat gun, apply some baby wipes to the handle in case there is any residue.
Image 1.3 Resin art idea inspiration
The last thing is either a gain or loss, depending on how you view it.
Using a heat gun will allow you to push the resin and create unique patterns & shapes.
Begin with using the machine 2-inches off the surface.
If the bubbles are not popping nor being pushed above, bring them closer but not too near.
The caveat with this is that the closer the heat gun, the more likely you would push the resin art off the surface and outside the bezel.
Another thing to note is that the heat guns are only effective for surface-area bubbles.
But when it comes to bottom-area bubbles that get stuck below the mold, a heat gun won’t effectively bring them up to pop them.
You might use a toothpick or any stirring utensil to force the bubbles to go higher and near the surface, then use your heat gun to finish the process.
What Makes it Different: Manipulate unique patterns, shapes & designs
3. Oven
| Pros | Cons |
| *Stress-free process
*Short baking time |
*Long curing time
*Electricity expenses will add up |
This is considered the 2nd best alternative under the category “hands-off operation.” Like the food dehydrator, you wouldn’t need to constantly check back and forth and go over each side just to complete the curing process (unlike the heat gun)
However, using an oven takes 16 – 32 hours to cure your resin artfully.
This is through a temperature of between 120-170 degrees Fahrenheit.
But you can cut the curing time down to 2 hours but this will entail a higher heat temperature of 170 degrees and 200 degrees.
Another downside to a higher temperature would require you to monitor the entire process to avoid overheating constantly.
To begin the curing process, you first need to set aside the resin for 24 hours before directly placing them into the oven.
You can leave the resin outside, but the temperature should be in a heated area.
One important thing to note is that once you use an oven for epoxy resin, it’s not advisable to use it again for cooking or heating meals.
When epoxy is heated, the reaction will cause gases to spread throughout the machine.
This makes it risky when you alternate heating meals since the same gases could mix into your food.
But you didn’t waste your money,
It’s not a one-time use, though, you can still use the oven but solely for epoxy curing only, nothing else. You now have a dedicated machine instead of going the traditional method of fixing it outside.
If you happen to resort to this alternative, the temperature needs to be a constant 70 to 75 F throughout, and curing time takes thrice as long compared to using an oven.
What Makes it Different: Cheaper alternative to a Food Dehydrator.
4. Space Heater
| Pros | Cons |
| *Accessible in colder areas | *Expensive
*Not efficient for small spaces. |
The only main benefit of using a space heater is availability; it is usually sold in colder regions in the country.
However, it’s not the optimal solution since curing time won’t cut down lower than 25%, nor it’s efficient to use if you live in a small space.
Ideally, you should have a dedicated room with a separate space heater to cure resin art.
The one downside of the space heater is that the air is focused on making a wide area warm, not just one spot.
The unconcentrated heat will slowly dissipate throughout the room, requiring you to make your workspace unbearably hot to meet the required temperature to cure the resin.
It’s also inefficient if you live in small spaces since there are only a limited number of rooms dedicated to a specific area.
“You don’t want to be working in the kitchen, bedroom, or shower since the smell might mix in the room.”
What Makes it Different: Use this as a last resort
Bottom Line: Our Top Pick
At the end of the day, curing times depend on the quality of the resin. If you are on a tight budget, then an oven is ideal to start for beginners, but it won’t last for years, nor would it be worth it for the electric bill.
This then brings us down to our last two choices – the hot box method or a heat gun. Both are still in the affordable range, but the hot box requires you to set it up all on your own, while the heat gun requires creativity and precision to make your resin art come to life. If you’re up for it, we recommend choosing the heat gun.
In a best-case scenario, you explored your brain’s artistic and imaginative side. But in a worst-case scenario, you just wasted 30 bucks that you could still use in other art projects in the future.
