Skip to content
Contact us

How to Get Started with Epoxy: A Beginner’s Guide

So you'd like to dive into the world of epoxy resin—but aren't sure where to start? Working with epoxy can be incredibly rewarding, but it does come with a learning curve (and a price tag). This guide walks you through the key first steps to begin your epoxy journey successfully.

1. Choose Your First Project

Before you start gathering materials or buying tools, it's key to decide what you want to make. The type of project you choose will determine what materials, tools, and knowledge you’ll need. This can vary widely between epoxy projects!

Tips for picking your first project:

2. Set Up Your Workspace

Epoxy can get messy—and even hazardous if you're not careful. Before you get started, ensure you have a safe, functional space to work.

Look for a workspace that is:

  • Well-ventilated – Fumes from some resins can be harmful. Consider using an exhaust fan or working near open windows.
  • Isolated – Keep children, pets, and curious hands away during and after your pour.
  • Protected – Cover surfaces with plastic sheeting. Epoxy sticks permanently to most things once its hardened, and even before hardening is extremely tough to clean.

Ideal spaces include:

  • Garages
  • Sheds or workshops
  • Covered outdoor areas
  • Spare bedrooms (with good ventilation)
  • Temporary structures like tents or pop-up workstations

3. Plan (Don’t Just Buy!)

It’s easy to get excited and start buying things right away—but epoxy projects can be surprisingly expensive and vary greatly in scope. Plan first to avoid unexpected costs.

Here’s how to approach it:

  • Make a complete list of what you'll need (see below).
  • Add everything to an online shopping cart or spreadsheet to gauge total cost.
  • Only start purchasing once you’re comfortable with the total investment.

💡 Pro tip: Check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and garage sales for affordable tools, especially when starting out.

4. Basic Epoxy Tools & Materials List

Here’s a beginner-friendly list of essentials, and a few nice-to-have's. I’ll include links to some of the exact tools and materials I use for those who are interested (I’m not sponsored or compensated in any way for this, so I’m relatively unbiased).

Epoxy

  • I would generally recommend choosing one of the two main epoxy types listed below for each project. Also, it's helpful to find a brand you like and stick with it, as what works well with one brand of epoxy may work differently with another. I've included links to my preferred epoxy brand, but there are many other quality brands out there. I've also noticed that the "cheapest" brands tend to have a more toxic smell and encounter more issues such as flash cures (when the epoxy heats up and cures substantially quicker than intended), so you do seem to get what you pay for to some degree. 
    • Deep-Pour Epoxy (2:1 mix, ~48 hr cure): Ideal for pours deeper than ¾". More forgiving for beginners. Not recommended for flood coats (low viscosity).
    • Art/Crafting Epoxy (1:1 mix, ~24 hr cure): Use for shallow pours under ¾”. Works well for flood coats (high viscosity).

Substrates & Molds

  • Wood (or other materials to embed in epoxy)
    • Here’s a link to a Facebook group where one of my favorite sawmills sells their wood: Deadwood's Burls, Blanks, & Billets. I've also had pretty good luck shopping for wood on Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, and even eBay!
  • Silicone or HDPE molds (I don't recommend home-made for beginners)
    • Note- I linked to Crafted Elements above for silicone molds, which makes some of the highest quality silicone molds I’ve seen. That said, you can find molds that also function well on Amazon for a fraction of Crafted Elements' price (but they likely won't last as long or be as rigid). Which "quality level" of mold you choose is a function of your budget and preferences, and there is nothing wrong with starting with an inexpensive option. If you decide to go the Amazon route or similar less expensive option, just search something like “silicone coaster mold” or "hdpe epoxy mold" and adjust accordingly. 
    • I'd suggest skipping home-made molds for beginners, as they exponentially increase your chances of issues such a leaks occurring. Here's another blog I wrote on the topic of epoxy molds if you'd like more details. 
  • Mold release spray

Safety Gear

  • Respirator mask with filter cartridges
  • Disposable nitrile gloves
    • Trust me when I say you WILL get epoxy on your hands if you don't wear gloves, and it's difficult to get off. Also, it's just not the type of thing you want on your skin! If you do get some on your skin, I find isopropyl alcohol works best for removing it. 
  • Isopropyl alcohol (80% or higher) – for cleaning uncured epoxy dust from sanding. 

Tools for Pouring & Mixing

  • Mixing cups with mL measurements (disposable or reusable silicone)
    • You can also measure epoxy using a scale, but I've always used measuring cups. I prefer the disposable version because I'm a bit too lazy to clean out the cup each time, and it's hard to get them completely clean of dried epoxy or other contaminants.
  • Stir sticks (wooden popsicle sticks, chopsticks, or plastic paddles)
  • Drill mixing attachment (for large pours)
  • Plastic sheeting for surface protection

Coloring Options

Finishing Tools

  • Heat gun or torch (for popping bubbles)
  • Sander and sanding pads
    • I use this 6-inch Bosch orbital sander that I'm very pleased with, but it's not cheap, and many different types of sanders will work. Feel free to start with what you have, or go with a less expensive sander while you decide if this is a hobby you are serious about. However if you can, I would prioritize something that has a dust collection port.
    • I’d also suggest using mesh sanding pads and a sander attached to a shop vac or dust collector to reduce epoxy dust (and in turn reduce sanding swirls and blemishes).
  • Dust extraction (even a basic shop vac helps)
    • Here’s the relatively inexpensive shop vac I currently use, and I’m very pleased with. I've had several others from different brands die on me before I got this one, which is still going strong.
  • Finish (wax, oil, or other protective coat)
    • I’ve tested a lot of finishes, and currently my favorite is Odie’s Oil. I get easy, consistent results, and I like that its completely non-toxic. However, don't hesitate to experiment with other finishes if you'd like. Most finishes that work with wood will also work with epoxy. 

Workstation

  • Flat and level surface to work on (such as a table, workbench, etc.) 
    • If space allows, it's nice to have sperate tables for pouring epoxy, sanding, etc. but not required. 
    • This is a great item to look for used on Craigslist of Facebook Marketplace. You should be able to find something quite inexpensive, or even free! Someone's discarded kitchen table could be a great epoxy station for you.

Optional (But Helpful)

  • Vacuum pump & chamber (for more serious users removing air bubbles from resin)
  • Clamps for holding down molds (especially helpful for HDPE molds)
    • 💡 Pro tip: Plan clamping devices in conjunction with the table you will be using, and the anticipated size of your project. Then you will need less last-minute customization to effectively clamp down your mold. For example, it's a lot easier to clamp a 12x24'' mold to a similar sized table. Or if you know the mold will be much smaller than your table, you might want to plan to use t-tacks or something to rest on top of the mold and extend it for clamping, like a 2x4. 
  • Saw for cutting materials/project to size (band saw, circular saw, track saw, or even a hand saw)
  • Wood hardener or sealing epoxy (prepares wood to prevent bubbles)
    • Using deep-pour epoxy is a great option for sealing, but I prefer to use PC-Petrifier. I find it penetrates a little more effectively and is a bit easier to work with. If you purchase PC-Petrifier, be sure it’s the clear version (which is linked above).
  • Silicone stoppers or blocks
    • These are used as a standoff between the wood or other materials in your epoxy, and whatever is holding them in place to prevent them from floating around. It's important to use a non-stick material like silicone, unless you want your weight or clamp to permanently become part of your project! I usually use some type of weight on top of these silicon stoppers (like a dumbbell or kettlebell), but you could use anything heavy enough to prevent the wood from floating. 
  • Silicone mats (helpful for avoiding scratches and containing small drips and spills)
    • Hardened epoxy easily peels off of these mats, so they are convenient and reusable.

5. Research, Watch, and Ask

The learning curve is real—but you don’t have to go it alone. You’ll save yourself hours (In my case, literally hundreds of hours of sanding) by doing your homework and planning carefully.

What to do before every new/unfamiliar project:

  • Watch tutorials on YouTube
  • Ask questions in Facebook Groups, Reddit threads, etc. 
  • Read instructions (especially on the epoxy containers)
  • Think your steps through in advance

Epoxy mistakes are often avoidable with a bit of extra planning.

6. Practice and Embrace Mistakes

Once you’ve set up, gathered your gear, and done your research—go for it. No guide can replace hands-on experience. You’ll make mistakes, and that’s okay. Every seasoned epoxy artist has had a failed pour (or ten). What matters is learning from it.

So start small, take your time, and enjoy the process.

Ready to Pour?

Hopefully this blog has left you feeling more prepared for your first (or next) epoxy project! I'll be publishing a companion video shortly, and will update this post with a link once it's available. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or suggestions for future content! I'm always looking for new topics to address in blogs, videos, etc. so let me know if there's something you'd like to see. If you'd like to get in touch, I'm probably most responsive to messages on my Facebook page.

Good luck with you're epoxy projects, and as always, happy making!