What is the Best Epoxy for Wood Turning? What is wood turning? What should you keenly watch out for when selecting the Best Epoxy for Wood Turning? Kindly read the full article below for the full reveal.
WHAT IS WOOD TURNING?
Wood turning is the woodworking craft using the woodworking tool; wood lathe in compliment with a handheld tool(s) with the aim of cutting a shape out of wood which is in symmetry with the wood lathe around the axis of rotation.
There are numerous forms which you can produce with wood turning and as such many woodworking craft items for example handles and knobs for doors or even tools, rolling pins, wooden cylinders, spinning tops, spindles for wooden furniture, and wooden bowls, seats, and even sculptures.
OUR BEST PICKS FOR THE BEST EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
1• EcoPoxy FlowCast Kit Clear Casting Epoxy Resin for Wood Working, Tables, Counters – BEST ECO-FRIENDLY EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
Key Pros
✔0.5-1.5” Thick pours
✔Eco-Friendly
✔Ultra-Clear Surface
✔Compatible with many different epoxy resin pigments
✔Durable
✔Self-leveling capability
EcoPoxy FlowCast is compatible with different kinds of pigments, be they metallic, color, or glitter, meaning that it is excellent for custom tints as an art resin for shades of blue in your wood turning project.
EcoPoxy Flowcast has a self-leveling property allowing easy application in surface depressions and voids between wood turning pieces. This property allows EcoPoxy FlowCast to be used over spherical surfaces and where there are corners.
The epoxy cures to a crystal clear finish described by the manufacturer as ‘liquid glass’ allowing you to enjoy a super shiny appearance.
Eco-Poxy Flowcast is Eco-Friendly with high biological content and extremely low odor. The resulting surface is ideal for use in the kitchen, dining, and any other space due to its environmental friendliness. EcoPoxy FlowCast is thus ideal for rolling pins for pastry, serving bowls, and butcher countertops in turnery.
EcoPoxy Flowcast is an excellent suit where the depressions are large; deep pours would be necessary. The epoxy can cure to thick epoxy slabs up to 1.5 inches, which adequate for wood turning projects involving deep holes, depressions, or cracks.
The epoxy forms an extremely tough and strong bond with wood, taking the durability of your wood turning project to a whole new level.
2• Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus 2 gal. – BEST FOOD SAFE EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
Key Pros
✔High UV resistance
✔Super gloss finish
✔Best Food Safety (FDA Compliant)
✔Pigment Compatible
✔Easy to use
Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus is a high UV resistant epoxy resin allowing you to use it for wood turning displays for outdoor. While working with Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus you are assured of slowed yellowing over time retaining the clear or colored appearance.
Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus produces a high gloss finish that shines when reflecting light and is excellent for improving the appearance of the wood turning project.
The biggest advantage of Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus is the level of food safety guaranteed. Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus allows you to produce surface safe pieces ideal for pastry, cookery, and cookery.
Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus is easy to use to achieve the ultimate aesthetics and functionality featuring an easy to mix ratio of the epoxy resin to the hardener.
Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus is pigment compatible with colorants based on water or alcohol and Alumilite dyes.
3• Amazing Clear Cast Plus 32 fl. oz. – BEST EPOXY FOR SMALL WOOD TURNING PROJECTS
Key Pros
✔Ideal for small wood turning projects
✔High UV resistance
✔Super gloss finish
✔Best Food Safety (FDA Compliant)
✔Pigment Compatible
✔Easy to use
Sometimes the scale of your wood turning projects could be too small. An example would be when dealing with small knobs, key holders, pendants, or even when your wood turning project is just a tiny part of a larger woodworking project.
Having the flexibility to change the volume needed is essential and Alumilite Amazing Clear Cast Plus 32 fl. oz. is the best option.
4• TotalBoat Fixwood | Marine Grade Epoxy Putty | Stainable Paste Filler for Damaged Wood Repair or Replacement – BEST LOW SAG EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
Key Pros
✔Low Sag (Vertical Planes)
✔ Permanent Wood Crack Filler
✔ Easy to Use|UV resistant
✔ Low shrinkage factor
✔ Eco-Friendly
✔ 100% water resistance
TotalBoat Fixwood ensures that the wood turning project you are working on will last permanently. Regardless of the nature of the wood turning and the cause, you are assured of perfect bonding between the epoxy resin and the wood surface. By featuring a 1:1 mix ratio TotalBoat Fixwood is an easy to use epoxy for wood cracks and therefore a go-to epoxy resin for beginners and pros alike.
TotalBoat Fixwood has the advantage of a low shrinkage factor property that significantly reduces sags, cracks undulations even on vertical planes – even on vertical planes.
The epoxy resin ideal for both indoor and outdoor use given some of the specific ingredients it possesses aimed at producing only low odor and high UV resistant characteristics. Therefore you can’t go wrong with human use and little epoxy resin yellowing.
TotalBoat Fixwood is easy to use and manipulate since it acts like wood. Once the epoxy resin has cured successfully, the surface can be sanded, drilled, or cut to fit in your design whether to blend in color or just physically fit dimension wise.
If the scale of your wood turning project is large, you can use nails or screws to fasten the bond whose drilling is easy with TotalBoat Fixwood.
TotalBoat Fixwood exhibits 100% water resistance allowing it to be ideal for sealing in marine situations or other solvent sealing scenarios.
TotalBoat Fixwood has a working time of 30-35 minutes working at 72˚F and experiences a functional cure after 6 hours.
5• FGCI Deep Pour Epoxy Resin Kit Crystal Clear Liquid Glass 2-4 inch, Self Leveling Epoxy Kit, Clear Epoxy Resin Wood Filler, Clear Pourable Casting Epoxy Resin, River Table Epoxy Resin 2:1 – BEST DEEP POUR EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
Key Pros
2” – 4″ max pour depth
✔ Versatile
✔ Anti-Bubble Property
✔ High UV resistance
✔ Pigment Compatible
FGCI Deep Pour a thick pour epoxy resin with a maximum pour depth range of between 2” to 4” which is an excellent selection for wood turning projects involving deep grooves. Check out our article on the Best Epoxy for Thick Pours.
FGCI Deep Pour is highly versatile meaning it’s applicable in situations that not only involve wood turning but also wood river table projects, clear epoxy resin molds and casts, countertop, and bar top coating.
The key advantage that FGCI Deep Pour offers parallel to its deep pour property is the anti-bubble property. Since deep pour epoxy resin is often highly viscous and shall be exposed to the air a long time when filling wood turning grooves, then this anti-bubble property comes in handy to avoid unsightly bubbles that reduce the craftsmanship of your wood turning project.
FGCI Deep Pour offers High-Grade UV Resistance assuring wood turning enthusiasts of slowed yellowing and ultra-clear surface for a very long time.
The epoxy is also pigment compatible allowing for epoxy resin art in your wood cracks as you take advantage of the unique shapes and sizes of individual wood turning crafts.
SELECTING THE BEST EPOXY FOR WOOD TURNING
To select the Best Epoxy for Wood Turning, there are several key factors that you need to keenly watch out for. By selecting epoxy resins with these features, you are assured of the peak aesthetic and functional quality of your wood turning project.
1• SELF LEVELLING CAPABILITY
Self levelling epoxy resin is important in wood turning projects given the extensive use of spherical volumes. By having the access to a self levelling epoxy resin, then it is possible to work with spheres and designs with corners without the need to use levelling spatulas or even extra solvents.
Also, self levelling capabilities make the epoxy resin easy to use being excellent for beginners in wood turning as well as pros.
2• ECO FRIENDLINESS
Health comes first. While wood turning, go for epoxy resin which is BPA free, zero VOC, 100% solids, and with extremely low odor. If possible go for some epoxy with high bio-content whose ingredients contain live formulations rather than synthetic components.
This way you are assured of practically zero toxic fumes and no damage to the human breathing system in a well-ventilated workshop wearing the correct PPE for wood turning with epoxy resin.
3• FOOD SAFETY
Health comes first, again. If you intend your wood turning piece to be used in a way to contact food or beverage then it is critical to go for epoxy resin with food safety precautions. For you to achieve food safety standards easily with epoxy resins that claim this feature, it is paramount that you follow all the steps including mixing formulations to the letter.
Also, even if two artisans were given the same epoxy resin to make a wood turning project, there could still be differences in the quality of the resulting product. Therefore, it is also important to test the final surface per the FDA code, 21CFR175.300.
4• UV RESISTANCE
Depending on the environment you intend to expose your wood turning project, you ought to go for a UV resistant epoxy resin. An epoxy resin enhanced with UV inhibitors reduces the degree of yellowing especially for wood turning pieces for outdoor use or displays.
5• RESISTANCE
Water-resistance is a feature that should exist in the epoxy resin that you use especially if the wood turning piece you want to create will be used in a marine situation. Also, waterproof wood turning projects allow for easy cleaning with water.
Impact-resistant wood turning projects allow for great pressure to be impacted on the wooden piece. Impact-resistant wood turning projects do not dismantle when put under great pressure.
Crack and scratch resistant epoxy resins allow them to be used in making scratch and crack resistant wood turning projects. This way wood turning projects can undergo ordinary daily use without unsightly scratches, grooves, and cracks.
6• BONUS FEATURES
• LOW SHRINKAGE FACTOR
By having a low shrinkage factor in the epoxy resin that you use for your wood turning project, then you do not have to pour overflows or many consecutive pours. Low shrinkage factor epoxy resins are ideal for wood turning projects involving deep grooves.
• LOW SAG
Also, you could have situations where you have to vertically apply the epoxy resin. Having the advantage to produce little or no-sag even when applied on a vertical plane increases the versatility of the epoxy resin phenomenally.
• PIGMENT COMPATIBILITY
There are times when you only want a clear appearance over your wood turning piece and as such you should only go for any resin with or without pigment compatibility.
However, include color variation in your wood turning piece by going for a pigment compatible epoxy resin. Check for the diversity of pigments including cement, metallic, and alcoholic pigments. This way you will produce stunning wood turning pieces with solid or textured patterns.
CONCLUSION
Wood turning with epoxy resin is a worthwhile activity to include in your woodworking endeavor. However to get the perfect results you need to select the best epoxy for wood turning which should include and not limited to self-levelling capability, food safety, eco-friendliness, UV resistance, general resistance, low shrinkage factor, low sag, and the ability to find different volumes for the specific scale of your project.
All the best in your wood turning project!
