Epoxy Tumblers
Beginner’s Guide to making epoxy tumblers
When I started making epoxy tumblers back when covid hit there was not much info on this topic ,there was many tips but noting that can really teach you not even to mention cup turners!
I knew I needed something that rotates so with my very first cup I used a rotisserie motor yes you read right lol!It took loads and loads of trial and error but I am a firm believer in that is how we learn!
so I am Writing this piece to help you as much as possible.
1 .Tumbler Selection
There are lots of tumblers now available in South Africa and each serves a different purpose and outcome ,for a beginner I would suggest to start with a stainless steel tumbler the size really depends on you but the great thing about stainless steel is you can always strip away the epoxy and start over should you make a mistake.
My favourite is any tumbler I can get my hands on but the top seller will always be the 20 oz straight tumbler
you can get them from SA Sublimation Blanks shipping is fast and the quality is amazing! here is the link
But in general you can epoxy almost anything if prepped right from glass to plastic this is what makes epoxy fun and versatile
It does take practise so be patient there are also various factors that do play a role in a perfect tumbler so keep that in mind.
and stock up on acetone this works best for me.
2.Tumbler Prepping
All tumblers come with a coating on them this helps to protect tit from corrosion and other external factors.
This coating prevents your spray paint and epoxy to adhere so thats why you need to prep.I use sanding paper 120 grit works form me but you need to find what works for you so test the 120 and see how this works for you , if need be you can go higher up to 180 grit.
3.Spray Paint
Now I have tried so many but the top one stays Rustoleum , other brands tend to change colour once the epoxy starts to heat up.
Like for example the clear coatings of some spray paints turn yellow , so if you have done your whole cup from paint to glitter and sealed it with the clear coating of spray paint only for it to turn yellow it is such a mood killer.
Rather go with what works 🙂
you can also go with your normal acrylic paints or even chalk paint but yet again some brands do change colour.
I also find that “glossy” Spray paints tend to repel the epoxy so I use flat or matte spray paint.
I always seal with a Flat clear coating.
Glossy paint also take a long time to dry so when you are like me rather stick with flat for example flat white or flat black as a base.
If your Tumbler will be glittered make sure to use the same colour base paint this will make your life so much easier! And if you glitter seal seal seal!you don’t want your multi glitter cup to be all mixed up!
4. Glitter
The Brand of glitter really doesn’t matter ,especially when you are just starting to play around.
You an use almost any type of glitter for any type of tumbler, But first
Get to know your glitter..
- Transparent – This glitter will be influenced by your base colour
- Opaque – Completely cover the colour that they are placed on.
- Matte – Colourful and shiny but no sparkle
- Holographic- Gives a rainbow effect but more with a base colour like rose gold ect.
- Iridescent- Gives a rainbow effect – displays more than one colour
- Pearlescent- Gives a pearly effect to any project -think satin
- UV Glitter – activated by UV light
- Glow in the dark – We all know this one!
Glitter comes in different shapes and sizes from super fine to chunky fine giving more coverage.
Tip: make sure that your chunky glitter lays flat on your tumbler you do not want to sit with un even epoxy one it cured.
Choose your glitter and play around do what you think will look best be creative see it as a blank canvas.
5.using a “sticky” base for glitter
People use tons of ways to adhere the glitter to the tumbler from modgepodge to epoxy to spray glue or the ‘paint’ method .
It really depends on you and what you prefer. For me spray adhesive or tack it method works best
Aleene’s Tack It Over and over is a little bit different where you would apply modge podge and then glitter with Aleene’s you would apply two to three layers leaving drying time between each layer as it dries it becomes tacky so you would apply your glitter once the tack it has dried rubbing it into the tumbler making sure it lays flat.
Because the tack it is sticky the glitter adheres like a charm.
I then seal the glitter with 2-3 layers of clear Rustoleum spray paint to make sure my glitter stays in place especially when you are using different colours/glitters.
6. Epoxy
This is subject draws a lot attention I often get messages asking what epoxy I use or what is the best epoxy to use.
I have used so many epoxies but I do have some favourites , BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU HAVE TO FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. As soon as you learn the tricks of the trade you will have a favourite what works for me may not work for you as epoxy is a funny thing and sometimes a pain in my ass lol! Epoxy gets influenced by Room temperature ,tumbler temperature mixing time ,humidity even your hands it may be oily due to something that you touched you might not even notice it but believe me the epoxy will!!! so many factors can influence your epoxy so when you just start off and you get “fish eyes” or your epoxy or your epoxy is dry but dull be sure to inspect the above named things.
When you start off buy the smaller amounts of epoxy this way when the epoxy is not working for you it is not a huge waste plus you can always use it in moulds,
I always have a couple of moulds ready so that if I have some mixed epoxy left I can make something with that too epoxy is expensive so my motto is not to waste any
always remember Epoxy takes a drying time and a fully cured time
Dry means you can touch it without leaving finger marks on your tumbler
Fully cured your epoxy is now as solid as a rock and now your tumbler may be cleaned and packaged ready to be shipped to your client
- Rapid poxi – SA sublimation blanks this is my Favourite it takes 3 hours to dry
- Diamond cast 8
- Vaal vital epoxies
These are my to 3 epoxies and my top favourites but like I said what works for me might not work for you so play around and find yours.
All epoxies are not the same so read the instructions stirring time ect.
Have proper ventilation and wear the proper gear they come with a warning for a reason!
After you placed your epoxy on your tumbler apply a little heat with your heat gun to pop all those bubbles be careful epoxy is sassy and will react when you apply too much heat!
7.Turners
Tumbler turners/cup turners you can make your own if you are the DIY type or buy one when building one make sure it is level like 100% level
turning speed must be correct
and above all get a proper turner motor because if you leave your cup on your self made turner and that motor fails for some reason you will be in a mood due to your cup being ruined.
Or you can go the easy route and buy one you can also find this at SA Sublimation blanks https://sasublimationblanks.co.za/shop/arts-crafts/resin-supplies/cup-turner/arts-crafts-cup-turner-for-epoxy-resin/
8.Decals
You don’t need to put glitter on your tumblers you can do plain with vinyl I use my Cricut to cut my decals.
or you can do water slides ,alcohol inks the options are endless making tumblers is so satisfying the sky really is the limit let your creative side bloom and above all have fun while you learn.
Happy tumbler making
