How to Paint Resin Kits

Painted Resin

Resin is used to make a variety of items from toys to furniture. Purchasing a resin kit usually means the resin is not complete. Resin kits contain pieces that have been molded and need to be placed together. Resin can be difficult to remove from its mold, so lubricant is used to remove the resin. The lubricant makes the surface resistant to absorbing regular paint. Resin from kits may be uneven at the seams, or have extra protruding pieces called a flash. To paint resin, you will need to remove excess flash and clean the surface before painting. The slick-rubbery surface makes resin difficult to paint. Using an acrylic or latex-based paint would be ideal. These types of paint coat the outer surfaces of resin perfectly.

Things You'll Need

• Resin kit
• Oil-free soap
• Needle nose pliers
• Utility knife
• Lint-free towel
• Course sand paper (320 grit)
• Fine grit sand paper (800 grit)
• Fine tip paint brush
• Broad bristle paint brush
• Soft brush
• Acrylic or latex-based paint

Instructions

1. Wash the lubricant off the resin pieces. Scrub the resin pieces using oil-free soap, warm water and a soft brush. Dry the resin with a lint-free towel.

2. Remove any flash from the resin using a pair of needle nose pliers.

3. Use a knife to scrap off any uneven or raised seams.

4. Rub the resin with coarse 320 grit sandpaper and warm water to smooth the surface, switch to a fine 800 grit sandpaper to polish off the resin figure.

5. Use a broad bristle brush to apply acrylic or latex-based paint by dabbing not stroking. Allow two minutes for this layer to dry.

6. Apply a second layer of acrylic or latex-based paint using the same dabbing technique.

7. Apply paint details with a fine bristle paint brush and allow paint to dry for five minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• Resin kits do not always come out perfect from the molding. Inspect your piece for any air holes. If you find air holes in the resin you can apply putty to fill them in. Once the putty dries, apply filler primer to the area to help seal the surface. Use sandpaper, both coarse (320 grit) and fine (800 grit), to sand and smooth the surface once you have applied the putty.

• Using anything other than acrylic or latex-based paint could result in the paint not drying correctly, or covering the surface properly. If you cannot tell the base of the paint you purchase, it is better not to use it to paint resin surfaces.

References

• "FireFoxStudio": Step-by-Step Painting Instructions
• "Gremlins": Getting Start with Resin Kits