Hello and welcome!
We love working with epoxy resin here at DIY Craft Club. We know that sometimes in the world of resin art, it is difficult to find which epoxy resin is best for your particular project. So we have put together a list of the very best epoxy resins for tumblers.
When finding which epoxy resin is best for making tumblers, consider the following:
The epoxy resin that is best for making tumblers check off many of these boxes above and we will share why they made our list as the best epoxy resins for tumblers.
Please refer to the Safety Data Sheet for any resin you are planning on using, and do your own research when a resin says it meets FDA regulations or states it is food safe. It is important to check this out for yourself when using epoxy resin for anything that will come into contact with food or skin. In saying this, we personally recommend that you leave the top rim of your tumbler clear of epoxy resin for drinking from. Also, be sure to read our article "Epoxy Resin Safety Precautions" to make sure you are properly protected when working with epoxy resin.
OK! Let's get started!
Envirotex Lite is a brand of epoxy resin you can use for tumblers, whose claim to fame is that it is a pour-on, high gloss finish. It cures to a thick, glossy coating in about 8 hours at 70F, and reaches full cure in about 48 hours.
Many tumbler artists say that they started making their tumblers using Envirotex Lite Epoxy Resin as it is easy to work with and has a very low odor, which is confirmed in Envirotex's USA Safety Data Sheet, where it says "odor: minimal. Not Distinct".
On the back of the packaging, Envirotex Lite Resin says that it "Complies with FDA 21 CFR 175.300 for coatings intended for indirect and direct repeated food contact use when accurately measured, thoroughly mixed, and fully cured". Please make sure you read and confirm this FDA Compliancy for yourself before using it.
You can find the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for Envirotex Lite on their website right here. Their safety data sheet was easy to find and is straight forward, and we really liked this. When working with chemicals, the SDS should not be a difficult thing to find on the company's website.
One complaint by a few resin artists is that the Envirotex Lite can yellow with UV exposure or over time, yet in saying that, they still love working with this epoxy resin on their tumblers and still recommend it. Just a note here, all resin will yellow over time. The degree of yellowing and how soon it yellows is what you want to know about.
Envirotex Lite does say it is heat resistant but we could not confirm what temperature it is heat resistant to.
Our summary of Envirotex Lite Resin for tumblers:
Comment: Do you use Envirotex Lite on your tumblers? Please leave your comment, questions or your thoughts to share with our resin readers! And if you do comment, please bookmark the page to come back and respond to any questions about your post. We would appreciate that!
KSResin was created with the resin artist in mind. It claims that it dries "water clear" and many tumbler artists agree with that statement. It is a super UV-resistant epoxy resin meaning that it doesn't yellow right away when left out in the sun, so go ahead and pour your white tumblers! KSResin says they have "the best UV-resistance in the industry".
KSResin has a long working time and is very easy to work with, making it a great choice for seasoned tumblers or first-time tumbler makers. The resin pours slightly thicker than other resins out there, but this results in a hard, glass-like finish on your tumbler.
KSResin is compatible with many pigments and has enhanced color stability, as well as something they call "flow kontrol", which is a trademarked additive to reduce surface tension.
This is also a self-leveling resin which is SUPER IMPORTANT for tumblers. While your cup is turning, you want your surface to be completely level once cured. If the resin you use is self-leveling then you don't have to worry about this.
Make sure you are working with this resin at 75-80F throughout the entire process to have perfect results.
This resin is VOC-free but does have a very minor odor, which most tumbler artists agree is minimal. KSResin is also scratch-resistant but is not scratch-proof (which is something to note if you plan on using this epoxy resin for counters).
When fully cured, KSResin is heat resistant up to 475F. Wait until 7 days of curing have passed before exposure to that kind of heat.
KSResin is "food safe for incidental contact once fully cured", according to their website. And like all resins, we recommend not epoxying your tumbler fully to the rim where lips will contact it.
Counter Culture DIY Artist epoxy resin is another popular choice by tumbler artists. This is an epoxy resin that produces a beautiful crystal-clear, glass-like finish. This resin is VOC-free and is also UV-resistant, which we love!
This epoxy resin for tumblers is heat resistant up to 500F after a 24-hour cure. Something else to note, is that many tumbler artists say this particular brand of epoxy resin has "no odor" or "low odor" if any.
A couple of things to know if you are planning on using Counter Culture for your epoxy resin tumblers. You have a 25-40 minute working time before the consistency changes and it begins to cure. They recommend mixing NO LESS than 2 oz. of epoxy resin together to avoid sticky, soft or uncured resin finishes.
It should be noted that Counter Culture DIY Artist resin is an epoxy resin that is FDA-compliant. According to their website, they comply with FDA 21 CFR 175.300.
Counter Culture is a very popular epoxy resin for many tumbler artists out there who swear by it, many switching from their current brand to Counter Culture with great results. There are always comparisons between Counter Culture DIY, Artist Resin, and the Faux Rizzle resin out there it seems, and the debate is strong. That would come down to a matter of preference though. We are going to talk about Faux Rizzle as our next tumbler resin brand.
Our summary of Counter Culture DIY Artist resin for tumblers:
Comment: Do you use Counter Culture DIY Artist resin on your tumblers? Please leave your comment, questions or your thoughts to share with our resin readers! And if you do comment, please bookmark the page to come back and respond to any questions about your post. We would appreciate that!
Faux Rizzle is another epoxy resin brand that is heard quite often being chatted about in the tumbler world. This glass-clear resin is VOC-free and is easy to apply. It is heat-resistant up to 500F and must be mixed at an ambient temperature of 70-75F.
One thing that we have noticed a few resin artists mention is that this particular brand of epoxy resin does not get along well with humid climates and may be harder to work with. This is something to take note of if you are living somewhere where there are periodic or elevated levels of humidity. You can find Faux Rizzle resin here.
Faux Rizzle states that there is no odor on their website. However, they also state that there is "no need to wear a respirator" and "no respirator required", which is one thing we really don't like to see. We recommend that anyone working with epoxy resin should wear the proper protective equipment, and you can read all about that in our article "Epoxy Resin Safety Precautions".
Our summary of Faux Rizzle Art Resin UV for tumblers:
Comment: Do you use Faux Rizzle Art Resin UV on your tumblers? Please leave your comment, questions or your thoughts to share with our resin readers! And if you do comment, please bookmark the page to come back and respond to any questions about your post. We would appreciate that!
Here is an epoxy resin that is designed for countertops but is being used by many epoxy resin tumbler artists. It is durable and is FDA and food-safe according to their website. This epoxy resin is also UV-resistant, VOC-free and is heat-resistant up to 500F. You can find Premium Clear FX Poxy resin right here.
Tumbler artists like Premium Clear FX Poxy because it has a fast cure time and has little to no odor.
One thing to note if you are deciding between Faux Rizzle and Premium Clear FX Poxy, is that they are very similar; many tumbler artists who compare the two brands say they perform almost the exact same. The Premium Clear FX Poxy though was specifically formulated by the company for countertops.
This epoxy is scratch and impact resistant up to 15,000 psi, which is 5 times stronger than concrete. This may not mean much in the world of tumblers, but I would sure like to try doing my countertops with this!
Our summary of Premium Clear FX Poxy by Countertop Epoxy for tumblers:
Comment: Do you use Premium Clear FX Poxy by Countertop Epoxy on your tumblers? Please leave your comment, questions or your thoughts to share with our resin readers! And if you do comment, please bookmark the page to come back and respond to any questions about your post. We would appreciate that!
Should You Wear A Respirator Mask When Working With Resin?
You may also want to read more about whether or not you should wear a respirator mask when working with resin. Check out our article, The Proper Respirator Mask For Working With Resin, where we talk about why you should consider wearing a respirator, what the risks are if you do not wear a respirator, how comfortable one is, and how much you should pay for one.
Read about wearing a respirator mask when working with resin here
We hope you found this article useful in your quest to find the best epoxy resin for tumblers! There are so many different resin companies out there, but these ones all had quite a bit of buzz in the tumbler community and checked many of our boxes.
You may also want to check out our article, The Best Glitter To Use On Tumblers, where we feature the best glitter brands, UV-reactive glitters, gorgeous black glitter, neon glitter and more!
We would love to hear your feedback and thoughts on these top picks! Be sure to comment and Pin your faves to your resin board.
We are going to leave a Pinterest Pin below for each of our top 5 picks, simply hover over the image and click the red "save" button to Pin.
Also, be sure to check out our DIY Craft Club Store on Amazon, where we listed all of the resins in this article that were available through Amazon so you could compare the prices and see if any are on sale. We also have a few other tumbler supplies in our Amazon store, be sure to check it out right here!
Pin for Envirotex Lite:
Pin for KS Resin:
Pin for Counter Culture:
Pin for Faux Rizzle:
Pin for Premium Clear FX
Happy tumbling!
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