{"title":"How to Dome Resin on a Flat Piece","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/resin-art/how-to-dome-resin","category":{"slug":"resin-art","name":"Resin Art"},"creator":{"name":"Deby at Mixed Media Arts","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2QflvxjmHh8mGXMzBktLeQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt9-IfQl--Q"},"tldr":"Learn how to dome resin on a flat piece: sand the sharp lip, clean with alcohol and spread a thin coat to the edge for a glossy dome.","totalDurationSeconds":486,"videoDurationSeconds":486,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":30,"waitMinutes":1440,"totalMinutes":1470,"estimatedCost":{"currency":"USD","min":1,"max":3},"yield":null},"tools":["wet and dry sandpaper","cocktail straw or stir stick","small mixing cups","cup or block to raise the piece","barbecue lighter or small torch","gloves"],"materials":["epoxy resin","isopropyl alcohol","lint-free cloth"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Find the Sharp Lip on the Back of the Resin Piece","text":"Turn your cured resin piece over and run a finger around the back edge. Resin curves up the side of a mold as it cures, so the edge is a little higher than the middle. That leaves a ridge that can feel sharp. On a coaster that will sit on a table, you want it gone. Doming a coat of resin over the back hides the ridge and makes the back glossy."},{"number":2,"title":"Sand the Resin Lip on Wet and Dry Sandpaper","text":"Lay a sheet of wet and dry sandpaper flat on the table. Put the coaster on it back side down and rub it around in circles for a couple of minutes. Deby used 220 grit. Lower numbers are coarser and faster; higher numbers are finer. You only need to take the sharp edge off, not the whole lip. A little water or soapy water on the paper keeps the dust down."},{"number":3,"title":"Clean the Resin Surface With Alcohol","text":"Rinse the coaster under the tap to wash away the sanding residue, then dry it. Wipe the back with a cloth dampened with alcohol. Grease from your fingers is enough to stop the new layer of resin from sticking, and you will get bare patches where it pulls away. From here, hold the piece by its edges and wear gloves."},{"number":4,"title":"Pour a Small Amount of Resin on the Flat Back","text":"Set the coaster on top of a cup that is smaller than the coaster, back side up. Mix a small batch of resin; about 10 ml covers a coaster back. Pour a little into the middle. Do not pour it all at once. Too much resin is the main reason a dome spills over the edge, and you can always add more."},{"number":5,"title":"Spread the Resin Across the Piece With a Straw","text":"Use a cocktail straw or a stir stick to push the resin out from the middle. Move it in small strokes toward the edges, working all the way around. A thin straw gives you good control over small amounts. Stop short of the edge for now. You want an even, thin layer across most of the surface before you go near the rim."},{"number":6,"title":"Draw the Resin to the Edge to Form the Dome","text":"Now bring the resin right up to the rim, but not over it. Touch the straw to the wet edge and pull it out to the very edge of the piece, a little at a time, all the way around. If resin goes over at one spot, the rest can follow it down the side. At the edge, surface tension holds the resin up in a smooth dome."},{"number":7,"title":"Pop Bubbles in the Domed Resin With a Flame","text":"Light a barbecue lighter or a small torch and pass the flame quickly over the surface. The heat brings bubbles up and pops them. Keep it moving and only hold it there for a moment; too much heat can ripple the resin. Check again after a few minutes and repeat if more bubbles rise."},{"number":8,"title":"Cover the Resin and Let the Dome Cure","text":"Cover the piece so dust cannot settle on the wet resin, and leave it to cure for the time your resin kit gives, usually a day. Once it is cured, the back is as smooth and glossy as the front. Run a finger around the edge; the sharp ridge is gone. Now the coaster is fully reversible, with a finished domed surface on both sides."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-12T17:03:06.516Z","published":"2026-10-12T17:03:06.240Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}