During the Christmas (resin crystal order rush) I was pressed with the following epoxy question… Do I lengthen my shipping times, or do I finally try out a resin curing mat? Then I began to wonder…does a seed heating mat really work just as well? Or should I just bite the bullet and spend extra $?
I tested out one of Amazon’s most popular seed heating mats at the same time as a Let’s Resin mat- so that you don’t have to.
Disclosure: This article has affiliate links to Amazon.com. If you purchase one of these products I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Resin Heating Mat: Let’s Resin
The Let’s Resin heating back was the second product I tried- and the one I was most impressed by. The resin mat comes with a silicone cover, which was quite convenient. The buttons can be set in increments: 6 hours, 4 hours, or 2 hours.
Pros: It sits flat, it warms up quickly, it speeds up the curing process of small pieces (a big time saved)
Cons: It gets so warm I hesitate to leave it unattended, large pieces will flash cure, no way to adjust the temperature
I was able to fit 1 dragon, 5 gems, fae charms, a fox, and 2 dragon heads on the mat when I poured yesterday. You can find the link here to the Fairy mold.
As per the directions, you aren’t supposed to try and cure more than a few mili-meters worth of resin- but of course I tried it, so you don’t have to.
Large block molds and big resin crystals WILL flash cure. However, I loved this mat for speeding up the curing process for small projects like necklaces- which typically take 3+ days to de-mold in the winter time.
All in all I’d recommend the resin heating mat by Let’s Resin over a seed mat, just because it sits flat and gets warmer.
Photo credit: Amazon + Let’s Resin
Purchase the Lets Resin Curing Mat
TVTUTPWY Seed Mat
These mats came in super quick, but they didn’t get as warm as I’d hoped- and they came rolled up, so I had to duct tape them down. Luckily the cured resin didn’t stick to the canvas-like material, so if you make a mess it’ll be easy to peel off.
Pros: They’re economical, with 2 mats there’s a lot of space to work with, resin peels off the canvas
Cons: They come rolled up and take a while to flatten out, they don’t get as warm, the bottom is not totally flat, no timer
The fact that the seed mats don’t get as warm meant that I was able to cure slightly bigger pieces on them. I actually was able to jerry-rig a tote and the seed mat to create a relatively cozy environment for my resin to warm up in- despite everything being in our cold basement. Again, I hesitated to leave the house with this one on- because it has no timer.
Purchase the 2-pack of Seed Mats
Resin Mat Curing Trouble? Wait 12 Hours
If your items keep flash curing, try waiting 12-24 hours and then put them on the heating mat. The best luck I had in speeding along my big items was by using this method, it preventing flash curing entirely.
I was able to put things directly on the seed mat after 12-24 hours and found that even if they warp a bit you can take them off the mat when they are still warm and set them on a totally flat surface- and then they will cool off/hard in the correct shape.
Don’t put them on sideways like this though, for the sake of saving space. In my business-rush haze, I THOUGHT this was a good idea. It wasn’t- it resulted in molded drippy weird globs… Well, at least I hope you had a good laugh at the end of this article.
Until next time!
-Aleah
Disclosure: This blog is for entertainment purposes only. Take care when handling electronics and follow all user manuals as directed, keeping them away from liquids like water. I am not offering legal advice and am not responsible for risk taken while crafting.
