Hey fellow crafters,
There's been a lot happening in the Guild workshop since last time. The first June supporter draw is done, and the July gift is being built. You might also find it interesting what I learnt while making custom silicone molds and casting resin water panels, which we'll touch on today too.
My first water panel mold
If you've been following the malachite project - the oak inlay, the vein art panel, the Artline resin tests - this is the issue that closes it out. The complete guide is live on the site now, covering the clay wall technique from start to finish.
I'll be honest: the build itself took three weeks. Not because the work is complicated - most steps are straightforward - but because curing epoxy can't be rushed. Multiple pours, each needing full cure before the next stage. And then there's the clay removal. That part is exactly as tedious as it sounds.
More on that below. Here's what's in this issue:
Today's Lineup:
1. This Week's Insight:
Malachite Vein Art Panel
The malachite vein art panel guide is the second and final part of this project. The oak stone inlay in Part 1 is sequential and mostly forgiving. This technique has a step in the middle that will test your patience - building clay walls on a partially cured base, pouring around them, waiting for full cure, then removing the clay section by section with a screwdriver. It works. But it is slow, careful work.
Here's the short version for now:
The clay wall trick: you build walls on the partially cured base following your vein paths, pour the second layer around them, and when it cures you remove the clay - the void becomes the channel you fill with transparent resin.
Coat the walls with silicone before the second pour. Without it, the clay partially bonds into the epoxy and removal damages the channel walls. The silicone also stops the resin dissolving the clay surface - which causes cloudiness you can't fix afterward.
Wall height matters. Walls that sit too low get submerged and the epoxy floods the channel before it cures. Aim for a few millimetres proud of the second pour level.
Use transparent for the channel fill. Low viscosity resin flows into narrow channels cleanly. Vacuum degas before pouring if you have a chamber - the difference in bubble count is significant.
The surface texture of the bronze ground - that organic, almost geological pattern - develops on its own during the cure from mica particle movement. Pour cleanly, pass a heat gun once for bubbles, cover, and leave it alone.
My take: Real malachite stone is what makes this worth the effort. Pigment paste gives you green. Real malachite gives you natural banding - pale green, mid-green, near-black - in every individual particle. That variation cannot be replicated with any colorant. Run a small test panel first before committing to a full-size piece. The clay wall technique in particular benefits from a low-stakes rehearsal.
📚 Continue reading: How to Make a Malachite Vein Art Panel: Complete Guide (2026 Edition)
2. Project Inspiration:
Alcohol Inks with Daniel Cooper
Something a bit different this issue. Rather than a specific piece, I want to point you toward a channel worth following - Daniel Cooper on YouTube, who works primarily with alcohol inks and resin.
Most of what I cover here sits in the wood and epoxy space - casting, inlays, structural pieces. Daniel's work is on the other end of that spectrum: fluid art, unpredictable color movement, the kind of results where the resin does a lot of the visual work. Different technique, different aesthetic, but the same curiosity about what this material can do.
Alcohol inks in resin behave differently from mica powders - they spread, blend, and move in ways that are harder to control and more interesting because of it. If you've been working mostly with pigment pastes and want to see what the ink end of the spectrum looks like in practice, his channel is a good place to start.
Designer's perspective: The appeal of alcohol ink work in resin is that the process produces results that read as paintings rather than cast objects. More art, less material showcase. Worth understanding as a separate language, not just a variation on what you already do.
📺 Channel: Daniel Cooper - Resin Art
3. Materials & Tools Spotlight:
Silicone Mold Making
Recently I wanted to make a realistic water surface panel - waves, texture, something that reads as water rather than just coloured resin. Every digital model I looked at felt off to me. So I took a different approach: made a master by hand from clay, cast a silicone mold from it, then cast the water panels from that mold.
First attempt at silicone mold making. I used silicone from CraftResin. The process is more approachable than it looks - the main variable is getting the clay master right before you ever touch the silicone.
The resin panels themselves were not perfect - I used a 24-hour curing resin which seems to trap more bubbles than a deep cast formula would. With the deep cast resin the results were noticeably better. That's the learning curve: the mold making side worked, the resin choice needed adjusting.
Bottom line: If you want a texture or form you can't buy a mold for, making your own is a real option. The clay master takes time to get right, but once the silicone is cast you have a reusable mold that's yours. For bubble-sensitive pours into detailed molds, use a deep cast resin - the 24-hour formula was not the right choice here.
Affiliate link: CraftResin - small commission at no cost to you if you buy through this link.
4. What I'm Making for You This Month
The July draw piece is on the bench. I've had a nice cherry wood board in stock for a while, so this time I turned it into a serving tray, finished with a transparent section holding coffee beans. Some malachite stones left over from a previous project - similar in size to the beans - are going into the mix too. The rich brown and dark green tones match perfectly. I also used burnt details on an earlier piece, and here they give it a unique feel.
Two trays are on my work desk now; one goes to the draw.
The draw is set for 5 July 2026.
The casting forms are ready, and I'll be casting multiple resin layers this week.
Gold Guild Patrons and above are in the draw. If you've been thinking about joining - the timing is good.
5. Save with the Guild
A couple of deals from partners where you can save on colorants and materials for your next pour.
Artline Resin - Tools, supplies, and colorants for resin and woodworking projects. Worth checking their colorant range alongside the other options here. Click the link or use code ResinCraftGuild for 10% off your entire order.
Eye Candy Pigments - Mica powders, pigment pastes, colorshift and specialty pigments for resin work. One of the most respected colorant brands in the maker community - wide color range, ships worldwide, and they offer sample sets so you can test colors before committing to full sizes. Click the link or use code resincraftguild for 10% off your entire order.
Resiners - Resin, colorants, and casting supplies. Good range of liquid pigments and mica powders alongside their resin systems. Click the link or use code ResinCraftGuild15 for 15% off your entire order.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend trusted products relevant to the topic.
6. Shape the Guild
The malachite series is done - both guides are live on the site now. Next up is the cherry wood tray build, which will get its own full guide after the July draw.
Your answer shapes what I cover next - reply or hit the poll.
Where are you in your resin journey right now?
Next issue: the cherry wood serving tray build guide - coffee beans, malachite stones, transparent epoxy, and everything that goes into making a piece that's also a July draw gift.
Petr
Resin Craft Guild
www.resincraftguild.com
P.S. Both malachite guides are now live and linked to each other - Part 1 (oak & stone inlays) and Part 2 (vein art panel). If you're building the combined piece, start with Part 1.