Resin is used in many products nowadays from river tables, over 3D printed parts, to jewelry, and even as flooring. Most of these items will be used each day and have to take a lot of abuse. So I was wondering, just how durable is resin really? We tested it and here are our results!
Resin is generally very durable. Resin is water resistant, scratch resistant, does not mold, impact resistant, and most resins are even UV resistant. Overall, epoxy resin is very durable and comparably lightweight which makes it an amazing choice for lots of different projects.
In our test, we tested the durability of art resin which is often used for jewelry making, deep pour resin which is often used for making river tables and dioramas, UV resin which is often used for 3D printing, and epoxy putty which is used for repairs and sculpting.
In this article, I will share the results of our tests and I will also compare the durability of the different types of resins with each other.
How Durable is Resin?
Here is a table of our test results:
| Resin | Break test | Impact test | UV test | Scratch test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Art Resin | Survived | Minimal damage | No yellowing | No scratches |
| Deep Pour Resin | Survived | Minimal damage | No yellowing | No scratches |
| UV Resin | Deformed Slightly | Some damage | No yellowing | No scratches |
| Epoxy Putty | Survived | Minimal damage | No yellowing | No scratches |
We put four different types of resins through four different tests to see how durable each of them really is.
For the break test, we fixed a round flat piece of resin to a workbench and then applied exceedingly more and more pressure to it to see if it would break or deform.
The Impact test was done by hitting a round flat piece of resin (they all were identically in size and form) with a metal hammer to see how well they would survive a strong impact.
For the UV test, we simply let the resin sit in direct sunlight for a week to see if it would start to yellow slightly.
And finally, the scratch test was done by repeatedly scratching the surface with a nail to see how well the resin could withstand scratching.
Art Resin
Art resin is often used to make resin jewelry.
It survived the break test quite well even though it was deformed ever so slightly. But it was barely noticeable.
The impact test only left some small surface damage and a small visible crack.
Most art resins have a very high UV resistance so it was no surprise that the art resin didn´t yellow in the slightest and overall survived the direct exposure to the sun very well.
Art resin was also quite scratch resistant. I was only able to scratch the surface after pressing down hard on the surface.
As I said, art resin is often used for making resin jewelry so after doing all of these tests just how durable is resin jewelry really?
As a whole, resin jewelry is very durable. Well-made resin jewelry will be highly UV resistant, scratch resistant, and impact resistant, and it won´t break that easily. While the resin is water-resistant other parts of the resin jewelry might not be.
Deep Pour Resin
Deep pour resin is very similar to art resin with the big exception that deep pour resin can be poured significantly thicker than art resin.
That’s why deep-pour resin is often used for making river tables, dioramas, lamps, and similar projects that require a very thick layer of resin.
Deep pour resin did survive the break test and the impact test with only minimal damage. It did not deform but some surface damage was done.
It survived the scratch test very well with almost no visible scratches even after pressing down quite hard.
And it also did not show any discoloration even after being exposed to the sun for multiple days in a row.
I know a lot of people who would love to have a table that was made with epoxy in it, like river tables for example, but they are afraid that it won´t be durable enough. So how durable are resin river tables?
River tables are very durable. They are impact-resistant, scratch resistant, resistant to UV rays, mold-resistant, and water-resistant. River tables are just as durable as a table made out of hardwood.
UV Resin
UV resin is unique because it does not need a hardener to cure. Instead, it cures when it is exposed to UV light.
UV resin is mostly used for 3D printing but it can also be used for gluing or for jewelry making.
UV Resin isn´t as durable as the other types of resin that I tested in this article.
It deformed during the break test and it took some damage during the impact test.
It did not yellow when it was exposed to the sunlight for multiple hours at a time and it did not scratch easily.
So, after doing all of these tests, how durable is UV resin, and how durable are resin 3D prints?
As a whole, resin 3D prints are quite durable when they are printed solid. They don´t break easily, they don´t scratch easily, they don´t mold, and they don´t yellow in the sun. Hollow resin 3D prints are not as durable, however.
Epoxy Putty
Epoxy putty is a little different than what you would usually think of when someone talks about resin. Most of you will properly know “green stuff”, which is a type of epoxy putty.
Epoxy putty is most often used as glue, for fixing things, for making sculptures, or for fixing gaps or seams on miniatures.
But the biggest difference is that epoxy putty is kneadable and not liquid like art resin.
Like every other type of resin, the epoxy putty also survived the impact test and the break test with only very little damage.
It did not yellow in the sun and it did not get scratched easily.
