This is going to solely be my opinion and what I have personally experienced.
This will be super short and again, all my opinion.
The UV Resin that I currently use is from the brand Decor Rom.
Now, UV Resin may seem like an obvious choice to some. As it cures a lot faster than Epoxy while maintaining the hard outcome. It's a win-win situation, right? Sort of. While I think that it's worth it, others may disagree.
Curing
UV resin normally takes about 5 minutes to fully cure if underneath a UV light (10-20 minutes underneath direct sunlight) It is preferred that the UV light be above 36W. Though, what most are unaware of is sometimes it comes out tacky. This doesn't always mean your casting is now unable to be used. If your UV resin cures tacky, just allow it to continue curing. Every time I use UV resin I allow it to sit in the sun for about 10 hours before doing anything with it. Allowing it to sit in the sun mainly removes the tackiness for me.
Process of using UV Resin
I personally do not use UV resin for big projects. I think UV Resin should be used for smaller crafts like pendants, overlays, and smaller details. If you compare the price of UV resin to the price of most epoxy's, it may be worth it to just use normal epoxy resin. UV resin sometimes does not cure well if not used in thin layers. Though, for smaller molds like pendant molds, UV resin works wonders.
Alcohol Ink
Why alcohol ink? Well, if you plan on using UV resin for smaller crafts but also use Alcohol ink as a main coloring source, I would advise against it. There is a Resin to Alcohol Ink ratio, meaning if you put more ink than resin, your craft will not cure. If your mold is small, it is hard to avoid having more alcohol ink than resin. Though, for a alternative, Mica powders work wonderfully in UV resin and can color just as vividly. My Mica powder UV resin projects are here:
What Do I use UV resin for?
As stated previously, I use UV resin for pendants and coverage. If a mold is small, I highly prefer UV resin because it is instant and I don't have to pull out mixing cups just for a 2 oz mold. For coverage, if I'm working with sea shells or any dried out floral object, I like to take a paint brush and lightly brush over the object with UV resin to give it strength. So far, it has kept my shell from breaking as easily as they would've. Some of the crafts I did with UV resin are below.
Though, I still highly recommend trying out UV resin if you are a jewelry artist or if you use smaller objects and need to cover them to protect it. Some may dislike it and honestly, I've seen more bad reviews for UV resin then good. But, UV resin has its purpose and not everyone's craft can match with it.
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