How to Make Car Coasters [Step-by-step Guide]

Recently, coasters designed specifically for cars have seen a significant uptick in demand. And it’s not hard to understand why!

These coasters provide customers with the opportunity to add beauty and glitter to their vehicles. Also, they offer a significant amount of protection for the cup holders in your vehicle.

Knowing how to make coasters for your car will save you some money while enjoying the new-found beauty.

Preparation

Preparation is the key to a successful project, and learning how to make coasters is no exception.

Ensure that you have read the instructions and that all the necessary materials are ready.

Always work in a ventilated area and put on the necessary protective gear, including gloves and a respirator, before starting.

In addition, to prevent any mess from occurring on your workspace, cover it with a drop cloth or a mat.

In this article, we will be working on how to make a resin type of coaster for your car.

When working with resin, it is always best to work in an environment with a temperature slightly higher than the resin itself.

The optimal temperature range for working is between 22 and 23 degrees Celsius (72 and 74 degrees Fahrenheit).

In order to prepare your mold, spray it with a mold release product. Then, use your gloved finger or a brush to cover the entirety of the mold’s surface.

Tools Needed

Resin

Bowl and water

Bottle caps or coins

Sandpaper

Electric sander and polisher

Mixing and Coloring

Before opening the package, you can soften the resin by soaking it in a bowl of hot water for about ten minutes.

This helps reduce the number of bubbles that are produced by the mixture. Be aware that doing this may also lengthen the time required for it to cure, resulting in less time for you to work with the material.

Before mixing your resin, you should always read the directions first. The amount of resin you will require will be determined by the size of the mold and whether or not you will embed something.

The norm is to mix equal amounts of the resin and the hardener, sometimes known as a 1:1 ratio.

For instance, if you require 100 milliliters of a mixture, you will need to measure out 50 milliliters of resin and 50 milliliters of hardener.

Make use of two individual-sized disposable measuring cups, and then pour the contents of both cups into one larger cup.

Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the cup while stirring vigorously with your mixing stick.

Stir the mixture for about three minutes or until it can be seen through. This will help limit the number of bubbles that form in the mixture.

It is recommended that you select a color brand that is made to go with the resin you are working with when you add color to your resin.

Suppose you use a color from a different brand for your resin. In that case, it is possible that the resin will cure at a different temperature and that the color will turn out differently than you anticipated.

After thoroughly combining the resin and the hardener, you can add color. The amount of time spent mixing will be determined by the effects you seek to obtain a consistent hue after mixing.

There are wide distinct varieties of coloring agents available to you, including:

• Alcohol Ink
• Color Pigments
• Special resin dyes

Other Contents Addition

First things first, decide what it is that you want to embed into your resin. Items with a flat surface, such as bottle caps or coins, are common options.

When working with a silicone mold, pick which side of the coaster you want to be the uppermost surface.

Making the top of the coaster the side that is facing you is the option that is less difficult. Because the pieces are inserted with the top facing up, it is simple to see what you are doing.

If you select the top of the coaster side, which is the side closest to the table, you will be required to embed your contents in an inverted position. This will happen if the item tends to float or the mold has a rim around it.

First, pour a small amount of resin into your mold; doing so helps to keep everything it contains in its proper position.

The next step is to pour a small amount of resin into a separate cup. Then, place the object that you want to embed into the resin, and make sure that the resin covers the whole thing.

When embedding your object, this helps to ensure that there are no bubbles that rise to the surface.

When the coating has been applied to your object, slide it into the thin layer of resin in the mold. You should include one more layer of resin.

Repeat the steps above for any additional objects that you wish to incorporate. You can decide where to place the embedded or included items.

Pour the Epoxy

After the resin has been mixed and colored, you may pour it into the coaster mold you prepared earlier. To fill a coaster, you will need approximately a third of an inch worth of material.

When embedding things, the initial step is to create a very thin layer that covers around 1/8 of an inch. After that, you bring in your object.

After placing your pieces into the resin, you will require additional resin to cover everything and fill the mold completely.

Pour until you reach a distance of about 1/8 of an inch from the rim of the mold. This will prevent the resin from spilling out of the mold.

The first method consists of only one pouring of the resin. However, you also have the option of doing it in two layers.

As was described earlier, your first pour should consist of only a modest amount of resin to create a very thin coating.

After that, you insert the objects you want to embed. Pop any bubbles you see, then wait around four hours for the remedy to take effect.

At last, put your final coat, which should be a layer of resin. With approximately sixty milliliters of resin, you should be able to coat a total of four coasters.

The entire resin needed for a single round coaster should be between 88 to 100 ml.

Get Air Bubbles Out of Your Resin

It is possible to eliminate air bubbles using a toothpick, an artist’s torch, or both. When you have finished pouring the resin into the mold, you may use the torch to eliminate any air bubbles that may have formed.

Be careful not to leave the torch stationary for an extended period; instead, move it about often.

Before embedding the pieces, you should cover them with resin. After all the pieces have been placed in the resin, you must not forget to check for bubbles.

Before removing the resin, you can wait a short while, but no longer than ten to fifteen minutes.

The bubbles rise to the surface as a result of this. Do not wait much longer, as the resin will become more solid if you do.

Cover and Cure

After pouring your resin, you can allow it to set and cure on its own. The resin can be handled after approximately twenty-four hours.

However, for a thorough cure, you need to leave it alone for at least forty-eight hours and, in rare circumstances, even seventy-two hours.

It is recommended that you cover your work while it is curing. Do this so dust or other floating particles cannot get onto the surface while it is drying.

Unmolding

The silicone molds should not provide any difficulties in most cases, and the cured resin should pop out without any issues.

Do not attempt to remove the resin from the mold if you observe that it is still flexible after having been cured.

If you handle the coaster while it is in this stage, you run the risk of distorting it. Distorting it will leave you with a coaster that is not flat.

Using a solution that helps release mold not only makes demolding easier but also makes your mold last longer.

If you do not utilize the mold release, your silicone mold will get older, becoming brittle, and it may eventually break apart if you try to use it.

Putting the Finishing Touches

After being cast, the surface of the resin object will typically have a glossy appearance if the mold that was used was made of silicone.

Sanding the item while it is wet with sandpaper that has a fine grain can be done with relative ease.

You might even be able to skip the step of sanding altogether and get away with only using a resin finish. Polishing your nails with this product is a breeze, resulting in a beautiful glossy sheen.

You will need to wet sand the object if the casting turns out dull or if it has any light scratches at all.

This is something that may be readily done by hand because of the nature of the coaster’s size and shape.

You will want some sandpaper, ranging from coarse sandpaper with 120 grit to fine sandpaper with 3000 grit. You should invest in a sandpaper holder because you intend to complete this task manually.

When working on tasks on a more substantial scale, you should consider purchasing an electric sander and polisher.

You are going to need some water in a squirt bottle or a spray bottle. Water is required for this operation because heat is produced while sanding.

More importantly, water is required because it removes any dust or dirt particles that may be present.

Some people can moisten sandpaper, while others prefer to pour water directly onto the surface being sanded.

You start with coarse sandpaper and work to finer grits using circular motions. You wet the surface and then wipe it clean between each pass with sandpaper.

After you have completed sanding, the surface should be level, and all traces of water should have been removed at this point. After that, you can move on to the next step, polishing your resin casting.

Conclusion

Looking at your cup holder in your car and realizing it is a complete and utter mess is frustrating.

When you look in there, you notice all of the change, gunk. This makes it appear less than nice in your otherwise wonderful car.

You should surely consider creating personalized car coasters with the steps explained above.

Because nobody wants to drive about in a well-kept automobile with soiled cup holders, just follow our guide and boom! You have nice coasters for your car.