The most obvious difference between the two is the intended use. Epoxy resins are designed for coating applications, while casting resins are intended for casting applications such as molds, figurines, jewelry&. However, that's not to say that either of them works for their opposite intended uses, but rather that we'll talk about it later. Epoxy is a specific type of two-part resin.
Epoxy resins are the most commonly used type of resin for making crafts and creating resin art. Because they are the easiest to measure and mix, epoxy resins are the ones I recommend for resin beginners. The most notable difference between these two compounds is their intended use. Epoxy coating resin is designed for surface coating applications, while casting resin is mainly used for jewelry, molds, or figurines.
However, we must realize that these two compounds could be used interchangeably, but we will discuss this matter later in the article. It dries clear to a glass-like finish. Epoxy adhesive is much more expensive compared to resin glue because it has excellent bondability that outperforms all types of adhesives. These two resins are quite similar in some respects, but they are very different to work with and are intended for different uses.
However, it's worth noting that you can mix casting resins in a variety of ways and that means they can vary considerably in hardness from project to project. It is worth noting that, despite these traditional applications, it is often possible to replace one type of resin with another (depending on the application, of course) without any catastrophe occurring in your projects. However, casting resins tend to have less noticeable bubbles and can generally drag to the surface easily and burst even after pouring the resin. Woodworking and certain industrial processes use this type of resin and it can be used for many of the same processes as epoxy resin.
Many people use a casting resin, such as pourable plastic, when trying to enclose a souvenir product or piece, such as coins, dried flowers, marbles, glitter, and sequins or insects. So, in reality, there are only four common or regular types of epoxy resins in stores to choose from. Since epoxy adhesive is superior to resin glue when it comes to bonding, it is ideal for use in larger projects, such as building airplanes, ships and the like. In particular, you should know the difference between casting resin and epoxy resin for household projects.
Most epoxy coating resins and casting resins used by the average DIY artist are not high heat resistant epoxies. Epoxy acrylate is a material that consists of all the characteristics and properties of polyester resin, acrylic epoxy and epoxy resin. However, as you've seen, there are 3 types of resin that are commonly used in projects and it's important to select the right resin for the right job. Epoxy coating resin is best known to be a coating for surface areas, whereas coating resin is used for figurines, jewelry, etc.
