Cernit Kit Finish Glass is a two-part epoxy resin that cures to a thick, clear, high-gloss dome over polymer clay. It is not a varnish and does not behave like one: instead of a thin protective film, it lays down real depth, so the surface reads as glass rather than as a coating. Supplied as resin plus hardener, measured and mixed at the point of use.

This is the finish for cabochons, pendants, coasters and anything meant to look poured. It also builds a genuinely hard, water-resistant surface, which no brush-on clay varnish will match.

Working with two-part resin. It is less forgiving than a varnish and worth reading up on before the first pour:

• Measure precisely. An inaccurate ratio is the usual reason resin never fully hardens and stays tacky — and at that point it is very difficult to remove. Marked medicine cups beat guesswork, and mixing a slightly larger batch helps, since being a drop out matters less in a bigger pour.
• Mix in two stages. Combine in one cup, then transfer to a second cup with a clean stick and mix again. It catches unmixed resin clinging to the first cup’s walls.
• Deal with bubbles. Let it self-level, then pass a heat gun or lighter flame briefly over the surface to pop what has risen. Check crevices under magnification and lift trapped bubbles out with a needle before repeating.
• Pour on a level surface and leave it there. Resin flows, and a bench that is slightly off level will pull the dome to one side.
• Allow 12 to 36 hours to cure at room temperature, faster in a warm room. Do not cure it in the oven. Cover the piece while it cures — anything airborne that lands on wet resin is set in it permanently.

One thing to expect: epoxy resin yellows over years, and faster with heat and sunlight. That is true of the whole product category rather than this one in particular, but it is worth knowing before you dome a piece you intend to keep pristine for a decade.

If you want a clear finish that ships by air, Cernit Varnish is water-based, carries no shipping restriction, and is the simpler choice when you want protection rather than a poured-glass look.

Shipping note — please read before ordering. This product is classified as a hazardous material by USPS and UPS, so it cannot travel by air. Any order containing it moves by ground carrier, and that applies to the whole box — anything packed alongside it ships ground too. If an order is large enough to need a second box, that box can go by the usual service.

Ground shipping on hazardous materials has sometimes run slower than an ordinary ground shipment. We ship from outside Seattle, so the further east you are, the more time to allow. If you need it by a particular date, please order with room to spare.

• Cernit reference: CE3060002K01C
• Type: Two-part epoxy resin
• Contents: 120ml + 60ml (resin + hardener)
• Finish: High-gloss, glass-like