How to open the pump

Craft Resin kits include pumps for dispensing resin and hardener. Before you attach a pump to its bottle, it needs to be switched from its locked (shipping) position to its open position. This only takes a moment, but doing it correctly avoids the pump spinning uselessly instead of popping open.

Opening the pump

1. Hold the base of the pump steady. Grip the wider bottom section between your fingers so it can't rotate.
2. Twist the top section. With the base held still, turn the top/head of the pump toward the open position.
3. Listen and look for the pop. When it reaches the open position, the head will pop up slightly, telling you it's unlocked and ready to attach.

If the whole pump spins in your hand instead of the top twisting relative to the bottom, you're not holding the base firmly enough — grip lower down and try again.

Attaching the pump to the bottle

Once the pump is open:

• Align it with the bottle opening. Line the pump's threaded collar up squarely with the neck of the bottle.
• Press down firmly and evenly. Push straight down until the pump seats fully and feels secure. Don't attach it at an angle — this is the most common cause of leaks.
• Check it's seated before tipping the bottle. Give it a gentle press-test rather than immediately turning the bottle upside down or sideways.

Common issues

The pump won't pop open. This is almost always because the base rotated along with the top instead of staying still. Reset by turning the top back toward the closed position, re-grip the base firmly, and try opening it again.

Resin/hardener leaks around the collar. This usually means the pump wasn't pressed on straight, or wasn't seated fully. Remove it, check the collar and bottle threads are clean and dry, and re-attach it pressing straight down.

The pump feels stiff the first time. A new pump can feel tight before it's been used — this is normal. Firm, steady pressure while holding the base still is usually all that's needed rather than forcing it.

Open and attach each pump (resin and hardener) the same way. Keep the two pumps and bottles separate — mixing up which pump goes on which bottle contaminates your resin and hardener.

Related articles

• What's Included in the Kit?
• Mixing Ratio — How to Measure Resin and Hardener Correctly
• Shelf Life and Storage — How to Check, How to Store