Resin name signs

[Chippygeoff]

Sadly I have nothing good to report, to be honest the whole process has been a series of problems. The first name signs I did I used epoxy resin and they turned out fine but the very high cost of this resin does not make it viable for my purpose. I was then advised to use a water clear polyester casting resin and after reading up on the subject I was so convinced that this would work I ordered quite large amounts of the resin and hardener. The problem I encountered, and this was never mentioned on the information sheet, that when the resin hardens it leaves a tacky film on the surface and reving this film with the suggested methods I was told about would have ruined the wood.

The supplier I used stocks everything imaginable to do with every type of resin so I rang them today and spoke to their tec guy. He is now suggesting I add a styrene wax additive to the resin mix which will eliminate the tackiness and in the same breath told me I need to hold a hair dryer over the names after I have poured the resin for half an hour and I just can see me doing this. If I could rig something up to hold the hair dryer I would but I am at a loss as to how this can be done.

I have been in touch with a lecturer at a university who teaches on resins and I am awaiting his reply. When I first came up with the idea of using resins I thought I had researched it thourally. I spent hours watching videos on you tube and they never mentioned the problems I have had, they poured the resin into their moulds and the next dat they just popped them out and they were all perfect, mind you, they were mostly American. Anyway, the wax additive is on its way and I will have another go. In the mean time I am looking at alternative resins, of which there are many.

 

[powertools]

I have been following your progress with interest but you have not given away much detail of the process you are using. I have done engraving in wood and have then filled with colour that gives the results you seem to want to achieve but I think that if you are cutting on the scroll saw and are then wanting to fill the through holes with a colour you will always have a problem.
There is a way round this for scroll saw work but you may have already tried it.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Ho Powertools. You guessed right. I have cut right through the wood on the saw and at last I have hit the jackpot. Some of the previous results were not to bad but not good enough to put out on my craft fair tables. I am now using general purpose resin, as of today, and it's working a treat. I only had enough to do a couple of names. I have a delivery coming on Tuesday and by Friday I should be able to submit some more photos through Steve.

 

[gilljc]

On glider repairs using epoxy resin a heat source of any sort, often a lamp can speed up hardening process, easier than hairdryer. The balance of hardener can be vital, often too much can prevent proper curing just as much as too little. Still waiting g with interest for results, like you have seen process used in America, looks easy,
Good luck with results

 

[nev]

FWIW on the rare occasions I have tried resin, I too have had hit and miss mixes with resin (cfs clear casting), and put my own experience down to either not mixing thoroughly enough or slightly out with the hardener/ resin ratio - i now err on the side of too much hardener and work quickly seems to be the only way to lose the tackiness.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A little wax in styrene works by floating to the surface and sealing the resin from the air - they are nearly all designed to set without air. Many resins are designed to stick to another layer - a gel coat inside a mould will be shiny and hard on the side in contact with the mould (anaerobic), but sticky on the other side. If the same resin is used on the outside of a sculpture, for instance, it will be sticky and duller on the outside unless air contact is stopped - which is why wax is added. Even casting resins are designed to stick to another layer - many are built up in more than one layer.
This knowledge is from 30yrs ago, so I apologise if anything is now different though I doubt it.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Many thanks to all for the interest shown. Indeed, the critical factor seems to be the hardener and the ratio added to the resin. On the tin it states 10ml of hardener to 1 litre of resin. I have founf that 100ml will be enough resin for one name sign and the amount of hardener equates to 1ml. My biggest problem was how do I measure 1ml of resin. I telephoned the supplier and he said I should add 4 drops to 100ml of resin. In practice this was not enough, the mix was still runny 48 hours later. The new resin will be here on Tuesday and at present have no idea what amount of hardener will be recommended. I don't know what they are called but I have bought a batch from e-bay of long round and tapered plastic tubes, you dip them in liquid and then put your thumb over the top to trap the liquid inside and then the liquid can be released a drop at a time, that's the theory anyway. I have got some off cuts and made some internal shapes in them and I use these to experiment with before I use the resin on my name signs, even so I have still had to bin a total of 8 name signs to date, such a waste, but after Tiuesday I should have more consistent results.

 

[marcros]

The alternative would be a syringe Geoff.

 

[Scottlefley]

yep a syringe, i use one for my sons medicine, they come with bottles of Calpol etc.....Only hold a maximum of 5 ml so it would easy to dish out 1ml accurately...chemists should stock them for pence.

 

[Chippygeoff]

Thanks Marcros and Scottlefley. The syringes I have are 50ml capacity, quite large and a real pain in the rear to push the plunger. I have orderd some 10ml syringes and hopefully the plunger will be a lot easier to use, these smaller syringes are for adding the final part of the resin to accurately fill each letter to the very top.I shall make a point of visiting the chemist and see what I can get to measure one ml. Thanks again guys.

 

[martinka]

Pipettes?

I'm confident you will get it sorted, Geoff, but it's a shame it's costing to get there.