The liquid catalyst, MEKP; does it need UV lights in order to help the resin harden or do you not even need the UV’s? I heard it didn’t need UV’s.
MEKP doesn’t need UV. Mix it into the resin at the prescribed ratio (based on amount of resin, temperature and desired gel time).
UV resin doesn’t need MEKP to catalyze, it just needs sunlight, though you can add some MEKP to it to make sure it kicks (needed if using dark pigments).
UV doesn’t even need sunlight.
ust UV rays. Though the more intense the sun, the quicker the cure. But a cloudy day will cure as well, just takes a little longer
Drew
Yea sorry I misspoke. I’ve been trying to cure my lap bastes with blacklights the past couple of nights… From the looks of it I’ll have to rely on weak UV tomorrow for my deck lam since it’s supposed to be raining on and off here in SD…
Anyone know where to pick up UV fluorescent bulbs in San Diego? 4ft’s…
I thought I saw them at the Homer (Home Depot). That was a couple of years ago; they rotate stock so much…
I checked but couldn’t figure out which ones they would be. Do they clearly state that they’re UV bulbs? Or are they the ‘sunlight’ effect ones? I guess maybe I should start by figuring out what it is I’m looking for hehe… Ended up with a pair of blacklights but those ain’t doing the trick.
They say explicitly “Ultra Violet” 4 foot bulbs. Sunlight bulbs might be UV but they could be Infra Red (IR) “heat lamp” bulbs. The wattage is what makes it so slow. You may want tanning bed bulbs like those offerred on Dale’s website http://surfsource.net/asuncuremfg/UVC2000usersguide.htm. Should be some specs on bulbs (6 footers with 100 watts) and ballasts and stuff. You should be able to source that stuff in California, if Florida is too far away to ship…
Nice! Thanks for the link. Off to google…
1)you might try the light bulb store on Morena Blvd
- from the archives:
WHAT ABOUT LIGHTS FOR GLASSING WITH ULTRAVIOLET RESINS?
SAFETY NOTE: USE CAUTION, protect your eyes, skin, and lungs!
UV light is electromagnetic radiation in the part of the spectrum between visible light and X-rays. These wavelengths of light (100-400 nm, which includes UVA, UVB and UVC) cannot be seen by the human eye BUT are very bad for your eyes. Cataracts are no joke! Don’t risk your vision.
Don’t risk your skin either: Direct and indirect exposure to UV, especially in the UVB and UVC range, include sunburn, aging, and carcinogenic changes. UV output can burn skin in minutes.
Wear UV protective clothing, skin creams, and UV protective eyewear to work with artificial UV light sources (which includes incandescent, gas discharge, low pressure mercury, medium pressure mercury metal halide, and xenon lamps).
Another hazard associated with the use of longwave UVA bulbs (above 350 nm) is that they can also cause lung damage from the ozone generated.
[Noodle] Suncure resin kicks in 5 minutes in full sunlight. You won’t find another UV source stronger than the sun. Artificial cures will range from 5 minutes upward. For best curing efficiency, you want tanning, or blacklight UV. But Suncure will kick less efficiently in wavelengths close to tanning lights. I’ve cured Suncure in 20 minutes using cool white fluorescent tubes, mounted less than a foot from the resin surface. Using handheld lights is pretty tricky. From my experience with street lights, I can recommend bare (not color corrected) Mercury Vapor, with no intervening glass. Look for the clear bulbs. A 175W guard light would provide sufficient UV for reasonably quick portable cures. The guard light should cost less than $30 U.S. I would cover the inside of the clear plastic chimney with aluminum foil. A couple of 400W Mercury Vapor street lights would cook a whole board in short order. Most street lights cast an oval light pattern. Try putting a 175W guard light on an extension cord and see how you like it. Mercury Vapor emits just over half as much light per watt as fluorescent tubes. But Mercury Vapor costs less to buy, and the fixtures are more compact.
[Tom Sterne] Noodle is right on with the Mercury Vapor lighting. I tested an old outdoor security light I had and is does emit a huge pattern of usable UV-cure. UV system cures from the inside out and the light must be able to penetrate and bath the particles with light. Tints will work but opaques will not, fin box/plugs no good either. For a quick ding repair light I use “Black Light” bulbs, not perfect source of light but good enough for dings, lam patches etc. These are not bead curtain and lava light type black light lamps, what I use are a bulb that is installed in many types of bug attractant type fixtures. Insects are attracted to these same types of wavelengths. Mine is a double tube 24" fluorescent fixture with 2 fluorescent “BL” tubes. Start looking at a True-Value hardware or lighting supply. Works like a champ for ding repair.
Thanks Keith. I’ve seen some of the UV archive posts but not that one. Not sure that I have enough room to put together a nice and contained UV cure chamber so I’ll have to think on it a little more.
Sorry Joelyboaly for hijacking your thread!!