Here’s my problem: I do ding repair in my basement, which is unheated. For much of the year, it is too cold for resin to cure well. I’d like to rig up a small UV light so that I can use UV catalyzing resin for ding repair. I’ve searched and read through a number of threads here, which has been helpful. Here’s my question:
Perusing McMaster-Carr, I came upon this:
UV Light Fixtures
Black Light
Black Light— **Use for inspection applications and bug and rodent detection. Light wavelength is 355 nm. Operates on 120 VAC and includes a 5-ft. cord with two-prong plug. Not rated for light intensity. Housing is black plastic with a clear diffuser and includes a bulb. UV Curing Black Light— **Use for UV curing and inspection applications. Light intensity is 2160 microwatts/cm2 at 5"; wavelength is 365 nm. Housing has a built-in reflector and is made of white powder-coated aluminum. Operates on 115 VAC and includes an 8-ft. cord with three-prong plug. Two bulbs are included.
The UV catalyzing fixture is 10x the price of the black light? I really don’t know anything about this stuff, can anyone hazard a guess as to whether the black light would work? Or, does anyone have a suggestion for another inexpensive, small UV light source? I’m looking for an low cost solution…
I didn't check the link, but; I have seen UV Grow bulbs for sale at Home Depot and Lowes in the past. Just buy a cheap fixture with ballast, connectors etc already included. Thin find a uv bulb to fit. An overhead shop light at forty-eight inches suspended above your rack fitted with a 48" UV bulb. I have seen guys use smaller hand held lights for ding reapair as well.
Howzit grundy, If you are near or have access to a Fiberglass Hawaii shop they sell 4 ft UV bulbs for about $18 that work great and you can get a fixture from Wal-Mrt for under $10 so for less than $50 you can have a double light set up that will do the trick. Here's the 800 number for the one in Hawaii but then you will have to pay shipping. 800-566-2653 Aloha,Kokua
If I were you, I'd do one of two things, either switch to epoxy resin for repairs and avoid the stink in the house or lay up the resin in the house and carry the board outside to cure. How many repairs are we talking about?
you’re too kind, I see that you have made the same comment in just about every related thread that I’ve looked at.
I should have been more specific, 4’ tubes are just too big. I don’t have a dedicated workspace and in fact am very space limited, so I’m looking for something small and portable that I can pull out on the infrequent occasions that I do some ding repair. Stores like Home Depot have a variety of fluorescent work lights that look good, but they seem to use non-standard bulbs, I’m not sure how to find replacement bulbs that produce high UV. That’s why the one I linked above is interesting to me, it’s less than 2’ long.
mako - we’re talking very infrequent repairs, and I too generally carry the board outside into the sunlight. BUT in the winter, I only see daylight on the weekends, and then it’s a gamble as to whether it will be sun or rain…
It's been a while since I checked; but within the past year I have seen both eighteen inch UV Grow bulbs and eighteen inch fixtures at Home Depot. Also HD sells parts ie. sockets, ballasts etc. You could easily build a handheld in a smaller size based on the size of the bulb. The bulbs I saw there were made for small solariums of the aqariumm size which are used to grow tropical plants indoors. Fixtures were of the type used under kitchen cabinets to light a counter It's just a case of matching the bulb to the fixture, sockets etc. But if you want to spend more money buy Wolf tanning bulbs etc. Surf Source in Florida sells all the necessary parts to build a UV box, but no small bulbs.
I found one of the old school table top facial tanning lights at a thrift store for $10.00 Works great. They use a halogen UVA-B bulb that will work in some of the high output work lights that are found at big box building supply stores if you can’t find a vintage unit. Here is a link to a modern version of what one of these looks like (with a modern price too!).
Howzit grundy,If you are refferring to the " Howzit at the beginning and Aloha at the end " that has just been my greeting and finish since I found Sways back in 71 or72. I feel that Swaylocks is probably the best web site I ever found and try to check it every day to see if I can help in any way. I am old school who started working with resin and fiberglass before I was 10 yrs old and got a job doing ding reppair for a shop at 15, then got a job with Plastic Fantastic at the age of 22 where I worked with sme of the best in the business at that time. I feel that since times have changed and it is hard to find a tutor so being able to pass on what I have learned on Swaylocks is great way to give back to the sport that I have loved since the age of 5 when I first stood up on a surfboard( with some help) What comes around, goes around. Aloha,Kokua
could you not just plug in a heater or something? i did a poly repair when it was below 0 in my shed then brought it inside to a warm room.
the first time i did this i took the board inside to repair (after it had been sitting in the freezing cold in my shed for a few weeks). did the repair, then left in a warm room. checked on it later and there was a HUGE air bubble in it. cold air inside the board expanding…
I'm bumping this up for purposes of clarity for my application and at the end a special bonus question. I've got two 3' double tube fluorescent lights in my shop. I'd like to have the option of UV curing full lams and hot coats. Will placing big box store UV bulbs in the fixture serve this purpose? Or does the board need to go into a smaller enclosed chamber (as I've seen on a few youtube clips)?
I work days and sometimes weekends are taken up by other tasks. As such nights are when my personal pleasures are typically carried out. To that end, can one do UV resin work if say there the light of a full moon coming through the shop windows? I could add shades or cardboard black outs for the windows, but I'm curious nonetheless. Thanks in advance.
I would say with almost certainty that the moon will not cure a board.
I have a window in my workshop that is always open and I glass with uv resin all the time in full sunlight. Never had any issues.
I think a lot of issues people run into with using uv resin is taking FAR too long to wet out their cloth and get the rails wrapped and into the run. The resin soaked into the blank and the cloth stiffens up and dries out somewhat mimicking a kicked lam. They think it got this way from a little crack of light in their garage or shed wall.
I’ve tried using retail grade black lights to cure UV and it works just barely well enough to be a huge PITA nuisance. What you need are the tanning bed bulbs that emit a much higher level of the UVs.
Even the winter sun is a little dodgy when using UV resin.
From summer to winter, solar light intensity drops. The amount depends on latitude. In winter, light intensity drops by 44% and 50% at latitudes 25 N and 30 N, respectively.
(Temperature becomes a significant factor too.)
Regarding bulb placement, distance from the bulb significantly affects light intensity. Light intensity is inversely proportional to the square of distance – one over distance squared, 1/d^2. Closer is significantly stronger.
