It will be 11 foot long (thats long I know but it will fit nice between the 2 wall that way), wide enough for say…35’’ (maybe) and deep enough for one board.
As much info would be great.
Like
What type of lights or how wide between
Are end lights needed
Would you put equal lights top and bottom if not what ratio (eg 5 top 5 side 2 bott…something like that anyway?)
mmmm
Heat, would I need a small fan in there for air flow
What materials should I build it out of…Wood-Ply
inside racks 2/1 contact points or 2/2 contact points.
the one UV box I've seen, was made to stack four or five short boards, had maybe four UV tubes in it, no end lights. It had a plywood frame and stiff fiberglass insulation board with reflective coating (like tinfoil) on the inside. It doubled as a heat/postcure setup for epoxy boards. A small fan at the bottom is more than enough to circulate warm air.
So... size yours upwards. At 11 feet long, suggest a box for one at a time, with two tubes inline along the top center, two along the bottom center. Reflectivity will take care of the rest. Rip some 2x4 stud grade or common lumber to make 2x2s for the frame, pin it together with 3" deck screws. Common nail the insulation sheets on the inside. Dowels wrapped in wax paper for the glassed board. Hinge the front to open all at once. A dumpster fan will do. You can run the lights and fan off a multi-outlet power strip but make sure the combined load does not exceed the strip maximum, or 15 amps. Decent UV lights can be expensive. You may have to shift the glassed blank once during curing to let the light get to the area shaded by the support dowels.
Google----- Surf Source. They used to have plans for a simple UV box posted on their website and pictures of some pretty high tech mobile set ups. A UV box doesn't have to be completly enclosed, but most of the simple home made boxes are. Surf Source sells the extra long bulbs, starters and wiring harness. Plans and pictures are not currently up on their website Maybe if you contact them they can email you those plans and pictures. Pretty straight forward. 1x or 2x frame, sheeted with 3/8 ply at your desired length, width and depth. Most guys line a box with the quilted foil foam insulation that is about 1/4 inch thick. Two small stands mounted on the bottom. that will accomodate short or longboards. Mount your lights inside top. Lights are usually placed to roughly fit the outline of the board. Closer at the ends, wider at the mid section. Don't remember the length of the bulbs that Surf Source sells. They are high end UV tanning bulbs so they are not your standard 4 and 8 footers. Three four footers will give you a twelve foot outline. The foiled back insulation takes care of the rest. Have seen a few with lights on the bottom, but you really don't need them. You can flip your blank to make sure that your laps set. Have seen boxes where guys just let the foil hang down over the opening, but I prefer to make a ply door and foil line it. I hinge the door on the bottom side so that I can just let it swing down and open. Hard wire with Romex a switch and timer. I have seen the Romex run outside, but I run mine inside. This leaves me a flat surface on top of the box for storage etc. I just set the box on two sawhorses, no fancy built- in frame. The top of the box comes out about chest high. Above that I have a board rack for blanks that have just come out of the box. You can lam one while you are cooking one, then pull it out, put it in the rack and put the one you just lammed in the oven. Or you can lam two or three and put them in one at a time Very effecient and the best kept secret in the industry.
thats about the same size box I just installed- I can fit a SUP in the thing as long as its not huge- I got my UV tubes from a guy called Collin in Sydney- 100 w @ $18 each- he also sells the fittings etc. I fitted 4 tubes on the top as I’m only doing repairs otherwise I would have fitted 4 top and 4 bottom.
you can get him on 02 8525 5998 or 0405 339 438 he sells solariums and parts and was recomended by one of the resin additive guys - give me a call if you want 0421 101 678
thats about the same size box I just installed- I can fit a SUP in the thing as long as its not huge- I got my UV tubes from a guy called Collin in Sydney- 100 w @ $18 each- he also sells the fittings etc. I fitted 4 tubes on the top as I’m only doing repairs otherwise I would have fitted 4 top and 4 bottom.
you can get him on 02 8525 5998 or 0405 339 438 he sells solariums and parts and was recomended by one of the resin additive guys - give me a call if you want 0421 101 678
Please post pics mate. I was glassing my latest in the shed with the roller door down. While fixing a kink, i stepped in some resin in my thongs. I had loose plastic donw on the floor. The result, every time i lifted my foot, the plastic came up too. I must have looked like a cat on the grass, while trying to unkink the glass. Would have been funny to see. Think i need some UV lights. And shoes.
I've always wondered where to get the UV lights from. Cheers craig.
Would it be possible to have a portable setup?? Ie, the light attached to some structural pine, that could be moved from above the board, to the sides?? I share my shaping room with my brewery, and all our storage crap.
The portable systems that I referred to on the Surf Source website were pretty deluxe, but I am sure something along the same lines could be done for less money. They could basically be rolled into the laminating room and rolled over the lammed board on the glassing rack. Lights were positioned top and rails..
Howzit yorky, You don't need a box, I just set up a set of racks in another room and had 4 sets of dbl 4' fixtures with 8 4' UV bulbs and it worked just fine. It may have take 5 mins instead of 1 min in the sun but it still works. I used mine when it was raining outside since there is nothing like the sun.Aloha,Kokua
Nar it will be going up stairs along the narrowest wall. Just to make it quick and easy for the glasser. Up and down stairs all day pisses people off. ha
Is it going under the stairs?? Is that where you mean?? Good idea, probably wasted space, just need a door on there ( no worries to do ) then you're sweet. Some Black plastic under the stairs would help keep it dark.
