U.V. Resin application

I am totally “green” to using suncure, but in the interest of being the OTHER type of “green”, I want to learn how to use it correctly. (not that ANY resin is really safe for the environment, mind you;… but the u.v. IS somewhat safer, no?!). I kind of get the gist, but what I was wondering was how some of you have your set ups. What kind of situation(s) do you folks operate under? Can you use the equivalent of a photo darkroom safelight if you want to see what’s up before cure?!..or is low light adequate to fiddle about before a real blast to set it off? Thanks, boys!..aloha, T.

Tom: I have 12 feet of flourescent lights above my glassing rack. Higher than normal ceiling puts the lights at 6’ above the laminations. No problem with premature curing even with longboards or tedious multilayer lams. You don’t really have to work in subpar lighting, just control the UV. Eventually the resin in the bucket will go off but I would estimate my working time in excess of an hour plus. Still using daylight to cure but testing Mercury Vapor 175 watts and I have an unfinished 12’ cabinet for tanning bulb use to fall back on. Hope to get some type of light curing option for full boards finalized soon. I got puzzling results last weekend with the MV 175 watts but I think the cold temps were a factor. I had an old MV fixture that came of a power company light pole that was removed. ***For those that are interested, I’m using a Regeancy (True-Value Hardware stocks it) perimeter or security type fixture. 175 watt mogul (big screw in type) base. These are a ballast?(slow on/off) controlled type outdoor lamp that you might see on the side of an industrial building. Cast aluminum housing, has a module on top to trigger the on/off at dawn and dusk. Fixture is $26.00/ lamp is $17.00. Has a very long lifespan. If you can get it high enough off your work surface a single fixture might expose an entire board, not as fast as tanning lamps but of the proper UV wavelengths. Tom S.>>> I am totally “green” to using suncure, but in the interest of > being the OTHER type of “green”, I want to learn how to use it > correctly. (not that ANY resin is really safe for the environment, mind > you;… but the u.v. IS somewhat safer, no?!). I kind of get the gist, but > what I was wondering was how some of you have your set ups. What kind of > situation(s) do you folks operate under? Can you use the equivalent of a > photo darkroom safelight if you want to see what’s up before cure?!..or > is low light adequate to fiddle about before a real blast to set it off? > Thanks, boys!..aloha, T.

Tom V - I haven’t used the UV resin yet but have been reading posts for awhile. Someone had mentioned clear UV blocking filters that went over bulbs.

Posted By: Herb Spitzer Date: Thursday, 21 June 2001, at 8:23 p.m. In Response To: gelling nightmares (stefan) > Stephan,you can get U.V.inhibitor light covers.Their a clear plastic tube that simply slides over your florescent lights.This will stop the pre-mature jelling you are having.I know that they come in a 4ft. and 8ft.lengths.Any large supply hardware store(home depot)should carry them.Herb.

Posted By: Herb Spitzer Date: Thursday, 21 June 2001, at 8:23 p.m.>>> In Response To: gelling nightmares (stefan) > Stephan,you can get > U.V.inhibitor light covers.Their a clear plastic tube that simply slides > over your florescent lights.This will stop the pre-mature jelling you are > having.I know that they come in a 4ft. and 8ft.lengths.Any large supply > hardware store(home depot)should carry them.Herb. Herb - so under regular florescent light U.V. resin will start to gel? My thought was you had almost an unlimited working time under florescent light.

Herb - so under regular florescent light U.V. resin will start to gel? My > thought was you had almost an unlimited working time under florescent > light. …It depends on your set-up.REGULAR florescents will gel,harden,and cure UV resin,especially if the range is close,and/or the intensity is great.Herb.

I am totally “green” to using suncure, but in the interest of > being the OTHER type of “green”, I want to learn how to use it > correctly. (not that ANY resin is really safe for the environment, mind > you;… but the u.v. IS somewhat safer, no?!). I kind of get the gist, but > what I was wondering was how some of you have your set ups. What kind of > situation(s) do you folks operate under? Can you use the equivalent of a > photo darkroom safelight if you want to see what’s up before cure?!..or > is low light adequate to fiddle about before a real blast to set it off? > Thanks, boys!..aloha, T. Like Tom I work under Flouresent lights while curing with UV and had no problems of premature hardening. The curing time has been plentiful. I do not have access to a curing light setup, so I use the sun light. I just wanted to throw out that if you us the Sun, just flash the board in it. Take it out in the sun for about 30 sec to a 1 min and then bring it back in and let the boad cure for a while and then take it out again. I may be off base or dreaming, but I seem to get a better glass job that settles smoother and sands out better when I do it this way.

Like Tom I work under Flouresent lights while curing with UV and had no > problems of premature hardening. The curing time has been plentiful. I do > not have access to a curing light setup, so I use the sun light. I just > wanted to throw out that if you us the Sun, just flash the board in it. > Take it out in the sun for about 30 sec to a 1 min and then bring it back > in and let the boad cure for a while and then take it out again. I may be > off base or dreaming, but I seem to get a better glass job that settles > smoother and sands out better when I do it this way. What brand of resin and uv additive are you guys using? Also, am I safe to assume that most of you guys are only using uv resin for the lams?

I’ve only used the SunCure powder additive. I buy my Silmar S249A by the 5 gallon jug. I pour off a gallon at a time in a metal paint can with a lid that has a pour spout. The tin can is easy to fill and easy to add the SunCure to in low light. I just take it into a dark room next to the glassing bay and crack the door enough to get some flourescent light to see by. Shake it well, follow the directions to get it thoroughly mixed. Never had a bad batch yet. I use it for laminations and have used it for hotcoats. I’ve found that the hotcoats are problematic. Let the hot coat sit long enough for the wax to rise then expose it to the UV source. I think between the windy/dirty conditions outside and me not waiting long enough tainted my views on using it for hotcoats. Hey! I stoked to be able to get a board laminated and maybe even one side hotcoated in the same day. Ding repairs take half as long as well. On a footnote: I’ve also had good results on two resin tints using the SunCure for the initial tinted lamination. Think about this, no more worries about running out of a premixed color and ample time to get a nice even application with tints. Premix all the laminting resin you’ll need for the whole board, pour off the volume for the first side and any extra can be saved for the next side. Tom

Thank-you for all the feedback, guys…(especially, your detailed info and advice, Tom)…much appreciated; T.

Baja…I have used UV on the Hot Coat and Gloss Coat before, but I feel that the board sands out better when UV is not used in the Hot coat, plus time is really never an issue on these stepes. Like the other guys I use the powder additive, not the premix.

Thank-you for all the feedback, guys…(especially, your detailed info and > advice, Tom)…much appreciated; T. Where are you purchasing your resin and uv catalist?

Baja Rich…you put your question on the end of my thank you, holmes! Try Surfsource.com in the east…and fiberglass supply…on the left side. Mike has a list of resources posted at the top of this site.

Baja- www.surf-source.net located in Florida supplies me with lots of building supplies including the SunCure products (same owner owns SunCure) They can also supply you with resin but shipping can be high. I buy my Silmar resins locally from a supplier that deals with boat manufacturers and other industries industries that do large layups with resin and mat. Boats, tubs, shower stalls, prefab pools and jacuzzis all have similar needs. Tom

I ran into a friend of mine that told me about a visit to a fingernail/beauty supplier.Seems that in this business that many of the same products are used also. He saw what he believed to be several 55gal. drums of resin(Revchem?).When he asked the owner of the warehouse about the resin,the owner stated that it was UV resin that was acrylic based,no stryene. You ask,“so what, B.F.D.” This is what I’ve found out: It dries with a non-tacky/sandable surface,and like gloss or sanding resin with a stryene base,it can be polished to a hi-luster. But the real kicker is you don’t need different types of resins eg.lam,sand,gloss.All you need is this one resin to do all three steps. Plus I believe it to be more durable. I plan on obsconding some,and play abit…I will post the results, PROS OR CONS. I stumbled on to some 4ft florescent tubes called,“Sunshine”,it simulates day/noon summer sunlight, with a full spectrum of light colors,and intensities.I have used them in a couple of small applications,with outstanding results.Will have to see if they work as well for larger apps(I think they will).Herb.

Yeah buddy, keep us posted. Serendipity solved many a problem throughout history. Nail parlors smell a lot like lamination bays to me too. I’ve seen a few “daylight” spectrum flourescents and used so online charts and matrixes weed out the ones that look promising. So far the easiest to find for me are the Sylvania “BL” or blacklight series which look like regular flourescents until you light 'em up. They have a faint blue color and are used to ward off bugs in outdoor installations. Work great as a hand held ding repair unit but still pricey if your talking about a whole cabinet full. Noodle’s idea of the Mercury Vapor outdoor security light is best yet. Still testing this though. Tom>>> I ran into a friend of mine that told me about a visit to a > fingernail/beauty supplier.Seems that in this business that many of the > same products are used also.>>> He saw what he believed to be several 55gal. drums of resin(Revchem?).When > he asked the owner of the warehouse about the resin,the owner stated that > it was UV resin that was acrylic based,no stryene.>>> You ask,“so what, B.F.D.” This is what I’ve found out: It dries > with a non-tacky/sandable surface,and like gloss or sanding resin with a > stryene base,it can be polished to a hi-luster. But the real kicker is you > don’t need different types of resins eg.lam,sand,gloss.All you need is > this one resin to do all three steps. Plus I believe it to be more > durable.>>> I plan on obsconding some,and play abit…I will post the results, > PROS OR CONS.>>> I stumbled on to some 4ft florescent tubes called,“Sunshine”,it > simulates day/noon summer sunlight, with a full spectrum of light > colors,and intensities.I have used them in a couple of small > applications,with outstanding results.Will have to see if they work as > well for larger apps(I think they will).Herb.