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Short answer: UV light won't affect the cure of non-UV resin. Strong UV may even discolor or degrade some types of non-UV resin.
Longer Answer
UV-curing resin works on a different mechanism. A one-part resin is stable until UV of a particular wavelength breaks down a component in the resin and causes it to cure. Any portion of the resin that doesn't ...
7
To cure them more quickly you can either:
use heat lamps or an electric heater over your resin pieces
raise the temperature of the room they are in to say, 75 - 85°F / 24 - 30°C.
If you do either of these, you must maintain the heat constantly until fully cured.
Don't be tempted to add more hardener as it can stop the resin curing and remain ...
6
epoxy seems like a reasonable choice
Epoxies are really versatile and can give very strong results. It would have been the first thing I considered as well.
since there are some gaps of around 1mm width
Likely not an issue but most glues need perfectly mated surfaces for good adhesion. There are expanding glues, like Gorrila Glue, but most? epoxies are ...
6
You need something that's soluble in the liquid epoxy, or possibly a liquid that's miscible with it. Water isn't miscible with epoxy, and if you try too hard to mix it you'll produce cloudiness. I suspect that rules out acrylic paints as well. Typical solvents don't dissolve epoxy; some may be miscible. I'm not sure what the liquid phase is to investigate ...
5
Why not use real dirt?
You can buy (or find) potting soil quite easily, which is relatively 'clean'.
An alternative is coffee grounds. To make it as dark as regular soil, you can add a little black ink to it and mix it with water.
In both cases it's best to let it dry first, then mix it with the resin or (maybe slightly watered down) glue inside a ...
5
I've done this myself successfully with alcohol inks. I use the ones from Ranger; Piñata's inks are likely to work as well.
Avoid Sharpies as they tend to fade and change color over to time. I know this the hard way from having used them with polymer clay. :-(
5
I'm not a conservator, so I cannot give you a definite answer. And the answer will depend on the value of the object. If this is a rare remnant of history, do not attempt any restoration and let a professional restorator do their work. In that case, it would be almost illegal to apply epoxy to it, because the process isn't reversable. Most amateurs trying to ...
5
Lego is ABS, which can have a range of melting points melts up to 200°C*. We should consider the lower end of the range just in case, which is often quoted as 105°C. Your resin shouldn't get that hot but you could test (a similar volume in a mould made of scrap, with one brick inside if you're really worried).
Generally, slower epoxies are cooler, and large ...
5
Resins differ but most recommend that you apply additional layers when the previous layer is firm but tacky to the touch. This can be minutes to hours after an initial pour but usually less than 24 hours in any case.
Some resins allow for pouring over a previously cured layer, but recommend that you scratch the hardened surface to "rough it up" so ...
4
So assuming you want it solid and not hollow. I really think the comment Chris H made about the pre-cast acrylic rod would be a much better option financially and structurally.
If you do want to go down the route of casting however, the pipe option is one you could do with. If you ensure there's mold release all down the inside of the pipe, giving it a push ...
4
Once epoxy resin is cured, it's extremely stable and resilient against mechanical and chemical damage. It's impossible to dissolve cured resin in water, so your soap is well protected.
Adding water to resin before it's cured is a problem, though, and probably the reason why the person told you it's impossible. As a rule of thumb, if you add other substances ...
4
A sink like that is more complex than it appears. The factory that makes it has invested in precision molds that get reused to make it cost effective. There are hidden parts like the overflow plumbing and mounting, and considerations like making water-tight seals with standard plumbing components. There aren't really "secrets" to making it with the right ...
4
Yes, you can mix acrylic paint into resin (I assume you mean epoxy resin), but the results may wary from paint to paint.
The general rules apply:
You can mix wet ingredients (paints, inks) up to 10% of the volume of resin into it. Anything more makes the resin cloudy or not cure correctly. Better be safe and limit it to 5%.
If possible, mix the wet ...
4
Model train enthusiasts have to be creative to get the results they desire. Some of them can be really demanding, so I jumped out on the 'net to see how they do it.
One site, cs.trains.com suggests using powdered paint from Crayola:
I recently bought some "Crayola Powder Paint", available in local
craft stores or on-line from places like the following:
...
4
About a year ago, I created a epoxy resin based river table for my dining room involving a couple of live-edged oak panels joined by a river made from several hundred dollars worth of metallic blue colored epoxy resin. My first attempt failed miserably for a variety of reasons.
I didn't adequately dry the fresh cut oak which meant that water lurked just ...
4
The best advice I can give you is to mix the ink with the hardener first, and then mix the tinted hardener with the epoxy. If you have epoxy that uses very little hardener (like "add 10 drops of hardener to 100 grams of epoxy"), then mix the ink with the epoxy before adding the hardener.
That has several advantages:
You can take all the time you ...
4
The miniature sealed inside implies you want clear resin so you can see the miniature (not a secret miniature that someone would take your word is in there). For this requirement, there really isn't a material you can use to dilute the resin.
If the resin could be opaque, you could use a small amount of resin as a binder for a lot of cheap, solid filler. ...
4
You can definitely mix the quartz waste with epoxy. In fact, it can be mostly waste, with just enough epoxy to bind it together. Mix thoroughly so all of the quartz is covered with epoxy and there aren't pockets of quartz powder. It's also helpful to press the mixture into shape to force it together and eliminate tiny gaps and air pockets (you want a ...
4
According to AeroMarine Products' page on moldmaking, (emphasis from source)
Generally, silicone RTV mold making rubber does not stick to anything, and nothing will stick to it. The exception is that it will stick to itself, other silicones, silica, and glass.
In the past, I have used cut-down and clean milk cartons, which make an effective base for a ...
3
Changing the door is going to be much easier than making a sink/basin from scratch. By far the simplest way is using a pelmet and sliding door on the outside of the bathroom.
However, if you are convinced that this will not guarantee privacy or confine possible odours to the bathroom, you might want to use a bifold door. There are both central and side ...
3
Use a clear two part epoxy resin to fill the gouges.
You can get one with a short drying time (5 minute epoxy) at most hardware stores or even the dollar store.
Ensure if its a two part mold, not to put the parts together while its drying or they will stick together.
Apply the glue in a ventilated area.
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First, you need to make a distinction for epoxies intended for an industrial environment. There are some kinds of epoxy, and some handling methods (like spraying epoxy for finishes), that are hazardous and need a respirator and skin protection. Epoxy sold for home use is much safer, and products sold as art supplies are covered by regulations that require ...
3
In my experience fresh epoxy will bond with already cured resin just fine.
Both the cured and fresh epoxy should be the same chemicals. I have no experience with layering different types of resin.
Given that the surface of the cured resin is clean (no dust or oily residue) and both batches have the same color you cannot see the individual layers after the ...
3
By epoxy I presume you mean Araldite etc. Do not use this, it has too much bulk and you will never get a good fit. Use superglue to stick it together to begin with, and then you can fill the gaps with a suitable filler. I have used Polyfiller, which then gets sanded, painted and varnished.
I have tried and failed too many times to re-repair items done with ...
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The basic issue is the required power. Belt sanders are designed for aggressive removal of material. The larger the surface area that is sanded, the more power it takes. At 1/2" to 1" wide belts, the required power is low enough that small motors can handle the job. Flexible shafts can also handle that (they have limited strength).
At 4" ...
3
Embedding inkjet prints (which I'm pretty sure is what Walmart photo station prints are) is a little challenging. The resin can not only liberate the dried ink but also the paper itself can change color as it saturates in the resin.
Better to not let the inked paper touch the resin directly. Get a spray can of flat clear coat. I have used Krylon but any ...
3
A hair dryer is actually a bad way to deal with bubbles. It blows too much air, too little heat, and can blow dust onto the resin.
Start by minimizing bubbles
There are many techniques to minimize bubbles in the first place. That would really be a good subject for a separate question, so I won't get into that tangent here. But that's the first step --...
2
I found food coloring and acryllic paint to be the cheapest solutions, but certainly not the best. The results remain inconsistent, even with 2 colors of the same package.
Following Chris' answer I used alcohol based food colorings at first, but they are hard to dispense (too liquid, the resin turned cloudy because there was too much liquid compared to the ...
2
Make sure that you mixed the resin components in proper proportions and for long enough to achieve a homogeneous blend. If the components are not mixed thoroughly, some of the resin will cure slowly or not at all.
Not including enough hardener will definitely increase the curing time. Check the instructions to see if the proportions are by weight or by ...
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There are lots of products out there specifically designed for ensuring that items produced in a mold release properly. They are called (wait for it...) mold release products.
Google that and a bunch of different options should pop up for you (I actually googled "mold release for casting" but it might be interesting to see what type of results you get if ...
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