Glow in the dark stuff-ups

[dai sensei]

2Warning - long post, but hopefuuly someone else may learn from my experience. I know I have.

Well I bought some glow in the dark powder from the US and I wanted to try it out. I also had some coffee beans stabilized with epoxy I wanted to try with some clear casting epoxy (2 part) I bought a while back too. Given the glow in the dark powder is ~$50 delivered for 4oz (1/2 small vegemite jar :oo:), the clear casting epoxy ~$80 delivered for 1ltr and the 0.5kgs of stabilized coffee was ~$15 worth, it was not a cheap experiment :-

First step was to work out how much glow powder to use, and recommendations vary a fair bit, but I settled on ~1:5 ratio. That equated to ~2oz to 250mls of resin (ie half my glow powder :oo:).

I mixed the powder into one part of the epoxy until it was mixed, but the powder is more a find sand than like Pearlex, so keeping it mixed was a potential problem. I then added the other part and let it sit for a while to gain some heat. They say to heat the epoxy resin, but I didn't want to risk it going off too fast, the day was already a pleasant 24-25.

Well I added a bit of resin to the mold, then some beans, then a bit more resin, then more beans into my mold. I then placed my holder on top, a series of dowels that line up with the mold tubes, before topping up mold with resin in the overflow reserve and placing the mold under pressure in the pot. This is my usual method that has worked well for the poly resin.

Next I thought I would try some banksias with the glow in the dark I had left. So I did the same, starting with the glow powder in the first part of the epoxy, then adding what I thought was the second part (you can see this coming can't you :-). Placed the banksia and resin in the mold and placed it in the pressure pot.

At this stage I tought I was doing well. Ah grasshopper, not so :no:

When I put the banksias in the pot I noticed all the beans in the coffee molds had floated to the top. Normally my dowels are enough to keep the beans on place when using poly resin and my other stabilizer, but this mix obviously has different specific gravities and the little b_ggers had shot to the top trying to float :doh:. In desperation I was poking the beans back down and placing more beans in a feable attempt to keep the molds filled.

A few hours later the bean molds had started to go off, but the banksias had not. Assuming it was just the difference in time between casts, I decided to just leave them all in the pot overnight and hoped for the best.

Today I pulled them out of the pot to find the coffee casts were set, but the banksias still a sticky flowing mess :?. Sure enough when i checked the bottles, I found I had accidently used double part A, instead of parts A & B :doh:

I pulled the set coffee bean blanks out to find some glow parts, some clear parts, floating beans, and worst of all, most of the glow powder settled on the bottom :~. I must admit though, this stuff really glows :2tsup:.

I then pulled all the banksias out of their moulds and tried to collect all the resin and glow powder. I managed to collect probably half the resin I had previously made up and most of the glow powder, so added some of the part B (and check it twice :B). Then placed them back in the molds and into the pressure pot to try again - just a few banksias less though.

Next was to see what I could salvage from the coffee bean casts. I managed to cut the best bean parts, then glued them to the best "settled glow powder" parts, in a few different patterns. I managed 2 EBs on brass tubes using a greeny/yellow tinted epoxy, and 2 Sierra blanks on white tubes with clear epoxy. Not sure how it is all going to work, but I can only try. Assuming they are Ok once turned, they will be ~$20 each in materials alone

As for the banksias, yes well they are still in the pot, I'll see tomorrow :fingerscrossed:

ps The glow photos were just taken under my orange shirt, but you get the idea of how much they glow.


Cheers



While that was

[gawdelpus]

Bugger ! after all that I think I will just dismantle my brand new 18 mths old pressure pot and hide it away in a dark corner ,not ready for those dramas just yet hehe. Looks like you may have figured a way to salvage at least some of your hard work if not your pride :) Funny how these things work out though,probably be the best casts you have done so far :D cheers ~ John

[Dorno]

Well Neil I wont laugh because most of us have been in similar positions and have not been impresed at all with what happend so I do feel foryou :doh:
But the funniest things generally happen with stuff ups and that is they generally look and turn out very well. So I cant wait to see how it all comes up.

Cheers Ian

[dai sensei]

Well I pulled the banksia out of the pot first thing this morning, and although I wasn't confident the glow powder extended deep into the holes, they didn't look as bad as the coffee bean. The powder seemed to have caught on the holes as it settled to the bottom. I glued up a couple of Sierra tubes with 5 min epoxy, breaking all my own rules for banksia, but I figure I have enough experience with these beasts to be Ok.

So I turned the coffee bean blanks first giving the banksia some time to set. The only good thing I could say is that the beans are stuck well with the epoxy stabilizer & epoxy casting resin, nothing went flying.

After lunch I went onto the banksia, soaking them well with CA a few times. Even then I had a blow out, just goes to show I have rules for a reason :U. Anyway, filled it with banksia shavings and I'm flat out seeing it now :2tsup:. I didn't think the glow had extended into the holes at all, as I couldn't see it whilst on the lathe, but there is a faint glow in the dark in quite a few of the holes.

I will use poly resin on these next time with heaps of catalyst so the glow powder doesn't have enough time to settle. With the banksia, I could also just put some thin CA in the holes and pour the powder in and shake off excess, then cast with clear resin.

Typical, I should have done some trials with just a few test pieces, rather than a heap all at once using up all my powder. Unfortunately my molds are made for multiple casts. Live and learn :U

Cheers

[Dorno]

Neil
I won't say I told you so BUT lol see they didn't turn out as bad as what you were thinking they seemed ok to me and looked great.

well done

Cheers Ian

[gawdelpus]

There ya go :) only you will know they are not as designed :) hehe,but I would need a photographers dark box to show and sell these at the markets lol. cheers ~ John :2tsup::2tsup:

[dai sensei]

...but I would need a photographers dark box to show and sell these at the markets lol. cheers ~ John :2tsup::2tsup:

Nah, just look under your shirt is dark enough when they have been sitting in the sun :U

[Mr Brush]

Just make sure you wash your hands after using that powder.....and especially before taking a pee.

I'd like to see you explain to the doctor why you have glow in the dark tackle......:C

[Mr Brush]

I like the two middle pens best - they look great :2tsup:

I know nothing about casting pen blanks, but presumably you need a higher viscosity resin so that the magic powder stays in suspension. Can you add a powdered filler (like that stuff for West System) to thicken up the epoxy?? I'm presuming that the filler is a fine glass powder, so the resin would still come out reasonably clear?

[dai sensei]

I guess thickening the epoxy would help the glow powder, but I need it as thin as possible to penetrate the voids needing filling in the casting process.

[dj_pnevans]

Neil you can buy the glow in the dark stuff in Aust, I have seen a few colour as well.
David

[STAR]

I can vouch for what Neil says. As luck or bad luck has it I happened to be over at Neil's place looking at his latest blanks brewing in the silicone boxes.

When he took them out he could not work out why they were not hardening up as he thought they should. He took them out into the sun and did some experiments with hot H2O.

Then we moved on to my reason for being there and after an hour the subject got back to the Glow in the Dark project. He was explaining to me how one went about it. Explaining you use a fifty fifty mixture of Part A and an equal amount of Part B.

Then he picked up Part A in one hand and then he picked up Part B in the other and then went a ghastly grey. He uttered some words that a mother tries to protect her children from saying something like " You dopey bugger"

He realized that instead of two equal halves he had two full halfs in one bottle and the other half empty.

At that point, being a good friend, I bid him adieu and departed the scene fearing for my life.

Hopefully he has recovered by Sunday as more then likely that is when I will see him again.

Sorry Neil, at least we all know now that you are mortal.

Peter

[benupton]

Typical, I should have done some trials with just a few test pieces, rather than a heap all at once using up all my powder. Unfortunately my molds are made for multiple casts. Live and learn :U

Oh well a trials a trials they don't look that bad anyway.

[NewLondon88]

Then he picked up Part A in one hand and then he picked up Part B in the other and then went a ghastly grey. He uttered some words that a mother tries to protect her children from saying something like " You dopey bugger"

He realized that instead of two equal halves he had two full halfs in one bottle and the other half empty.

That's when you add more powder and make twice as many blanks! :2tsup:

[gawdelpus]

Nah, just look under your shirt is dark enough when they have been sitting in the sun :U

hehe ! maybe I would sell more if they were under "Shontaras" shirt lol.:D