I'm looking to create a decorative outdoor greenhouse like structure. I can't get acrylic sheet in the colours I want so am considering casting my own coloured sheets (~5mm thick) out of the Water Clear Polyester Casting Resin. I'm new to all this so have a few questions and they seemed rather too many for the product page!

-Does this sound like an appropriate application?
-Is there any information about longevity of this resin outside when cast? How UV stable is it?
-Are there any weather related issues with having it outside in the UK - freezing temperatures/hot sunshine (especially if i semi silver the back side)?
-How well does it bond to itself when casting onto a fully cured/non-tacky surface? Are there recommended adhesives to go with it?
-Will it react with Perspex? - the data sheet suggests using perspex supports for encapsulations, but one of the questions suggests it may react with perspex.
-The Solution MW Wax Gelcoat Additive is recommend for preventing air cured surfaces being tacky - does this need removing afterwards with polishing for the final cast to be clear?

I'm happy to get a small amount and experiment with various characteristics, but it's difficult to experiment with the longer term properties.

Many Thanks
Katie

Hi Katie,

Although in theory you could cast sheets of the resin  like that there are a number of issues i can see.

Water clear polyester cures tacky on any open air surface, so you would need either a closed mould, or use solution MW wax additive to stop the tack, or worst case be prepared to sand and re-polish the surface after casting.

In thin sections, the resin is fairly brittle, so without a bit of experimentation to test strength, I would be worried it may break relatively easily..

Although UV stable, I would wonder how well the resin would withstand permanent outdoor life.  It is not designed primarily for outdoor use so I would expect the life may not be that long.

You might find it easier and more reliable to get some lacquer mixed up in the tints you want and then use that to spray some clear plastic sheet. Most modern lacquers are UV stable which should mean you get a nice colour that lasts for many years.


Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

Or you could get a tinted film like they use on car windscreens and simply laminate the clear panels...assuming you can get the colours you need...

https://www.windowfilm.co.uk/buy-online/coloured-window-film/rainbow-film-by-the-metre