Which resin for large, crystal clear, UV resistant casting?

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Which resin for large, crystal clear, UV resistant casting?

Author	Message
Woodie	Woodie posted 10 Years Ago HOT Topic Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 8	I have a project that requires making relatively large castings (up to 1 litre in a single pour) of crystal clear epoxy that is both UV stable and can be polished to a high gloss finish. Any recommendations on suitable resins (and any tips) greatly appreciated. Phil
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Fasta	Fasta posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 468, Visits: 3.5K	Epoxy resins are not known for their UV stability. What about a polyurethane resin?? Fastacraft Facebook page
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Woodie	Woodie posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 8	Thanks Fasta, sorry for the late reply - my wife took both our laptops interstate!! My main concern with poly is temperature & moisture. I live in a cool/humid area. Keeping my workshop above 20 centigrade for 3 days while the resin cures will be a pain in winter & storage also presents as a problem over the colder months. Hence my leaning toward epoxy Cheers Phil
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Hanaldo	Hanaldo posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 28K	You would need to keep the epoxy relatively warm too. 20 degrees is ideal, and I don't work if it's colder than 15. Is local heating out of the question? A set of 500w work lights create a lot of heat, or a box and a small heater. I agree with Fasta, epoxy wouldn't be my first choice given your requirements.
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Fasta	Fasta posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 468, Visits: 3.5K	A 1kg part is not so big, could you take it into your home for a few days while it cures? All these resin systems will require around 20-25C for curing , epoxies or polyurethane. Fastacraft Facebook page
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Woodie	Woodie posted 10 Years Ago HOT Post Details
Group: Forum Members Posts: 3, Visits: 8	Certainly sounds like Poly is the way to go. My workshop is solar powered hence my hesitance re heating for long periods - a light bulb based heating box is a great idea. Like it 😀. Many thanks for all the feedback.
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