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Post by jacobaven on Aug 7, 2015 13:06:12 GMT -5
I am trying to coat an object in Amazing Clear Cast in order to preserve decoupage on it's surface (the object is a guitar). I cannot dip the object in a vat of clear cast so I think I need to do a pour on one side, let it cure, then follow with a second pour the other side. Any ideas how to get the second pour to mesh well with the edges of the first pour? Also any ideas on how to handle drips that leak onto the surface of the first pour?
Basically, I plan to pour the backside of the guitar, then turn it over once it has leveled and cured solid and then pour the frontside of the guitar, allowing the pour to flow down the sides to reach the backside of the guitar. I need to prevent drips onto the backside as well as get the flow to mesh with the first pour I made on the back side.
1. Do I need to solvent-wipe or abrade the edges of the Clear Cast on the backside finish before pouring the frontside finish?
2. Do I need to "mask" the surface of the backside finish with paste wax before pouring the frontside finish so that I can scrape off drips? And will the solvent in the paste wax soften or etch the Clear Cast on the backside surface?
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Post by Admin on Aug 7, 2015 14:27:00 GMT -5
What I would suggest is coating the back first as you discussed. The thickness of the coating and how well it self levels will depend on the temperature of the material when you pour it. If Clear Cast is near 80F when mixed and poured, it should self level to about a 1/16" coating. To avoid material dripping over the edge, make sure the the guitar is level. Then begin pouring in the middle in a circular pattern moving towards the outer edges. Try to pour only enough resin to make it self-level to within one inch from the edge, then take a flat paint brush and pull the material in one direction the rest of the way to the edge. This should allow you to prevent material from flowing over. Make sure your brush hairs are secure too. Cheaper brushes simply come out as you brush.
You can then continue the next day with coating the other side and allow it to flow over the edge meeting the resin coating on the back. The 2 coatings should bond just fine. You will have to work out how you will deal with the drips at that edge. They can be trimmed when the resin is still soft or sanded/routered after full cure. You can place painters tape on the bottom surface to help prevent material from flowing onto surface as well. If you would like to discuss this further, please give us a call.
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Post by jacobaven on Aug 10, 2015 9:56:12 GMT -5
I did the pour this weekend. For the most part it worked perfectly.
1. Poured backside of guitar and allowed to cure 24+ hours.
2. Taped off backside around the edges.
3. Taped side edges of guitar to form a dam.
4. Poured frontside of guitar.
5. Removed tape dam to allow flow over the side edges.
6. Scraped drips several times during the first 60-90 minutes of cure time.
7. Allowed to cure another 24+ hours.
8. Removed tape from backside of guitar.
I ran into a problem in step 8 in that the clear cast had flowed over all the edges of the tape and bonded quite strongly with the tape. I could pull the tape and most of the clear cast was soft enough and thin enough at the edges for me to gently tear it away, but the edges are quite rough and visible. If this had been a bartop or tabletop it would not have been an issue since the underside wouldn't need to be perfect, with the guitar I'm just struggling a bit since I have to pour both sides at different times and try to keep them both smooth.
When can I sand and polish the clear cast? Do I need to wait for the full 7 day cure time?
The guitar sides also came out quite rough and gloopy even though I used the dam technique. I was considering a second pour over the backside of the guitar to help correct the problem and to help flow over the rough edges caused by my taping. My intent with the second coat is to mask the bottom edge of the guitar sides and remove the masking tape toward the end of the 60-90 minute open time. When I do this second coat, the first coat will have cured for well over 48 hours -- do I need to do anything special to ensure a good bond between the coats?
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Post by mike on Aug 10, 2015 10:20:29 GMT -5
Hello Jacob,
I would wait until good and hard, perhaps 48 hours, then sand down to a very high grit (wet sand to 5000-10,000 gritand clean it extremely well. Then I'd actually try to brush on a thin coat rather than pouring an entire new layer. You will be able to apply it much thinner and should still fill in every minute nook and crack to make it glossy again.
Mike
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