Post by Tyler Robbins on Jun 1, 2017 17:32:55 GMT -5
Hi I am a guitar builder out of Big Rapids, Michigan. I have been experimenting with Alumilite for about 3 years. I use it in the decorative features in my guitars. I have always been able to figure out and solve any issue I have had with the resin but I've come across a new one that I'm not sure has a fix. Basically in my new design I had wanted to create a series of squares with and even spacing between them and fill the negative space with clear resin to give the piece depth. Here is a photo of one of my rosettes:
I am using Alumilite clear (slow) for the pour. I seal my part in shelac to keep moisture from the wood away from the resin. I then bake my part at 175 degrees for 1 hour which i found is necessary to prevent a white haze around the objects. I use a pressure pot at 60psi. Once the part is cured I resaw the excess resin and use a drum sander to expose the wood blocks on both the front and back while leaving the resin in the spaces between them. I then glue a backer of a different kind of wood to it and I'm ready to cut my ring for the guitar. In my most recent attempts, I got some delamination between the resin and the black boarder of the squares. This happens relatively easily if the part is flexed at all. This makes me nervous that even if the part is created successfully that down the road, vibration and movement of the instrument will cause a similar issue. You can see a bit of the separation at the corner of one square in the photo, it becomes white and very unattractive. This is a pretty new and unique style that I have developed in the high end guitar building world so I really do not want to give up on it just yet. Any Ideas or product suggestions or thoughts on addhesion promoters are more then welcome. I have tried vinyl sealer, mod podge, and shelac so far but the resin releases from them all with little effort.
I am using Alumilite clear (slow) for the pour. I seal my part in shelac to keep moisture from the wood away from the resin. I then bake my part at 175 degrees for 1 hour which i found is necessary to prevent a white haze around the objects. I use a pressure pot at 60psi. Once the part is cured I resaw the excess resin and use a drum sander to expose the wood blocks on both the front and back while leaving the resin in the spaces between them. I then glue a backer of a different kind of wood to it and I'm ready to cut my ring for the guitar. In my most recent attempts, I got some delamination between the resin and the black boarder of the squares. This happens relatively easily if the part is flexed at all. This makes me nervous that even if the part is created successfully that down the road, vibration and movement of the instrument will cause a similar issue. You can see a bit of the separation at the corner of one square in the photo, it becomes white and very unattractive. This is a pretty new and unique style that I have developed in the high end guitar building world so I really do not want to give up on it just yet. Any Ideas or product suggestions or thoughts on addhesion promoters are more then welcome. I have tried vinyl sealer, mod podge, and shelac so far but the resin releases from them all with little effort.
