UV Setting Putty

[jacko]

Anyone tried this?   https://kitmaker.net/news/ultraviolet-uv-putty

[iBorg]

That looks really interesting. 

[kurth]

That is interesting. I have been using Colad UV Putty Fine ... it works but it can peel off the plastic, it works well in seam where you do not have to feather it. The key was getting a higher power UV light. This product looks interesting, easier to sculpt. 

[Bainford]

Very interesting indeed. My primary concerns, which are not addressed in the OPs link;

- Does it shrink?
- Does it react with lacquer thinner/other thinners (including shrinking or swelling)?
- Is it stable over time?
- How well does it sand?

I am interested to hear from others who have used this stuff.

[ColonelKrypton]

10 hours ago, kurth said:

I have been using Colad UV Putty Fine ... it works but it can peel off the plastic, it works well in seam where you do not have to feather it. The key was getting a higher power UV light.

That is an interesting comment.  I have been experimenting with a UV resin product by Solarez https://solarez.com/ and have not had a problem with the resin peeling off the plastic. I always give the area a quick light sanding with 400 grit before.  One trick I sometimes use with Tamiya epoxy putty is to put a bit of medium CA on the piece where I am going to use the epoxy putty.  

4 hours ago, Bainford said:

- Does it shrink?
- Does it react with lacquer thinner/other thinners (including shrinking or swelling)?
- Is it stable over time?
- How well does it sand?

I have no first hand experience with the noted UV setting putty however I have been experimenting with a UV resin by Solarez ( link above ).  As far as I know, these are all similar to polyester resin but contain a catalyst which is sensitive to UV light - expose to UV light ( or sunlight which contains UV ) and the resin begins to cure. 

At the bottom of the Solarez web page you will find links to a number of FAQs and other information.

Does it shrink?  Not in my experience, at least not the Solarez UV resins I have been using. Unless whatever fillers that are used in putty are subject to shrinkage then the putties likely will not shrink either.  You could think of these as being similar to catalyzed two part body putties except that instead of adding a hardner you will cure by exposure to UV light.

Does it react with ... ? Not in my experience, at least not the Solarez UV resins I have been using. Once curved the resin is as impervious as is the polyester resin you would use with fiberglass materials.

Is it stable over time? l would say yes, at least as stable as any catalyzed two part body putty.

How well does it sand? In my experience, the Solarez UV resins work just as easily as any polyester resin. However, to be fair, the Solarez UV resins I have been experimenting with are not putties, just resin. It would be possible to mix these resins with micro balloons or arcylic nail powder or dental powder to create a putty but I have not yet tried that ( speaking of which I must give it a try ). 

Tamiya had a UV cure putty at one time but I don't know if it is still available.  I will have to look around for UV cure putty and see what I can find.

Search on Amazon for UV resin and acrylic nail powder. You will also find UV light sources as well.

cheers, Graham

 

[ColonelKrypton]

I did some experimenting with the Solarez UV resin and find I need to change some of my previous comments.

The Solarez UV resin either by itself or mixed acrylic nail powder does not bond very well to the styrene.

As to it's workability, it is much harder than I recalled; similar in fact to using CA as a filler either with or without the acrylic nail powder.  Incidentally when I say "acrylic nail powder" it is not that the powder is acrylic but rather it is for use on acrylic nails ( as in finger ).

I have been primarily using the Solarez UV resin for adding clear lenses to dials and instruments and have only been experimenting with it for other purposes.  

If anyone gives one of these UV curing putties a try, please post your results as I would really like to know how well they work.

cheers, Graham

 

[kurth]

I use the Solarizer light from solarez . It is awesome, and cures other uv resins which  never seem to set properly with cheap lights. 

When I can use the Colad putty, it is a real time saver. I can just keep going instead waiting hours for putty to dry, or the minutes it takes CA. 

Now UV curing CA would be perfect... it would stick to everything and cure immediately.  CA cured with accelerator just is not quite the same as letting it cure naturally. 

This is an exciting time, with new materials available to help us work even more efficently. 

 

[ColonelKrypton]

12 hours ago, kurth said:

Now UV curing CA would be perfect... it would stick to everything and cure immediately.  CA cured with accelerator just is not quite the same as letting it cure naturally. 

That would be ideal. We can only dream

I just finished watching an interesting video on YouTube, no that it was about UV curing putty or UV curing resin in particular but rather in that the model maker used UV cure resin to mold a few parts and then used the UV cure resin to "glue" them together.

The fan is 1/12 scale which is the common scale for miniature dollhouses.

cheers, Graham

 

[peteski]

On 7/27/2023 at 1:51 AM, kurth said:

Now UV curing CA would be perfect... it would stick to everything and cure immediately.  CA cured with accelerator just is not quite the same as letting it cure naturally. 

There is such a thing, but UV light cures it similarly to a standard liquid accelerator. Try it.

J-B Weld Super Weld Light Activated Instant Glue.

[ColonelKrypton]

That is interesting.  However I can't seem to find any at any of my usual sources for JB Weld products.  I do recall this some years ago, perhaps it has passed out of interest and is not or soon will not be available anymore, at least here in Canada.

cheers, Graham

[peteski]

38 minutes ago, ColonelKrypton said:

That is interesting.  However I can't seem to find any at any of my usual sources for JB Weld products.  I do recall this some years ago, perhaps it has passed out of interest and is not or soon will not be available anymore, at least here in Canada.

cheers, Graham

I had a hard time finding it too.  Found it on eBay.  I believe this is newly released product (not discontinued).

[roadhawg]

4 hours ago, peteski said:

I had a hard time finding it too.  Found it on eBay.  I believe this is newly released product (not discontinued).

Most Lowes home improvement stores carry it, I’ve been using it for awhile now. Great stuff! 

[kurth]

Awesome - I'll find it and try it. Thank you for the suggestion.