Substrates for Resin

2026-08-11T05:26:06Z

Advance: Created page with "There are a variety of substrates that you might use to bond resin and glass to. In this page we will focus on polyester resin, and fiberglass, though it's possible to use oth..."

Acetone

2026-07-01T10:07:40Z

Advance: /* ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) Plastic and Acetone */

Solvent for easy cleaning. A necessity for working with Resin.

==Overview==
Acetone is a useful solvent for the plastics industry. Furthermore it has many general purpose uses, and is quite safe to humans in small amounts - it is not dangerous unless exposed to fire or ingested. It can be purchased at the grocery store as Nail Polish remover. Small amounts of Acetone evaporate when exposed to air.

==Safety==
[[File:492px-Acetone-2D-skeletal.svg.png|150px|thumb|right|Acetone is the basic ketone]]
Acetone is flammable. Store Acetone in a closed container. Dirty Acetone can be saved and re-used until you deem it is too dirty. It is not corrosive in small amounts, and does little more than dry human skin (though keep away from open wounds). For full details of the health and safety of Acetone refer to a MSDS/SDS.

Use in a well ventilated area. More or less, the only way you will get in trouble is either being near a source of flame, or working in a small room without ventilation (and using a lot of acetone).

If you do manage to get acetone on fire, it will burn like an alcohol. But it will not explode. Acetone vapours however are flammable, and can cause an airborne flame. If you somehow manage to boil the acetone, this can be a danger (a spark can cause acetone gas to ignite in a fireball). Understand the potential of what you are working with.

==Fire Hazard==
{{Template:FlammableRedLabel}}

==How to Use Acetone==
===Cleaning Tools===
Acetone can be used to clean off many kinds of uncured and cured plastics and polymers from tools. Tools can be soaked in an acetone bath over time. It can be used along with e.g. a metal drywall scraper to remove slightly cured resin from surfaces. Be aware that some plastics will be damaged by acetone, so test in an inconspicuous spot when uncertain.

===Preparing Surfaces===
In cleaning a concrete floor, Acetone can be used as an alternative to water as it will evaporate quicker. This is done when preparing a concrete floor for finishing (epoxy, urethane, etc). It also helps to clean any detergents or oils left on e.g. epoxy floors after they are have been cured.

===Cleaning Hands===
Acetone can be used to clean resins off of hands or surfaces. Apply to a rag, and wipe your hands in the rag, until the resin is dissolved in the solvent.

==Tips / Techniques==
===Storage===
Acetone is generally best stored in a metal container, such as our 1 gallon cans. Glass is another good option. It can be stored in 'some' types of plastic containers, but others will degrade if used to store acetone, so you need to have the right kind of plastic. There are charts online to refer to, if you must store it in plastic. (reference: http://web.archive.org/web/20240122003118/https://cdn7.bigcommerce.com/s-3yvzqa/content/v/images/custom/Chemical_Reference_Summary-small.gif - In this chart, Acetone is considered a 'ketone' - it's the fundamental ketone). Note that acetone will evaporate slowly when stored in some containers.

===Retail Store Acetone===
Acetone can be purchased from grocery stores in household amounts. It can also be purchased from Advance Coatings in small to large quantities. Note that these acetones are not 100% equal. The quality from consumer/retail stores tends to have a more recycled smell/scent, than what we sell. As someone who has used Advance Coatings acetone for many years, I instantly recognize that consumer acetone has a 'dirtier' or 'rougher' scent to it. It's not as pure. Not including nail polish remover, which is only some percentage of acetone, along with fragrance. But even consumer supposedly 100% pure acetone can vary in quality. For general purposes it may not matter, but it is something to be aware of.

===Reusing Acetone===
We reuse acetone as much as possible. Even when Acetone gets dirty, it is still a viable solvent. It's wise to store different levels of 'dirty' acetone. I.e. keep a container of pure acetone for finish cleaning. And keep a container or two of dirtier acetone for rough cleaning.

===Acetone Exposed to Air will Evaporate===
Keep acetone containers closed when not in use. It will evaporate into the air (and is flammable). This can also be of benefit, i.e. if you pour some acetone onto a surface for cleaning, it will evaporate relatively quickly.
===ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) Plastic and Acetone===
[[File:Abs and acetone.webm||100|right]]
It is possible to dissolve ABS plastic with acetone. You will end up with a black goop, which can be used as a glue for ABS. Please see the video. Here the goop or glue was applied to an ABS case cover, and it adheres reasonably well. Note the unfortunate pun of ABS and Acetone.

To dissolve it, ABS was put in a quart can of some quantity of acetone and the lid closed. The ABS will dissolve over a period of time in the can. This makes a type of recycling or at least repurposing of ABS, easy to do.

As with any type of adhesive, the ability to adhere to materials will vary. I tested the ABS cover which adhered to the glue fairly well. However, a plastic utensil (from a takeout restaurant) did not adhere to the recycled ABS. Some more tests here might be useful. There is also a bit written about this online from other sources.
===Prolonged Exposure to Acetone Can Be Irritating to Skin===
I have found that acetone will never damage skin in regular use of cleaning tools or skin. However, there is one scenario where your skin can become sensitive to (possibly only certain brands) of acetone over repeated exposures. That is when you are wearing gloves and the acetone gets inside the gloves, where it is unable to evaporate. In this case, you can get a mild skin irritation from the solvent (it may take days of exposure to become noticeable). If this happens, take the gloves off, wash your hands with soap and water, and change the gloves. Consider getting gloves where the acetone is not able to penetrate. Overall, acetone is a forgiving solvent, and it does little damage in regular use. I suspect this is no different from having your hands in the bathtub for a long period of time. Even that will be somewhat corrosive. Skin is not designed to be immersed in (any) liquid for long. Of course, a solvent will be somewhat more damaging than water.

==External Links==
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone
{{Tools}}
[[Category:Products]]
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]

Gelcoat Anchoring

2026-06-19T14:17:25Z

Advance: /* Steps */

This is a similar usage case to [[Anchoring_Cement_Application]], however, in this case, instead of using a dedicated anchoring product for this, we are simply using excess gelcoat. Polyester resin is a strong enough adhesive for small jobs, and in this scenario, the goal is to get pegboard on a concrete wall. Since this is a low weight, non critical application (i.e. the weight of pegboard with tools is minimal, and this is indoors), we can get away with using any leftover gelcoat or polyester resin.

This is a good use of leftover resin.

==Items Needed==
* Extra Resin or Gelcoat
* Catalyst
* Mixing Cup
* Popsicle Stick
* Syringe
* Rags
* Acetone

For this type of application, you will want to use a syringe that has an opening large enough to work with the relatively viscous gelcoat or resin. Using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] might not work, as catalyst is thinner. You may try cutting a thinner syringe near the end with a pair of pliers. For a small job, it should suffice.

For this tutorial, we will assume you have already drilled the necessary holes in the wall. Also, we will assume you have the necessary threaded rod or bolts prepared (in this case, I cut 1/4" bolts with a bandsaw to make them usable).

==Steps==

# When working with a syringe and resin, you will find that it tends to spill down the wall. You will make a bit of a mess. Therefore, start by putting some rags down on the floor.
# Note that even with rags, this process will be messy, and likely the wall will get some resin on it. Acetone can be used to cleanup afterwards, but it's not perfect. You wouldn't want to do this on an important wall, without proper prep. That may involve covering off any areas you don't want to get resin on. Or, you might paint over the resin after. For this example, I am not concerned as much with the gelcoat as it is going to be covered up.
# If you are putting bolts on the wall, you probably want to cover them with tape to avoid getting resin in the threads (or you can use a wire wheel afterwards).
# Mix the resin with catalyst in the mixing cup.
# Use the syringe to draw in some of the premixed resin.
# Carefully inject the resin into the void in the wall.
# Place the bolt into the wall and resin.
# Position the bolt properly, if needed.
# Cleanup (May require painting of the wall for neatness)

<gallery>
File:IMG 20260112 204307759edit .jpg | Use rags on the floor.
File:IMG 20260112 204228568edit .jpg | The resin may smear on the wall. Use acetone to clean up or prep by covering the wall.
File:IMG 20260112 204422858edit .jpg | Improper Application of resin will have an air gap.
File:IMG 20260112 204420375edit .jpg | Proper Application of resin from a syringe will bond all areas.
File:Using a tap or die to get paint off the threads.webm | A die can be used to clean the threads off.
</gallery>

==Conclusion==
You may notice there is already pegboard on the right side, but that is a different size pegboard than what will be installed.

Overall, this was a good use of old resin, but without thickener, the resin runs out the syringe and down the wall. It's still a fun project to take up, and it shows that syringes can be used for resin as well as for catalyst. Here, you are 'injecting' resin into the wall, and then placing a bolt in. It makes me wonder if there is any advantage to having resin filled concrete blocks (it looks like online, that concrete is sometimes used to fill blocks, though you could use other materials such as resin (if non flammable)).

This project made more of a mess than I expected. I think if you added a thickener, you might have an easier time dealing with the resin. Though it may not be absolutely necessary. Also, you will need dedicated resin syringes (seperate from the catalyst ones) as resin is fairly thick as I mentioned before.

==Todo==
Some weight bearing tests should be done, out of curiousity.

There are videos along with these photos, that I will upload at a later date.

[[Category:Application Notes]]

File:Using a tap to get paint off the threads.webm

2026-06-19T14:16:33Z

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2026-06-19T14:16:33Z

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2026-06-19T14:16:15Z

Advance: Advance moved page File:VID 20260603 032609463.mp4 using a tap to get paint off the threads.webm to File:Using a tap to get paint off the threads.webm

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File:Using a tap or die to get paint off the threads.webm

2026-06-19T14:16:15Z

Advance: Advance moved page File:VID 20260603 032609463.mp4 using a tap to get paint off the threads.webm to File:Using a tap to get paint off the threads.webm

Advance: /* Citrus Oil Dissolving Polystyrene Foam */

It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my first test of these.

==Items Needed==
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply
* Frame to hold the wire
* Styrofoam

===Details of Items===
====Wire====
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You can also salvage it from hair dryers, hot air guns, and portable heaters. There are a variety of common appliances that use resistance wire per [[Foam_Cutter#Products_that_Have_Resistance_Wire]].

Note that there are calculators online to determine voltage, length, and temperature for Nichrome wire. But it is so cheap, you can also just buy a couple of gauges and try them out. See the note in External Links below.

====Power Supply====
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was enough to get the wire to cut through foam. There's no need for the wire to be glowing red or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store (he has since closed down his storefront, but he still has an ebay store here: https://www.ebay.com/str/electronicsurplusservices (Manchester, NH)).

====Frame====
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. This is just a proof of concept. To start, it doesn't matter what you use, as long as it is non conductive. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.

====Styrofoam====
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. I used traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic foam that look similar but are not styrofoam.

==Images==
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration
</gallery>

==Conclusion==
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing, whenever I am using styrofoam to make small parts. Also consider it for other applications, where styrofoam or other similar products may be applicable. For example, I needed some filler for a hole in the flooring. I could use styrofoam, cut with this tool, and then wood putty over it instead of bothering to cut a piece of hardwood or pine as the filler block.

===CNC===
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can not detail like a mill. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7' x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's created for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work.). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill.
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.
</gallery>

==Tips/Techniques==
===Curing Notes===
Do not use too much [[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide | MEKP]]. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this (but not so little as to not cure).

===Products that Have Resistance Wire===
Llama 3.3 70B AI lists the following products as sources of Resistance Wire:

<pre>
Here are some products that use resistance wire to generate heat:

Electric blankets
Heating pads
Hand dryers
Radiant floor heaters
Electric baseboard heaters
Portable heaters
Infrared heaters
Heat lamps
Smokers and BBQ heaters
Laboratory hot plates
3D printer heat beds
Electric grills
Slow cookers
Electric skillets
Waffle irons
Panini presses
Electric thermoses
Car heaters and defrosters
Heated seats and steering wheels
Heat wraps and warm compresses

These products use resistance wire to generate heat for various purposes, including comfort, cooking, and industrial applications.
</pre>
Note that the gauge of resistance wire in these products will of course differ, and since the wire is so cheap online, you may just want to buy it for your application. But it's useful to be able to collect the wire from things that might otherwise be thrown away (i.e. hot air guns, hair dryers).

===Electric Hot Knife===
You should be able to make one sided cuts by heating up a butter knife. There are also of course, commercial products that look a bit like soldering irons but with a dull blade on one side. Arbitrary shapes can be made into the 'blade'. There are larger ones, as well as smaller size blades, comparable to exacto knives. It should be possible to make one with some resistance wire and metal, though specifying the proper size metal and wire may require testing. There are beekeeper ones that connect directly to a battery (6 or 12V) which may be more future proof.

===Citrus Oil Dissolving Polystyrene Foam===
It is possible to dissolve styrofoam with certain Citrus Oils. We had a bottle of some Orange Oil product hanging around the lab from https://citrusdepot.net/ (see photo below) which mentioned that it did this. I ran a test, and it worked as described. This is also documented online, for example https://csef.usc.edu/History/2012/Projects/J1001.pdf or https://duckduckgo.com/?t=h_&q=citrus+oil+extract+styrofoam&ia=web You can make a mold around styrofoam, and then dissolve it. I have tested this briefly, and some work is required afterwards, as the cured mold around the styrofoam will retain the rough texture of the foam. It does not take too much of this.

Note that this oil can be noxious after a period of time (at first it is pleasant, but it gets old), so take care not to spill the orange extract in living areas.

It might be possible to use other orange based products. For example, [https://www.woodcraft.com/products/general-finishes-clear-orange-oil-polish-solvent-based-orange-oil-pint Woodcraft] sells a General Finishes Clear Orange Oil Polish Solvent Based Orange Oil Pint Item #811792, which is worth testing.
<gallery widths=200px heights=150px>
File:CitrusOil 1 Citrus Depot dot net.jpeg
File:CitrusOil 2 Citrus Depot dot net.jpeg
</gallery>

===Polystyrene Cubes and Blocks===
It's easy to purchase styrofoam cubes online. These 2x2x2 or 3x3x3 can be used like bricks to prototype anything. And if you have a cnc or want larger pieces, then you are looking at styrofoam blocks or sheets.
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px>
File:Styrofoam blocks.png|A web search for "styrofoam cubes" comes up with many affordable options, even for a hobbyist.
</gallery>

==External Links==
* https://www.jacobs-online.biz/index.htm - If you are interested in reading more about Nichrome Resistance Wire, this may be a good place to start. There are also dozens, if not hundreds of calculators online.

Acetone

2026-04-28T12:41:42Z

Advance: /* ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) Plastic and Acetone */

Solvent for easy cleaning. A necessity for working with Resin.

==Overview==
Acetone is a useful solvent for the plastics industry. Furthermore it has many general purpose uses, and is quite safe to humans in small amounts - it is not dangerous unless exposed to fire or ingested. It can be purchased at the grocery store as Nail Polish remover. Small amounts of Acetone evaporate when exposed to air.

==Safety==
[[File:492px-Acetone-2D-skeletal.svg.png|150px|thumb|right|Acetone is the basic ketone]]
Acetone is flammable. Store Acetone in a closed container. Dirty Acetone can be saved and re-used until you deem it is too dirty. It is not corrosive in small amounts, and does little more than dry human skin (though keep away from open wounds). For full details of the health and safety of Acetone refer to a MSDS/SDS.

Use in a well ventilated area. More or less, the only way you will get in trouble is either being near a source of flame, or working in a small room without ventilation (and using a lot of acetone).

If you do manage to get acetone on fire, it will burn like an alcohol. But it will not explode. Acetone vapours however are flammable, and can cause an airborne flame. If you somehow manage to boil the acetone, this can be a danger (a spark can cause acetone gas to ignite in a fireball). Understand the potential of what you are working with.

==Fire Hazard==
{{Template:FlammableRedLabel}}

==How to Use Acetone==
===Cleaning Tools===
Acetone can be used to clean off many kinds of uncured and cured plastics and polymers from tools. Tools can be soaked in an acetone bath over time. It can be used along with e.g. a metal drywall scraper to remove slightly cured resin from surfaces. Be aware that some plastics will be damaged by acetone, so test in an inconspicuous spot when uncertain.

===Preparing Surfaces===
In cleaning a concrete floor, Acetone can be used as an alternative to water as it will evaporate quicker. This is done when preparing a concrete floor for finishing (epoxy, urethane, etc). It also helps to clean any detergents or oils left on e.g. epoxy floors after they are have been cured.

===Cleaning Hands===
Acetone can be used to clean resins off of hands or surfaces. Apply to a rag, and wipe your hands in the rag, until the resin is dissolved in the solvent.

==Tips / Techniques==
===Storage===
Acetone is generally best stored in a metal container, such as our 1 gallon cans. Glass is another good option. It can be stored in 'some' types of plastic containers, but others will degrade if used to store acetone, so you need to have the right kind of plastic. There are charts online to refer to, if you must store it in plastic. (reference: http://web.archive.org/web/20240122003118/https://cdn7.bigcommerce.com/s-3yvzqa/content/v/images/custom/Chemical_Reference_Summary-small.gif - In this chart, Acetone is considered a 'ketone' - it's the fundamental ketone). Note that acetone will evaporate slowly when stored in some containers.

===Retail Store Acetone===
Acetone can be purchased from grocery stores in household amounts. It can also be purchased from Advance Coatings in small to large quantities. Note that these acetones are not 100% equal. The quality from consumer/retail stores tends to have a more recycled smell/scent, than what we sell. As someone who has used Advance Coatings acetone for many years, I instantly recognize that consumer acetone has a 'dirtier' or 'rougher' scent to it. It's not as pure. Not including nail polish remover, which is only some percentage of acetone, along with fragrance. But even consumer supposedly 100% pure acetone can vary in quality. For general purposes it may not matter, but it is something to be aware of.

===Reusing Acetone===
We reuse acetone as much as possible. Even when Acetone gets dirty, it is still a viable solvent. It's wise to store different levels of 'dirty' acetone. I.e. keep a container of pure acetone for finish cleaning. And keep a container or two of dirtier acetone for rough cleaning.

===Acetone Exposed to Air will Evaporate===
Keep acetone containers closed when not in use. It will evaporate into the air (and is flammable). This can also be of benefit, i.e. if you pour some acetone onto a surface for cleaning, it will evaporate relatively quickly.
===ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) Plastic and Acetone===
[[File:Abs and acetone.webm||100|right]]
It is possible to dissolve ABS plastic with acetone. You will end up with a black goop, which can be used as a glue for ABS. Please see the video. Here the goop or glue was applied to an ABS case cover, and it adheres reasonably well. Note the unfortunate pun of ABS and Acetone.

To dissolve it, ABS was put in a quart can of some quantity of acetone and the lid closed. The ABS will dissolve over a period of time in the can. This makes a type of recycling or at least repurposing of ABS, easy to do.

As with any type of adhesive, the ability to adhere to materials will vary. I tested the ABS cover which adhered to the glue fairly well. However, a plastic utensil (from a takeout restaurant) did not adhere to the recycled ABS. Some more tests here might be useful. There is also a bit written about this online from other sources.

==External Links==
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetone
{{Tools}}
[[Category:Products]]
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]