I am making a sign for a coffee shop and I am going to lay in some actually coffee beans and I need to find a product that I can pour over the beans that will go haed to protect them and also stay clear and not yellow.
I know there is a product that is used on bar tops to sumerge Coins and sports cards etc.
Anyone know of any of this stuff? Or any if I poured in some one shot UV clear? it will need to be about a 1/4" thick.
Thanks for you help crew.
Posted by Donald Miner (Member # 6472) on :
Steve, you might want to check out this site; www.fiberglast.com. They have all kinds of resins, cloth and related products. I think what you are referring to is casting resin. They are a very reputable firm and will go the extra mile to help you, I know from experience. Good Luck!
Posted by Rene Giroux (Member # 4980) on :
Dude, get in touch with your local plastic specialist place. I don't the exact name of it, but it's like a liquid / milky plastic that hardens to a hard clear finish. This is what they use to encapsulate pennies or other pieces in a clear plastics.
Epoxies will yellow, and remember to do a test piece to make sure that the coffee bean doen't "tint" the plastic to a brownish shade. Consider clear coating them before they're poured with that plastic stuff...
Let me know if you don't find it, I've seen it done locally and I could probably trace it back.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
Steve, there's a product used here (Australia) for that purpose, called Envirotex, or something like that. It's a 2 part stuff, but I've seen it in as clear as day one after many years in sun in a window sill- no sign of yellowing.
They call it a reactive polymer, rather than an epoxy, if that helps.
[ June 13, 2007, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Pete Payne (Member # 344) on :
hi steve, stay away from the stuff used on bar tops and west systems, both break down and yellow in the sun, if you want to experiment it's available at home hardware, what about a bed of magic smooth, then several coats of automotive clear urethane or waterbase clearshield,with waterbase use several light coats so uou don't end up making coffee!
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
....Surfboard resin.
Posted by Ray Rheaume (Member # 3794) on :
Omni automotive clear coat.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Steve,
System Three has a UV stable clear epoxy resin, one of the very few available out there.
Casting resins get tricky in a case like this because most casting resins ARE NOT formulated for use as adhesives or laminating, therefore when topcoating other materials they're prone to pop off. Any success in this way is just pure luck. Laminating resins like epoxies have much higher adhesion, thus make a better choice, but then you have limited choices when it comes to certain requirements (like water white clear and UV stable).
Posted by BOB HINES (Member # 2702) on :
Check out Envirotex.com The girls at Signit used this product.Might want to touch base with them.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
Make sure your coffee beans are attached to the base. I've seen things float to the top when you pour in the liquid. Don't ask me how I know.
