UV Resin - Ring Cores

[studioseven]

I have seen a lot of videos on ring turning lately. It seemed pretty easy and I thought I would give it a try. My first ring turned out ok. I will try and post a picture of it this weekend. However I did have a minor setback. Most of the videos I watched were using UV resin on the ring cores. These were on inlay type rings. The creator would apply a little UV resin and then add the inlay material (opal, watch gears, abalone). The next step was to expose the resin to a UV light. The resin looked like it instantly hardened. The same effect as applying activator to CA. I wasn't getting that result. My resin was tacky and took three days to dry. After 12 hours I left the ring under a UV light for 24 hours. Still a little tacky and wasn't dry until day three. I know that you can use the sun light as a UV source as some have done. Unfortunately, living in Wisconsin, that isn't an option right now. Gray cloudy skies and temperatures in the teens. I also wondered if I had some bad UV resin. But my second batch turned out like my first with a different type of UV resin. Neither resin came with any instructions. I was working in my unheated basement (temp around 50 - 55) and was wondering if that was why. Anyone else use UV resin?

Seven

 

[RobS]

Which UV resin are you using. Alumilite has video of them casting in Wisconsin I think in the winter.

Alumi-UV

Alumi-UV is a single component, semi-flexible, extremely durable, crystal clear doming and coating resin. Once cured with UV or black light, it produces a high gloss coating on paper, plastic, wood, metal, and more.

www.alumilite.com

which the video at the bottom of the page.

Good luck

 

[studioseven]

That is one on the resins I tried. I will have to look on their web site.

Seven

 

[duncsuss]

The other variable besides the resin is your UV light source. I have one of THESE UV flashlights and it sets Miraclekoo Crystal Hard UV resin in about 10 seconds.

 

[CaptainJane]

The other variable besides the resin is your UV light source. I have one of THESE UV flashlights and it sets Miraclekoo Crystal Hard UV resin in about 10 seconds.

I am interested in using UV resin to glue small parts to tubes - such as opal, watch parts, etc. The Alumi-UV specsification says it needs a 365nm wavelength light, but the one you specify says it is 395nm. Will either 365 or 395 work? Could anyone else provide their UV light brand, model, and price?

 

[duncsuss]

I am interested in using UV resin to glue small parts to tubes - such as opal, watch parts, etc. The Alumi-UV specsification says it needs a 365nm wavelength light, but the one you specify says it is 395nm. Will either 365 or 395 work? Could anyone else provide their UV light brand, model, and price?

No idea if 395nm will cure Alumi-UV or not - but there are a lot of 365nm units on Amazon for $20 to $25.

 

[mmayo]

Just use CA glue. A touch of accelerator and it's on to the next bit of crystals. Why use UV light when we have CA for our pens. It works well.

 

[Joebobber]

I just bought 1 of the kits that included a flashlight and the resin from Turners Warehouse. For me the top of the resin hardens instantly, but it's just a skin. It recommended holding the light on it for like x amount of time to fully cure. No matter how long it was on it wouldn't get past that skin. I tried it on a vase with wormholes. I feel your pain. For me, the negatives outweigh the conveniences. CA just works way better, even on rings (for me)