creoleblues Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 This isn't exactly a woodworking question, but I thought this might be a good place to find an answer. I'm looking for a finish that won't be damaged by solvents such as turpentine and alcohol. I'm working on a manufacture project producing lava lamps and two of the fluid components are turpentine and isopropyl. The cap for the glass vial is to be pour molded from epoxy that can be dissolved by turpentine. Hopefully there is something i can use to chemically seal the epoxy in order to protect it from the solvents in the fluid mixture. Thank you in advance to anyone who can help me out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areynoldsre Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 looking a polyurethane varnish - it is resistant to alcohol and many chemicals. I am not sure if it resists turpentine but fully cured it might. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creoleblues Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 looking a polyurethane varnish - it is resistant to alcohol and many chemicals. I am not sure if it resists turpentine but fully cured it might. Resistance to alcohol is a good sign, I'll try it out this weekend. Thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 I think Enduro Clear Poly with the crosslinker (couldn't find a URL; it's an additive) would be the best poly to try. Not sure if you can get it and the crosslinker at a local woodworking store, though. If anything, use the General Finishes page for it to ask them specifically if it will work in your application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Let's think outloud on this. Wood finishes are formulated to resist certain chemicals spilled on them for a period of time until they can be cleaned up without harming the finish. Some do this better than others. I'm not aware of any wood finish that can do what you are asking for. Sorta like how a wrist watch says its "water-resistant" and not waterproof. My first thought, this is a cap to cover the wick to put the flame out? If there is a wood finish that can achieve that protection. Not sure how it would perform to the heat of capping out a flame. I hope I understand your question correctly? -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creoleblues Posted October 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Let's think outloud on this. Wood finishes are formulated to resist certain chemicals spilled on them for a period of time until they can be cleaned up without harming the finish. Some do this better than others. I'm not aware of any wood finish that can do what you are asking for. Sorta like how a wrist watch says its "water-resistant" and not waterproof. My first thought, this is a cap to cover the wick to put the flame out? If there is a wood finish that can achieve that protection. Not sure how it would perform to the heat of capping out a flame. I hope I understand your question correctly? -Ace- The wrist watch analogy is very good, that's exactly the problem here. Hopefully solvent resistance will be good enough. The concentration of turpentine will be very low, about 1% by volume. Even at this concentration, the epoxy is highly vulnerable, but a relatively resistant finish may hold up better. While you have a great idea of the application of this finish, i'm not sure you've got it quite right when you start talking about a wick. This lava lamp is will have a glass vial full of fluid that sits on a plastic base. The majority of the base is plastic injection molded ABS , but then the electronics for lighting and heating the fluid are placed on this base and epoxy is poured over the electronics so that heating resistors will poke through the epoxy and contact the fluid for better heat transfer. This thin finish layer would go on next, before the base is connected to the vial, in order to protect the epoxy. But the setup of the lamp here isn't critical to understand, just the problem that there must be something to protect the epoxy from the turpentine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 The wrist watch analogy is very good, that's exactly the problem here. Hopefully solvent resistance will be good enough. The concentration of turpentine will be very low, about 1% by volume. Even at this concentration, the epoxy is highly vulnerable, but a relatively resistant finish may hold up better. While you have a great idea of the application of this finish, i'm not sure you've got it quite right when you start talking about a wick. This lava lamp is will have a glass vial full of fluid that sits on a plastic base. The majority of the base is plastic injection molded ABS , but then the electronics for lighting and heating the fluid are placed on this base and epoxy is poured over the electronics so that heating resistors will poke through the epoxy and contact the fluid for better heat transfer. This thin finish layer would go on next, before the base is connected to the vial, in order to protect the epoxy. But the setup of the lamp here isn't critical to understand, just the problem that there must be something to protect the epoxy from the turpentine Oh....geez....I'm thinking tiki torches, sorry . Hmm interesting situation...this requires powers that are way over my humble skill set.......I'm sure there is a solution, what about changing the fluids to something else? -Ace- I'm wondering...if the fluid is contained in a glass vial and is sealed. Why the concern of the fluids getting to the base? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CessnaPilotBarry Posted October 21, 2011 Report Share Posted October 21, 2011 Water based ML Campbell Ultrastar is unaffected by both alcohol and solvents once dry. You should see how hard it is to get out of spray gear... Similar coatings are available from Target, Fuhr, and Sherwin Williams. Most pre-cat and polyurethane varnishes are also relatively solvent-proof once they fully cure. I like Ultrastar because it's very consistent, non-flammable, and it dries as fast as nitrocellulose lacquer. I buy it at my local Pratt and Lambert paint store, but I have to ask, it's not on display. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenMinshall Posted October 22, 2011 Report Share Posted October 22, 2011 My guess is that there probably aren't any finishes that will stand up to the turpentine for any significant time. Turpentine is a known solvent even for many common types of plastic: PVC, silicone, nylon, polycarbonate, polypropylene and several other go-to materials for chemical resistance. Teflon (PTFE) does have good turpentine resistance, but I have no idea how it can be applied. I think that metal and glass are really the only good long-term options for holding turpentine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.