Hello Folks

I wonder if anyone can tell me what water effect product is available that would fill an area roughly 8x10 x 5cm and not give off too much heat when it cures. I know that some resins will give off loads of heat when they cure, and depending on how thick the layers you use. But is there a product that will give off either no heat or very little?

Thanks

Luke

Hi Luke, welcome to the site.
Really, any resins are going to give off heat because they all use the same chemical reaction to cure, which happens to give off heat. As far as i know however, there are two types. Resin for fibreglass and such, intended to be used in thin layers, and casting resin, which i believe is supposed to be used in thicker layers.The latter is the most useful for our purposes. I assume you ask because you want to do it all in one pour? If not then just get some casting resin and do it in small layers. The heat given off will be minimal and you shouldn't have any problems. If you need to do it in one go, it's a bit hit and miss. I recently usedthis clear casting resin and found it very good. There doesn't seem to be a lot of heat given off in thin layers, in fact i had to blast it with a fan heater to get it to cure in a few hours. According to the label;


To me that sounds like 1ltr would be ok to pour in one go, so your casting of 400ml would be fine. I guess you could email them and ask, that's what they suggest to do if you are unsure about something. They are based in Cornwall, so perhaps not far from you? I believe they have a store.
Also, if you plan to do this soon, take advantage of the cold weather we have at the moment and put it outside, that should keep the temperature down if you are worried.

Hope that helps.
Luke

Hello Luke, for the area and depth you stated, resin is the way to go. There are some other products out there made for model railroading. However they shrink when drying and are meant for shallow applications. It would take way too much for the area you need. I did a Tarawa diorama featuring a USMC Amtrac in water about the size and depth you mentioned. I used a two part resin for the majority of the water. Then I used an acrylic artists gel for the surface layer, and to build up waves. Artists gel is a white cream-like substance in a tube. It dries clear and can be tinted white acrylic paint. You can get it at any art supply store. Be very careful when using resin. Allow plenty of time between pouring each layer. I thought I did, but came home to a major problem. Something happened and my Amtrac's vinyl track melted from the water surface up to the rear idler. It also warped the fender above the wheel as well as the rear corner of the hull. I was able to repair the damage by splicing in some new track, and making the hull look like it was battle damaged. I got quite a few favorable comments on my 'battle damage', then I would have to explain that it was not intentionally planned. Good luck with your project, and I hope to see it on this site soon. Al

Hello

Thanks all for your helpful replies.

Luke