Uv
- Thread starter cuejo
- Start date
Your more than welcome to jump on into my thread. :smile:
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=315615
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=315615
I've been following,
One of the reasons I'm asking
I'm happy with my epoxy coatings with the exception of waiting for it to harden
I've been watching as well. I am getting to dislike Ceramathane. I like the finish I get but it takes for frickin' ever. I'd love to go to UV but the hazardous chemicals, dangers of explosion and the cost of the UV lighting system just kinda turn me off (I work in the basement of my house). Gotta find something though, taking almost 2 weeks to finish a cue is insane! The Green Light finish someone mentioned looks interesting but I didn't see anything about it other than a link.
Yes, b/c they don't have the hardener/activator.
Some just dip the whole cue even.
The bulb can burn you though.
Specially if you're a Canadian.
http://store.raka.com/uvepoxysystem.aspx
Epoxy and heat box ought to make it faster and harder finish.
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Yes, b/c they don't have the hardener/activator.
Some just dip the whole cue even.
The bulb can burn you though.
Specially if you're a Canadian.
Lol
There's not enough sunshine here to let me have uv tolerance built up
Lol
There's not enough sunshine here to let me have uv tolerance built up
I've been using a UV outfit for about 10 years now. I have always used it mainly as a filler instead of a top coat as most of the finishes are so hard to rub out. I got a sample of the Pearl brand and it seems to be a little easier to rub out so I bought a gallon from Unique as I heard that that is what they are selling but in smaller amounts.
I don't know what the light costs now but I paid 1400.00 in 2003. You have to be careful with the light as it can be pretty dangerous if you look at it or the light rays contact your skin. The light has a temperature of 1600 deg and of coarse the rays are ultra violet that can cause skin cancer. If you look at the light either directly or even the reflections it is like looking at a welder. The light must also be a consistent distance of 3-5" from the cue
I put my light into a box made like a tunnel I have a trap door at one end and ramp that runs through it. I built a spinner with a gear reduction motor that sits on the ramp. I spray the cue and then raise the door and slowly roll the spinner through. Works good and I'm protected from the light.
The finish is very hard, deep and shiny. The only drawback is that it is so difficult to rub out.
Dick
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Joey, how is that applied? Do you just brush that on?
What would be a good UV Light to get.... as in something fairly cheap?
Don't want to spend much unless I will really use it.
I've been using UV for at least 10 years also. The initial cost is kind of a killer but I would not have changed it for anything. The material and the light are expensive but I paid almost as much on car coats that I never liked also. I have good luck wiping on with a glove, foam brush on some and 50 cent synthetic brushes from Harbor freight and spraying with $15.00 spray guns from HF also. These guns worked just as well as the 2 300.00 ones I bought.
If they crap out, buy another on sale. The advantages of UV are numerous.
If you get a bad coat, sand it off and try again in minutes compared to waiting a day with the old 2 and 3 part car coats. I remember spraying in winter and the finish flashed before the bubbles came out a few times. Not finding out until the next day to strip in down and try again is all it took for me to convert. With UV you can let it spin until you are absolutely satisfied before you set it up with the light.. Take for instance down here in the desert we get a lot of windstorms, things flying in the air and such. Sometimes stuff happens and gets past my filters or I have to open the spray booth to give it time to level out. I come back and a gnat gets stuck in it. Pick that sucker out with some tweezers, give it a minute and cure it. Spot repairs are a breeze also. With the cue work, I basically have 2 full time jobs now. I do not have time for slow finish. It is a learning curve and a lot of cue makers gave up on it like I almost did but I sure am glad I didn't. As for hazzards, the light is most dangerous thing but anybody with some common sense shouldn't worry about that if you follow the guidelines. Cleaning up chemicals are basically the same as most other finishes. I use mainly MEK. Probably one of the worst but I have pretty good ventilation. The finish itself I am pretty sure it is just as safe if not safer than most others. I hope I answered some of your questions.
If they crap out, buy another on sale. The advantages of UV are numerous.
If you get a bad coat, sand it off and try again in minutes compared to waiting a day with the old 2 and 3 part car coats. I remember spraying in winter and the finish flashed before the bubbles came out a few times. Not finding out until the next day to strip in down and try again is all it took for me to convert. With UV you can let it spin until you are absolutely satisfied before you set it up with the light.. Take for instance down here in the desert we get a lot of windstorms, things flying in the air and such. Sometimes stuff happens and gets past my filters or I have to open the spray booth to give it time to level out. I come back and a gnat gets stuck in it. Pick that sucker out with some tweezers, give it a minute and cure it. Spot repairs are a breeze also. With the cue work, I basically have 2 full time jobs now. I do not have time for slow finish. It is a learning curve and a lot of cue makers gave up on it like I almost did but I sure am glad I didn't. As for hazzards, the light is most dangerous thing but anybody with some common sense shouldn't worry about that if you follow the guidelines. Cleaning up chemicals are basically the same as most other finishes. I use mainly MEK. Probably one of the worst but I have pretty good ventilation. The finish itself I am pretty sure it is just as safe if not safer than most others. I hope I answered some of your questions.
I believe the hand held units are mostly used to set printing and disinfecting things. I acquired my machine from American Ultraviolet. The bulb on mine is 5" in length and 200 watts per inch. The best distance to cure finishes is a consistent 3-5 inches from the cues surface. Also, I've found that with all of the UV finishes that I've tried that you really need a good sealer. The UV doesn't appear to adhere real well to phenolics and plastics. It also needs a rather rough surface for good adhesion. Nothing smoother than 220 or 320 at the finest.
I tried a number of finishes and liked none of them because they were so hard to rub out. I finally gave up and used the UV for a filler only and once all of the cue was sealed and flat, as when using epoxy, I sprayed three coats of auto finish as it is so easy to rub out.
I was told about"Pearl" finish from Lee malakov 3 or 4 years ago but was told they have a 5 gallon minimum on all of their products. I got a small sample and the stuff does work very good. It flows on easily, levels good and rubs out much more easily than all the others that I had tried. I was told that this is the product that Unique sells so I purchased a gallon from them.
I do a lot of repairs and make a large number of shafts and it is for this reason that I wanted a fast setting finish. I think this finish is what I've been looking for for 10 years now.
Dick
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http://admiraltymarinecoatings.com/equipment/mako/makot.html
http://www.americanultraviolet.com/curing_solutions/hand-held_curing/portaCure.cfml
Somebody loan me some cash.
Been doing finishing the last few nights . It sure is work.
From base coating/epoxying to sanding to finish coating.
http://www.americanultraviolet.com/curing_solutions/hand-held_curing/portaCure.cfml
Somebody loan me some cash.
Been doing finishing the last few nights . It sure is work.
From base coating/epoxying to sanding to finish coating.
http://admiraltymarinecoatings.com/equipment/mako/makot.html
http://www.americanultraviolet.com/curing_solutions/hand-held_curing/portaCure.cfml
Somebody loan me some cash.
Been doing finishing the last few nights . It sure is work.
From base coating/epoxying to sanding to finish coating.
There's no pricing!
Looked like there wasa couple refurbished units with 5"x5" for 2000$ from one of the sites I was on today
http://www.cureuv.com/total-cure-power-shot-1100-uv-curing-system.html
There is this one and a couple really similar units I was kind of looking at.
Seems like it would be really easy to use and easy to modify to a cabinet with a rolling lathe or something.
I'm waiting to see if the unique system is really special....for 10k it should be pretty spectacular?
There is this one and a couple really similar units I was kind of looking at.
Seems like it would be really easy to use and easy to modify to a cabinet with a rolling lathe or something.
I'm waiting to see if the unique system is really special....for 10k it should be pretty spectacular?
Rabbit
Banned
Id mount the light on a set of linear rails with nice bearings in front of the cue on a wood lathe while it spins and just rolls it up and down the linear stage to dry it.