Clear Epoxy Resin over Prints

[dubesor]

I know this is an old thread, but I'd love to hear from people about this ...

Has anyone tried automotive clear for large works (i'm looking at about 30x45 inch prints)? What would you apply it with?

[Donald Miller]

HVLP

Donald Miller

[Drew Wiley]

Spraying stuff potentially has very serious health and fire hazard implications, depending. I've known of a few building which blew up around here due to old-time
lacquers, a rail car being totally vaporized (though the cigarette lighter somehow
survived!). You have to do your homework, including studying the MSDS sheets.
HVLP is safer than the old atomized spray rigs, but without a spray booth and the
other right gear you could possibly end up, well, er ... dead! Polyester and epoxy
resins aren't to be trifled with. I've known quite a few people who died relatively young by acting macho with that kind of stuff, or were shaking and crippled for life.

[Drew Wiley]

I should have added that in most cities there are restrictions to what kind of spray
equipment can be used. There are also Federal and OSHA rules. There's a good reason
for this. A few years back I had some summer help - a college kid who ended up having
a third of his lungs removed due to working around polyester in a plant in Minn several
summers earlier. When someone asked why he didn't sue that company for ruining his
health, he simply responded that it wouldn't do any good - they were all already dead!
I could probably cite two dozen horror stories like this.

[John G.]

Just found this and.. maybe I can contribute enough to stop being a serial lurker.

I've got a fair bit of experience using marine epoxies and polyesters. Provided they're used in a well ventilated area they are basicly harmless. They also generate a lot of heat when curing and the fumes are extremely volitile but... those are manageable hazards if a little common sense is used.

If you wanted to try I'd recomend you used a self leveling resin... that is basicly what it sounds like... the stuff levels itself out into even layers. You'd also have to get multiple coats on, and ensure the recoat time was right so it didn't get (a) too wet and hot or (b) too dry. Once it dries you have to sand to get an adhesion for the recoats, and that would be visible later.

Generally thinking I'd not bother trying. There are too many issues with the commonly availible mixes if you're chasing a perfectly clear hard coat with an extended life span. Yellow, crazing and heat distortions would all make it a difficult way to go.

But, having read this I'm now wondering at an epoxy seal between two bits of plexiglass, or real glass come to that. The secret with epoxy or polyester resins is always in the surface prep - if you were to lightly bead blast around the edges, place your picture in, apply a thin coat of resin then press two sheets together it would give an airtight seal. Further resin over that would result in a totally sealed archival storage and.. at any future time all you'd have to do is break the glass if you wanted it out.

Interesting thought... I'm going to try it.

John.

[Drew Wiley]

John - if you think marine epoxies are basically harmless you are very,very,very
naive. I know and have known a variety of people involved in the manufacture of
these. Many of them become downright loopy. Others shake uncontrollably. Some seem fine for a number of years and then suddenly shift into sensitivity so extreme
that if they even touch a baked enamel metal desk they go into hives and anapylactic shock. I sell to the marine trade, including the Coast Guard, and I do use marine epoxies for structural repairs, or for making certain types of darkroom equipment, but always OUTDOORS. Very few people are properly shop-equipped for indoor use of these chemicals. A respirator isn't enough. In any event, they're worthless for photographs. Many of these products are made in our area, over in the side of the Bay health worker refer to as "cancer alley". The owner of one chemical enterprise at least died happy. He had a permanent big grin, walked in a slow high goose-step, and seemed permanently drunk. The last time I ever saw him, he told me, "Ishe been workin wish theeshs for shirty yearsh, and it hashn't hurt me a bit!"

[Drew Wiley]

PS - sorry to seem rude, John, but yes, I am trying to scare people. The fact is, I am the purchasing agent for the company which buys and resells more marine epoxy etc in N.Calif than probably anyone else, among the many other products we
distribute. I have a lot of experience with this industry and those people who use
these things. I also sell equipment for safely removing marine coatings.
Been doing this for a long time. And one of the reasons we've had so few serious
incidents of our own is that we warn people up front about the hazards. Unfortunately, not everyone does. And I've met artists blinded or nerve-damaged
for life by a single blatant incident of product abuse. You don't just have to mfg the
stuff to get really sick. And my assuption is, nobody trying to coat a photograph is
going to do it outdoors with a directional airflow fan because the coating will end up
with aphids and flies and dirt and pollen in it. No piece of art is worth ruining one's
health!

[anchored]

Wouldn't mounting the print between sheets of acrylic provide the same effect and purpose? An internet search should provide loads of resources for places to have this done for you, and I would think for information on how to do one self.

I/we have had a few prints prepared by a photo lab in this matter for art shows... they do appear as if the print is deeply embedded in resin. Far safer and convenient than using resins I would think.

[D. Bryant]

A much safer product to consider coating prints is, Hydrocote Resisthane Plus. It is water based and non-yellowing. It has been used to coat ink jet prints to provide a protective surface and to increase DMAX. The best method of application is by spraying.

Details about the product can be found here:

http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/h...lusgallon.aspx

Don Bryant

[willwilson]

This is the artist that originally got me thinking about embedding work in clear plastic of some sort: http://www.jordaneagles.com/ I sent him an email early on asking for some pointers without much luck. He was a little tight lipped about his materials and process, but very nice. He did give me some ideas, just not I use this and order from here and this is how I do it. I can't find the email at the moment or I'd post it.

As Drew pointed out, you really need a proper space to do this type of work as it can be hazardous to your health, and dust can be an issue. I do not have such a space so this project is on hold. Facemounting to Plexiglass is a totally diferent deal, not really what I was looking for. It does look nice, but I think I would drive myself crazy wondering when it was going to get scratched.