Problems locating casting resin for a sawmill log pond

[GN_Fan]

I’m a 77 year old ex-pat now retired in Italy.  I built a 1950's era sawmill diorama complete with a log pond, but I’m totally stumped in simulating the water.  The conventional method uses casting resin, but my local hobby shop that could order the stuff for me went belly up.  Mail order does not seem possible since it’s a hazardous material and cannot be shipped overseas.  A casual friend of mine who is not a modeler suggested Flex Seal found at https://www.flexsealproducts.com/product/flex-seal-liquid-rubberized-coating/ but I have many reservations about it.  Even tho it’s clear and pourable, it may be too viscous to flow under the jackladder and around the floating logs.  Secondly, I do not know if the surface looks like water or is semi-gloss.  Lastly, is this product shippable overseas?  Does anyone have any experience with this stuff?  It appears to be a construction product rather than a modelers product, so it may be too thick to be usable.  If anyone can put me onto someone in the EU who could ship resin to Italy I would be eternally grateful.  If my measurements are anywhere in the balpark, I'll need more than a gallon of this stuff.  Any input would be helpful.

[MisterBeasley]

I don't know about craft stores in Italy, but I always bought my Envirotex Lite at Michael's or A.C. Moore, not at a hobby shop or construction place.  These are craft stores, more devoted to needlepoint and pony pillows than trains, but they have useful stuff as well, and usually at better prices.

Envirotex is sometimes used for bar tops, so you might try cabinetry places as well.

[RR_Mel]

I use Parks Super Glaze for water, a two part mix epoxy available at most big box stores in the US.

It is used as a clear bar top epoxy coating and something similar should be available Italy.

I’ve used Parks Super Glaze for several water projects and really like the results. (Rust-Oleum product)

This is a pond I made about ¾” deep using three ¼” pours.





I should have put fish in the last pour.

This is my swimming pool, it is slightly more than ¾” deep.  I did four pours on the pool.





I positioned the swimmers in the last pour.



All in all the Parks Super Glaze has worked great for me and what’s even better is I get 32oz of “water” for under $25, that’s about an eighth the cost of hoppy products.


Mel



 
My Model Railroad  
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 

[snjroy]

Have you tried Amazon.it ?

I saw this product that looks promising: 

PROCHIMA FE034G320 E 30 Effetto Acqua A+B, Resina Epossidica Trasparente, 320 gr

[dknelson]

My wife found a two-part product in a craft store intended for creating "water" in a vase for artificial flowers.  I don't know the brand as she used all of it up in one vase but visually it seemed to be similar to whatever the two parts of "Magic Water" by Unreal Details is - and was similarly odor free.  I know Italy has it all over us when it comes to wine and food and musical instruments but I'd like to think Italy also has art supply and craft stores.  

Dave Nelson

[wvg_ca]

I used the two part product for making water in flower arrangements as well ... I got mine at Walmart, and used half [5 bucks worth] on the water I needed, no smell at all, dried in a very short time [about an hour]

[John-NYBW]

I've used Famowood Glaze Coat with excellent results. It's a two part epoxy. 

https://www.cshardware.com/famowood-glaze-coat-clear-epoxy-kit-quart.html?SID=91uqaqriohh6btdrs8qlllu72v&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=802%20-%20Shopping%20-%20Hardware&utm_term=4579740808243792&utm_content=Ad%20Group%20%231

I got mine at Loew's in the US. I don't know if it's sold overseas but if you can't find it, maybe you can have it delivered. 

[NittanyLion]

snjroy

Have you tried Amazon.it ?

I saw this product that looks promising: 

PROCHIMA FE034G320 E 30 Effetto Acqua A+B, Resina Epossidica Trasparente, 320 gr

 

That was my first thought, but it came up as unavailable when I was looking.

My command of Italian is, uh, not great, so I ran into some walls there.  But I did get thinking...Europeans must be coating things in resin just like us Americans.  I mean, I've watched plenty of "look at this crazy table" videos made by vaguely Eastern European guys.

In one of those videos, they were using this stuff: https://up2deco.com/products/epoxy-art-resin-3-weight-1-41-kg-fast-curing-12h-top-quality-clear-high-gloss-low-viscosity available from a German firm.  I have literally no idea what the shipping rules are from Germany to Italy.

[BigDaddy]

I don't know that anything available in US big box stores helps the OP.  Kathy Millatt, who used to live in the EU, has lots of videos on creating water effects and she seems to have no trouble buying water products in the UK.

Is Italy much less involved in model railroading? 

Are you able to order from the UK?