I currently have been using a product by Americana called Triple Thick Gloss Glaze for my water. It can be purchased at Michael's. The last time I used it I poured it very slowly but started to get small air bubbles as it set up and began to clear.
I have 2 questions:
1. Has anyone used this product and may know why I got air bubbles this time?
2. What is the best product to use that will not develop air bubbles and the best way to apply?
Thank you,
Brian
To get rid of the bubbles, use a soda straw/rolled up sheet of paper with its lower end held safely ABOVE the surface to be cleared of bubbles and blow gently using your mouth on the straw. Or, just purse your lips and blow gently. Don't let your mouth, chin, or the straw touch the medium if you can help it. You're too close if that happens. One inch above is just fine.
Crandell
I'm not familiar with the product, but when other guys use similar products,(Envirotex) they use a straw to blow on the bubbles, the CO2 in the your breath will cause them to disappear. For large areas they use a hand held butane torch (unless of course what your are using is flammable!!!) and lightly skim over the top.
Go to 2:34 on the vid for envirotex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfWPxyp_N-o
Edit:oops Crandell posted while I was typing.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
Brian,
I have not used the Americana product, but can offer you a possible answer to your second question. I used Minwax Polycrylic as my water surface, and was very pleased with the result.
The directions call for 3 coats, with drying and sanding between the coats. I had no trouble with bubbles -- just don't shake the can or stir it energetically. Make sure you are satisfied with the character of the surface - is it flat or wavy to your liking - before you apply this stuff. This product is meant for finishing furniture, and I did get a reaction from the Sherwin Williams sales people when I told them what I had in mind. Wilton.
The directions call for 3 coats, with drying and sanding between the coats. I had no trouble with bubbles -- just don't shake the can or stir it energetically. Make sure you are satisfied with the character of the surface - is it flat or wavy to your liking - before you apply this stuff. This product is meant for finishing furniture, and I did get a reaction from the Sherwin Williams sales people when I told them what I had in mind.
Wilton.
If this is an epoxy type product, I've used the propane torch method. Just hold the torch a couple inches above the water and wave it back and forth. It is really amazing how quickly the bubbles rise up and go away. Just be careful not to have any flammables nearby.
It is just the temperature change and slight disturbance on the surface that rids your product of sub-surface/near-surface bubbles. Your breath will suffice and be much more eco-friendly than a blow torch...IMO.
If you are interested, my first two or three layers comprise a two-part finish quality epoxy. For a top layer, I just smear a thin layer of gel gloss medium to create the waves. Only the epoxy gets bubbles, and it takes me 20 seconds to clear two square feet of surface with a straw.
Woodland Scenics Realistic Water leaves tiny air bubbles too. I use a needle point to burst them.
Annoying, but no big deal.
Rich
P.S. I have often been tempted to take a blow torch to my entire layout, but never to remove bubbles from fake water.
Alton Junction
I use Envirotex Lite, also available at Michaels. Go to their web site and print the coupon!
Two questions - Are you getting the bubbles on the surface, or below the surface, and how thick is your pour?
Envirotex will develop surface bubbles that can be eliminated using the straw method others have described. If you pour it too thick, you will get sub-surface bubbles that will be permanent. I try to make my pours about 1/8 inch thick. Not only does this prevent bubbles, it also allows me to tint each layer a bit differently, addting to the illusion of depth.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
When I got air bubbles with Woodland Scenics Realistic Water, the bubbles were below the surface, and it was because the pour was too deep. Had I limited the pour to 1/8" deep, as recommended, the bubbles would not have formed.
Rich,
Maybe,,the bubbles,were from,,fish gas,,,,
Cheers,
Frank
Frank,
Remember Bubbly Creek in the South Branch of the Chicago River, just beyond the StockYards?
I remember it very well,,,I lived North of the stock yards at 35th and Racine and I can't comment on the Forums,,what you would see floating in the River..
My pours are between 1/16 to 1/8" thick max. My bubbles are below the surface. The Americana triple thick gloss gel is cloudy when first poured then dries crystal clear. I don't see any bubbles when I pour it, they seem to develop as it sets.
Thanks
Brian, are you using a fan to accelerate drying?
No, I'm not using a fan, should I be ?