Layouts and layout building

 Good day all! Does anyone know how long a container of enviro-tex lite will last once opened. I have a box that I used a small amount out of to pour a small pond on an old layout about 5 years ago. It has been closed up tightly ever since, but I don't want to use it if it yields unsatisfactory results once opened and sat around for so long.

Thanks!

Matt

Mix up a small amount (if you can find the catalyst; don't ask) and pour into something disposable.  Good luck and please advise...Gary

I agree.  Your best bet is to make a small test pour.

I have some that's been open for well over a year, but kept tightly sealed.  Since Envirotex is a two-part resin, the interesting stuff doesn't happen until you mix the components.  Still, 5 years is a long time.

So, give it a try and let us know, OK?

Is this Envirotex or Envirotex Lite?  The "Lite" stuff seems to be a newer formulation.  I recall reading somewhere that the new stuff doesn't smell as bad when it's curing. If you've got the older formula, use it in a well-ventilated space only.

 OK. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.  (It's the Lite stuff btw and I had no issue with fumes although it was used for a very small pond. There will be a river and a bay side scene on my layout this time around.)

 Matt

 Make absolutely sure the areas you're going to pour into are leakproof or the Envirotex will just disappear.

 Envirotex appears to have a one year shelf life after opening any time longer it's a crap shoot as to how it's going to look but of more concern last.

I have no windows in my train room and can blow scents out the doorway with a box fan, but not for a whole/two day period for each pour.

Been considering "magic water" brand for this reason, but still a long way's off.

Thanks for any additional "fumes/sensitivity" feedback anyone can provide. I often open bottles in the store and sniff but don't know how enviro-tex is packaged. Thank you.

 Thats the one super advantage of Envirotex lite it's virtually odor free if it were the old stuff then you would need to evacuate your wife, kids pets etc. that stuff was NASTY

I only use the Lite. Since I normally model in the colder Wisconsin winters, an oderless mix was a must. The CFO won't even let me paint clouds or track in the winter. No problems with odor. I have had open (used) containers of the Lite.  As long  as I've resealed the containers I have had NO problems reusing the product the next modeling season. My experience, anyway!

Hope it helps!!

Terry

I don't react badly to chemicals, but I can smell them pretty well even if they don't bother me much.  (I love bicycling around dinner time and smelling what my neighbors are grilling.)  I haven't picked up any particular odor from Envirotex Lite, either.

I prefer not to have a lot of open windows when pouring my "water." This circulates dust and pollen, which will stick permanently to the surface.  I try to put a sheet of cardboard a few inches above the surface to catch any stray particles, in any case.

 OK folks: Took your advice and did a test pour onto a scrap piece of masonite yesterday morning. Used 5 milliliters of each part. Just checked on it this morning and it is probably 90% cured and looking beautiful. No cloudiness, murkiness or sloppiness. Perfecto. So, five years didn't affect it a bit.

Matt

Matt, when I mix and pour the stuff I follow the directions,with this exception: I pour an amount of one of the bottles into a plastic beer glass, mark the bottle and pour in  the same amount from the other bottle.I've found if you try to measure it in a container, then pour it into a mixing container it just doesn't work so well.

Terry

saronaterry:

Matt, when I mix and pour the stuff I follow the directions,with this exception: I pour an amount of one of the bottles into a plastic beer glass, mark the bottle and pour in  the same amount from the other bottle.I've found if you try to measure it in a container, then pour it into a mixing container it just doesn't work so well.

 

Terry

Well, I hope you drank the beer first! Actually not a bad idea. On my test pour I measured each part using a child's medicine cup and transferred it into a small plastic cup to mix. I held the medicine cup in the air for a long time waiting for all the drips to finally get out.

Thanks for the tip!

Matt