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Drilling into water resin

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Drilling into water resin
Posted by Bigjim7 on Sunday, October 14, 2018 7:16 AM

My first post. I just poured my pond with Woodland scenic Murky water resin. I have a pack of water lillies that I want to place on the water. But they have a stem that is about 1/4 long and you cant cut it off or the whole things comes apart; I ruined one of them already. But can one drill into the resin with a small drill bit and not screw up the resin. Thanks

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Posted by NVSRR on Monday, October 15, 2018 9:37 AM

By ruined, I take it you mean cut apart one grouping.   I would say you haven’t ruined it.   You can still place the leaves individually.  makes for variation anyway. Most Lillie’s lay flat on the water anyway.  You can drill into the resin carefully and slowly to a void damage.  It will frost the inside of the hole.  Best fix, mix up a couple drops of resin to ”glue” the stems into the hole.  Dip the stem in the resin. Be careful of the amount on the stem.  Stick into hole.   The resin will fill the scratches in the hole and remove the frost look.    I would start by drilling all the holes first  and making sure it they are where you want them.  

 If you want. Make a small sample of resin and create a test ”pond”. To try out the process before working on the location.  Test drill and size the holes on the test pond first.     Y test pond I mean a small puddle of resin in a tinfoil cup.  

 

Wolfie

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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, October 15, 2018 9:41 AM

Totally agree about the test, first.  If for no other reason than to learn how much "glup" to put on the step, so the excess doesn't ooze out everywhere.

 

Ed

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Posted by dknelson on Monday, October 15, 2018 10:44 AM

You can drill into resin but you can also create "spider web" cracks in resin water rather easily.  Perhaps covering the spot to be drilled with a bit of tape could prevent that kind of cracking.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by RR_Mel on Monday, October 15, 2018 11:10 AM

Wolfie’s info is right on the money, I would use a 60° taper drill bit for drilling plastics because they cut a cleaner hole in plastics and resin.  The resin 'glue' will look like a real dimple in the water.
 
Wouldn’t hurt to use tape like Dave suggested.
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, October 15, 2018 11:12 AM

I successfully drilled into Envirotex using DeWalt Pilot Point drill bits and a very slow drill speed.

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These bits do not have the traditional taper on the end, so they exert less stress outward from the hole.

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I agree, you should do a test first.

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-Kevin

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Posted by Bigjim7 on Monday, October 15, 2018 11:32 AM
Thanks all' I know it would be a Challenge ' I thought about putting some super glue right under the plant where the stem begins which holds it all togeather 'then cut the stem below the glue and the super glue should hold it all together and be flat enough to just lay on the pond. Maybe
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Posted by selector on Monday, October 15, 2018 1:11 PM

How long and thick is the stem?  Could you heat a pin and drive it into the surface and get the stem to fit? The pad would cover any marring and discoloration.

If it's all in a cluster, like grapes or watercress, maybe cut them up and place them individually.  We're talking 20 minutes at most......?

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Posted by rrebell on Monday, October 15, 2018 2:32 PM

glue it on, who cares if it fall apart, just glue on the peices, one at a time.

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Posted by 7j43k on Monday, October 15, 2018 7:00 PM

Looking at pictures of water lilies, it looks like there are two components:  the lily pads and the flowers.

The pads kind of float on top of the water.  That seems pretty straightforward to install--just put a tiny dab of epoxy on the surface, and stick a pad on top of it.

The flower appears to be the thing needing a hole.  But, looking at the pictures, the area around where you'd drill the hole is covered with pads.  So the pads wil cover up any mistakes you make with a drill.

My thought is that you glue in some flowers, and then surround them with lily pads, as described above.

Seems easy enough.  I'd still do a test shot, though.

 

Ed

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Posted by Bigjim7 on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 6:50 AM
Thanks guys I replied yesterday but it takes like 24 hours for my post to appear for some reason. I will try the super glue under the pad and cut stem and see if that will work. Thanks
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Posted by Bigjim7 on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 4:12 PM

Well the super glue held the pads together and the stems are only about a 16th in long' Drilling a hole was easy really' No damage to the resin. Will post a pic sometime when they let me.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 6:30 AM

Bigjim7
Thanks guys I replied yesterday but it takes like 24 hours for my post to appear for some reason. I will try the super glue under the pad and cut stem and see if that will work. Thanks

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Welcome to the forums. Your first few posts are delayed by the moderators, but that will end soon enough. Please stick it out and join our conversations.

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-Kevin

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Posted by Bigjim7 on Wednesday, October 17, 2018 7:13 AM
Thanks I will.
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Posted by Bigjim7 on Thursday, October 25, 2018 4:01 PM

Here is a pic of my pond with the water lillies. Drilling into resin was just like drilling onto wood' no biggie. Pic does not do the pond justice. Did not notice the dust specks' Man the camera see's all thanks

Bigjim7
Thanks I will.
 

 

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, October 25, 2018 4:08 PM

Jim,

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I am glad that all went well for you.

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I am also glad you stuck it out past the moderated period. I hope to see a lot more of your work in the future.

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Happy Railroading!

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

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Posted by Bigjim7 on Friday, October 26, 2018 7:18 AM
Thanks KEVIN.
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Posted by 7j43k on Friday, October 26, 2018 9:58 AM

Nice lookin' pond!

 

Ed

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