Worked with fiberglass resin before?

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breakpoint

Return of the Krugen
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LEGION138
I have two extra pc monitors laying around that I need to get rid of, one of them is going into our daughters room tonight on her new desk and the other one is getting turned into a project by me. I hate to just throw things away, so I am taking this monitor and pulling it apart and I am going to cut out of the top the lettering for my mates skate shop and then paint the entire thing satin black. On the inside of the case I am putting 15 blue LED's behind the lettering, there will be one behind each letter. I already have the power supply and I have already put all of that together on a homemade bread board so all I have to do is splice into the input power of the monitor and mount it. Here is the part I am not sure about.


After I cut out the lettering I want to of course close it off, at first I was thinking I would put plexi on the inside and that would be ok. I started thinking about it and I would really like to put the plexi on the inside and then pour resin in each letter and then sand it all off smooth so the lettering is flush etc. so all you would see is the blue glowing letter there and not a hole and blue glow, I think it would just look allot nicer. I have never worked with resin before, does it dry clear or slightly yellow? If it does dry slightly yellowish is there another alternative that I can pour into each letter to harden up that will be clear? I have never worked with molds or anything related to them so I am lost on this part:scared: The monitor will be used with his POS system ( not what your thinking young'n, I mean point of sale silly!) The monitor he has now works but it has been going out for a year now and looks like an old tv you would see in a Vincent Price film:dopey: So, I am doing this for him and putting his shop logo on there facing outward so when its sitting there glowing a nice blue it will be highly visible to his customers and will look sweet:tup: He has no idea yet either:sly:
 
Can't help you with your other questions, but when working with fiberglass you should wear a protective mask. The dust (when sanding, drilling or sawing it) can cause lung cancer
 
I worked in a body shop for 2 years and even sprayed without a mask, this will be a very small project, I don't own one so I really don't plan on buying on just for 10 minutes of work. I won't be using any fiberglass mat, just the resin. Thanks for the concern though. I think america's food supply is more concerning about giving me cancer than this project though ;)
 
First of all be careful when taking the monitor apart. The capacitors in those can hold a really high charge and can be quite dangerous. I'm not sure how long the charge is held but I think it can quite a long timeso just be careful.

I worked with fibreglass and resin before when making yachts and the chemicals used in that were damn right horrible. We had to layer up the fibre glass by hand and then coat in the activating resin. It would literally make your eyes stream and the fibreglass would cause skin irritation. Always wear a mask and goggles, the last thing you want is that stuff in your eyes or lungs. It doesn't hurt to wear them and they are so cheap to buy.

Good luck with it and don't forget to post pictures when you're done.
 
I am just interested in mixing the resin and pouring it into each letter as to make a clear letter so I can light it from below with the LED's, so no fiberglass involved. I know when I have used it with fiberglass before there is no yellowing but I have never used it just straight like this so I am just wondering if it yellows or not. Its not really cheap so I didn't want to buy some and mix and pour it into a glass to let it cure to see if it yellows or not, but if I have to I guess I will. Unless someone knows if it does or knows of an alternative I could use, I don't know if they have anything at the hobby store that you can pour and it hardens and is also clear. The monitor has been sitting for a year so there is a good chance the capacitors are still holding some charge, thats not a concern, I have a 2 year degree in industrial electronics:) I did learn as a kid that the flash capacitor in a disposable camera will burn a hole in your skin if it isn't discharged before messing with though:( I didn't even think about posting any pictures of it, I will take some before, during, and after and then post them. Hopefully I will be able to do it this weekend if time permits. All that is left is to cut and fill, the led board is already built and just sitting in my drawer waiting for me to put it in. I was going to do the monitor in a steampunk fashion because I am in love with steampunk, but just getting the materials to do that aren't cheap and it could take a year to find all the parts I would need! My next project is a steampunk flash drive though!
 
Normal fiberglass resin does solidify yellow, but you can also buy clear fiberglass resin (it costs 30-40% from where I go). In liquid state it is blue, but dries up clear.

Polyester resins also would achieve the same effect. They solidify clear, you can cast inserts and can be coloured to your desire.
 
exigeracer
Normal fiberglass resin does solidify yellow, but you can also buy clear fiberglass resin (it costs 30-40% from where I go). In liquid state it is blue, but dries up clear.

Polyester resins also would achieve the same effect. They solidify clear, you can cast inserts and can be coloured to your desire.
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That is the exact info I was looking for sir:tup: I will look and see which is cheaper and that will be the route I will go, it doesn't matter to me what I use as long as it dries clear and is cheap:)

Thanks:cheers:
 
I hope Im not too late. Instead of using fiberglass resin, use ep4041, or even better try using Easy cast from you local arts and crafts store, it drys clear and is quite uv resistant, plus can look nice with LEDs behind it. I custom fabricate car interior and exterior parts with fiberglass/acrylic/polycarbonate, and have used easy cast a few times for fun, it works quite well.
 
bsaxon
I hope Im not too late. Instead of using fiberglass resin, use ep4041, or even better try using Easy cast from you local arts and crafts store, it drys clear and is quite uv resistant, plus can look nice with LEDs behind it. I custom fabricate car interior and exterior parts with fiberglass/acrylic/polycarbonate, and have used easy cast a few times for fun, it works quite well.
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Wish I would have seen your reply last week. I used the fiberglass resin because someone said it dries clear, it doesn't dry clear at all, it dries a dark yellow which is the same color it is before it dries:ouch: And on top of that I had the pc monitor case out on the porch because I was spraying it and it rained that night and ruined the paint so I said just screw it and tossed it out. I could have sanded it all out but it would have taken forever and I was giving it away so I just tossed it out. At least I know that the EP4041 dries clear now though, they carry it at Napa? I am fixing to do a little modding on my 360 case and I might have a need for it.
 
Fiberglass resin sold at all of the auto stores says nothing about the color, its just fiberglass resin. Maybe marine use stuff is what you are talking about? Doesn't matter now, its in the garbage.
 
No, ep4041 has to be purchased online...well, as far as I have been able to tell. I just use Easy cast from Michaels, same thing really...kind of...without the heat resistance. The only "fiberglass" resins out there that dry clear are usually used for carbon fiber, they usually have a bluish tint without any substrate. Thats just from my experience, not saying they dont have just plain clear, I just havent had the money to purchase any clear resin, lol. I would not use ep4041 on your case, it gets hot when it cures, as does fiberglass resin. I know I sound like a commercial, but really, the Easy cast is best..though, I would have to know exactly what you plan to do, you may want to use a self leveling laquer if you plan on "embedding" anything. If you pour Easy cast over something, you will have to sand and polish it, its mainly used in molds..google it, its pretty cool stuff. Good luck, I hope I helped a little.
 
I will be basically embedding I guess that would be the best way to explain it. I had bought some casting resin from Michaels and on the front it showed it clear when they mixed it and all that and my wife was rushing me so I grabbed it. When I got home and pulled everything out it said that it dried to a white tint, it didn't dry to a white tint, it dried solid white. I will find a use for it for something eventually though. I think on my xbox case I am just going to go with plexi and mount it from the inside and just bevel the cut outs I do. On my xbox I am cutting out the crimson ghost ( The misfits logo) on one side and on the other I am just cutting out a huge window so you can see the dvd drive spinning etc. It will be much easier just to use plexi on it, but I might make some sort of stand mold and use the cast for that, or maybe a controller stand...thanks for the help though.
 
Yep, that seems to be a great Idea, instead of paying money for one that already has a clear window, do it yourself. Make sure you get acrylic, not polycarbonate, they look the same, but polycarbonate is a real b*tch to work with. I hope your project works out for you, sounds pretty cool. Post some pics when your done. Good luck.
 
@ bsaxon would, Easy cast from Michaels, work to make a clear coat on top of a painted table to help keep it from getting damaged from liquids but still be able to see the work on the table? i wanted to use Fiberglass resin, but after reading all these posts im starting to re-think how i am going to be able to finish this....
 

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