Making a UV curing light chamber

[DanielG]

I posted this briefly on my 'baits' thread but it came out pretty good so I'm going to post it in it's own topic here.

I made a chamber to use UV resin to cure baits. The complete construction of it in a few minutes is in this video.

Total cost, about $70.

It's visible here.

[Harold Scoggins]

That's neat @DanielG, I saw those lights on Amazon for $24.99. 

[DanielG]

1 hour ago, Harold Scoggins said:

That's neat @DanielG, I saw those lights on Amazon for $24.99. 

Ya, two of them about $50 and the timer and misc materials brings it up to about 70. Thing is to get the ones that have a switch that won't limit you to a couple of timer settings. This one has a 'continual on' setting. Then my external timer sets curing time.

[MickD]

https://www2.lbl.gov/ehs/safety/nir/assets/docs/uv/UV lamps safety tips.pdf

[J Francho]

13 hours ago, DanielG said:

Total cost, about $70.

That looks like more than $20 in wood, fasteners, glue, and various parts.  What's the cost to someone that doesn't have the materials laying around?

[DanielG]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

That looks like more than $20 in wood, fasteners, glue, and various parts.  What's the cost to someone that doesn't have the materials laying around?

Well, there's probably about $5-$10 in plywood. The nails and glue would be pennies? A couple of 80 cent electrical boxes. So not much more than that. Granted, all the other stuff I have laying around. And I've got a pretty nice workshop too. But the real cost is in the nail hardeners. And someone could knock $25 off the cost by just using one. I think it would work just or nearly as good. Also, the timer is just a convenience, so time it yourself and switch it off by hand and it's a $25 nail hardener and the wood. No electrical stuff.

 

Get really simple. Put the bottom plate back on, stand it upright, and hang the lure in the upright opening with nothing else except a place to plug it in... so as little as $25.

 

I'll be curing a couple of lures today/tomorrow. I let you know if it works. Fingers crossed.

[DanielG]

3 hours ago, MickD said:

https://www2.lbl.gov/ehs/safety/nir/assets/docs/uv/UV lamps safety tips.pdf

Yup, got to be careful as this website says, but these things are all over the place in hair and nail boutiques so I think with a little, don't start directly into it for a long time, caution, it's okay.

[J Francho]

42 minutes ago, DanielG said:

all the other stuff I have laying around

I don't have $60 sheets of cabinet grade plywood scraps laying around.  Have you priced any of this out, if you had to buy it all?  I built a 5'x4'x14" kicker ramp for my son.  Materials was over $120.  Nothing cost pennies.  It helps if you price things out as if the person you're showing how to build it doesn't have any of the materials "laying around."  I would bet that this ran closer to $150, if you had to build from scratch.

[Harold Scoggins]

14 minutes ago, J Francho said:

I don't have $60 sheets of cabinet grade plywood scraps laying around.  Have you priced any of this out, if you had to buy it all?  I built a 5'x4'x14" kicker ramp for my son.  Materials was over $120.  Nothing cost pennies.  It helps if you price things out as if the person you're showing how to build it doesn't have any of the materials "laying around."  I would bet that this ran closer to $150, if you had to build from scratch.

Here you go...

 

[J Francho]

Those google eyes are at least $1.20! 

[Harold Scoggins]

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Those google eyes are at least $1.20! 

Yeah, scratch the google eyes, you can draw those on.

[J Francho]

Finally some return on that quarter-million dollar fine arts degree from NYU!

 

BUt seriously folks, the UV box is pretty cool.  Ones commercially made for nail techs go for $400 or more.

[MickD]

I'll admit I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I looked for nail tech UV stations and all that I saw shielding the bulbs so one cannot look right into them.  I would not use a station that did not shield the bulbs.  Food for thought.  You cannot undo UV damage.

 

I'll butt out.

[DanielG]

2 hours ago, J Francho said:

I don't have $60 sheets of cabinet grade plywood scraps laying around.  Have you priced any of this out, if you had to buy it all?  I built a 5'x4'x14" kicker ramp for my son.  Materials was over $120.  Nothing cost pennies.  It helps if you price things out as if the person you're showing how to build it doesn't have any of the materials "laying around."  I would bet that this ran closer to $150, if you had to build from scratch.

I don't know if you noticed but this isn't cabinet grade. Thanks for thinking so though. And I did have to buy it all at one point in time.  This plywood panel (below), from HomeDepot would be enough to make it ($13.95). It's 1/4" like I used. I had some left over from a 4x8 sheet but it's the same stuff. This one (below) is 2x4'.

So, if you had to buy all the wood and a few nails/screws, and had to screw them in by hand, then the $70 for the whole thing should be about right.

Let's see:

• Two UV lights (if you wanted to use two) $50 - Amazon
• Timer $14 - HomeDepot
• Two plastic electrical boxes and plug $0.36, $0.36, $0.86 --- pennies - HomeDepot
• Four screws $0.32 ---pennies - HomeDepot
• Titebond glue used, about $0.20 ---pennies, or you might have to buy a bottle if you don't have any, about $2. I use pin nails but finish nails, screws, or just clamping is fine.
• 1/4" Wood panel $13

 

Comes out to $79... But like I said, Use one light, or don't put a timer on it, or don't put it in a box, and I'll bet at least a few dollars of this stuff is in most people's house, glue, screws, some wood, etc. So, my original $70 price is probably pretty accurate for most people. Could be a lot less if you wanted to....

 

[detroit1]

Glad we got that straightened out.    ?

[DanielG]

2 hours ago, detroit1 said:

Glad we got that straightened out.    ?

Well, there seemed to be a need for it ?!?

 

Actually, if I had outlined it a bit some people probably would have appreciated it. I just made a box. People can make one if they want.. or not. I video a lot of stuff and put them on my youtube site just because I have the time. And it's fun.

[DanielG]

3 hours ago, MickD said:

I'll admit I'm not an expert on this stuff, but I looked for nail tech UV stations and all that I saw shielding the bulbs so one cannot look right into them.  I would not use a station that did not shield the bulbs.  Food for thought.  You cannot undo UV damage.

 

I'll butt out.

No. good point. Caused me to look it up. These things, from what I found, are pretty safe even though people put their hands under them for a period of time. I guess the wattage is fairly low. Using them as a curer for UV resin, there would be very little exposure to the light as you put the lure in, put the cover on, and turn it on.

 

Fun factoid: Years ago when microwave ovens came to the lunch room at our work place, people signed petitions to have them removed as the food would be irradiated and kill us all. Wasn't true but it's always good to be sure.

[Harold Scoggins]

Can this UV resin be applied over existing commercial finishes? It would be neat if that was possible as I understand RV resin to be a very hard finish and that could extend the life of some of our favorite balsa baits.

[MickD]

26 minutes ago, Harold Scoggins said:

Can this UV resin be applied over existing commercial finishes? It would be neat if that was possible as I understand RV resin to be a very hard finish and that could extend the life of some of our favorite balsa baits.

Yes it can.  I would use the thinner varieties.  Solarez and Loon from fly tying sources.  I expect finishes like Lumiseal and Permagloss, water curing polyurethane fishing rod blank finishes would be better, thinner, very hard, never yellows, dries fast.  

[DanielG]

52 minutes ago, MickD said:

Yes it can.  I would use the thinner varieties.  Solarez and Loon from fly tying sources.  I expect finishes like Lumiseal and Permagloss, water curing polyurethane fishing rod blank finishes would be better, thinner, very hard, never yellows, dries fast.  

On another note, I just applied the first coat to a piece of pvc that I had primed white. Thing is I couldn't get the Alumi-UV made in the US like I wanted. It's backordered and unavailable for months. So, I ordered a small bottle of the Chinese stuff that the Engineered Angler on youtube has tested and found that there's no difference. It worked. Cured in 20 minutes or less. I'm not sure as I didn't check till the 20 minutes was up.

 

I'm wondering. Is the American version of this stuff is ordered from China, repackaged in what looks like generic cans and bottles, and sold for about 40% more in cost??? Maybe because of the tariffs it's not available right now for them to purchase.

[MickD]

11 hours ago, DanielG said:

Cured in 20 minutes or less.

Under a lamp?  I use UV cure (Solarez) in fly tying and it cures under my flashlight in less than 10 seconds.  That's a small quantity, but with a lamp like folks here are talking about, I would think seconds rather than minutes would result in a good cure.  You may be wasting a lot of time, so experiment to find out.

[DanielG]

31 minutes ago, MickD said:

Under a lamp?  I use UV cure (Solarez) in fly tying and it cures under my flashlight in less than 10 seconds.  That's a small quantity, but with a lamp like folks here are talking about, I would think seconds rather than minutes would result in a good cure.  You may be wasting a lot of time, so experiment to find out.

Solarez cures very fast compared to Alumi-uv. It's good stuff and it's cure rate a fraction of the time. Many have given up on it (according to stuff I've read) because of the fumes/smell and it's a different type of UV substance and has toxicity. Most of them are painting or dipping into it before curing so there's a big surface area not meant for a uv flashlight.

Anyway, I've never used it so I'm just going on what I've read and seen tested on youtube. I considered it. Still, Solarez would probably harden in my chamber in a couple of minutes. As I understand it you have to keep the bottle closed promptly while using it as it will get thick over time just with ambient light hitting it while it's open. With Alumi-uv you can by a quart of it and that will not happen.

 

Plus, a true curing blacklight will cure much faster. They are also much more expensive as you need something a bit larger to cure something larger. The fingernail lights I made are a compromise between something that works in 20-30 minutes for a large item and cost and being able to use the Alumi-uv substance.

 

Epoxy, which I have used and works really good takes at least 24 hours to harden good and should have 72 hrs before use. Nothing wrong with that. This UV chamber was made more because I like building stuff, wanted to try it, and thought it was kinda cool. And you know the old addage... Retired people have too much time on their hands. I'll still use up my bottles of epoxy at some point. It works great.

[MickD]

3 hours ago, DanielG said:

bottle closed promptly while using it as it will get thick over time just with ambient light hitting it while it's open.

It comes in metal tubes and opaque black little bottles with translucent feed tips + a black cap that fits over the tips.  I have had it harden in the tip once when I forgot to put the black cap back over it.  So yes, it's pretty fast.  in the amounts I use, the odor is no problem, hope toxicity is not, also. I see where it would not be appropriate for other uses.  (other than flies).

[DanielG]

1 hour ago, MickD said:

It comes in metal tubes and opaque black little bottles with translucent feed tips + a black cap that fits over the tips.  I have had it harden in the tip once when I forgot to put the black cap back over it.  So yes, it's pretty fast.  in the amounts I use, the odor is no problem, hope toxicity is not, also. I see where it would not be appropriate for other uses.  (other than flies).

Ya, but plenty of people use it for full size lures... often they have a ventilation fan overhead from what I see on youtube. I think it's why many of them have switched over to Alumilite stuff. With the quart can you can dip the lure too. Saves brushing. Thing is a quart (2 lbs) is $90!!! But, it will do a ton of lures.

[DanielG]

I made a couple of baits and made a video. Near the end you'll see them in the curing tank. It works even better than I anticipated.