Odd question of the day, what can I melt down to make a pourable light pipe?

[MacGyver]

I need to basically submerge my CPO LED rings in some sort of translucent material, that can be sanded down smooth with the rest of the panel, so when my overlay goes over it, it will be smooth, but also light up the overlay.

So, the real question is; what is meltable (not a word), and see through, and sandable (also not a real word)? 

Just for the record, white German Bondo is not translucent.

[Nephasth]

Hot glue?

2 part clear epoxy?

[selfie]

Acrifix 192 is a UV cured "glue" that dries into acrylic(perspex) that can be sanded and polished back to clear

[PL1]

Have you looked at clear casting resin?

Several tips here.


Scott

[MacGyver]

Dude, that's awesome.  I never thought of hot glue.   I will have to do a test and see how well it works.  I was like, what's none conductive; resin, super-glue, Elmer's glue, Bondo, everything,  but never thought of hot glue, plus I think I have a lot of it in a drawer.  Double plus it doesn't permanently entomb the LED rings forever, I can always heat it back up and pull them out (in theory).   

I report back with pictures an results.

[MacGyver]

Thanks PL1 and selfie, I should have added that I have a wicked case of "I'm sick of waiting for supplies to come through the mail."

I just want to get this thing done at this point, and everything I have to order adds an instant 2 week wait.

I was kind of looking for a "plastic headphone packaging will melt and be pourable at 250 degrees." kind of response, that's why I jumped on hot glue, I have some, and can do it tomorrow.

[rbarr110]

My vote is for a clear epoxy resin.  Most can be sanded down back to a glass like finish, but requires alot of steps sanding.  I recently used it and sanded from 320 grit stepped all the way to 2000 grit, (320, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500, 2000) then used a car buffing compound and got near glass like finish.

[Necro]

Can you draw what you're trying to do with this?  From the why you're describing it, I'm not sure why you need to encase the entire thing and can't just superglue things to a think plexi top over your CP with the holes drilled slightly larger through the wood/metal than they are through the plastic.

[Le Chuck]

Most Michael's or Hobby Lobby type places will carry small amounts of clear casting resin in their craft departments.  It's usually a two part mixture and you can use a torch to tease out airbubbles.  If you hit a prop forum like www.therpf.com you can browse some how-tos on casting resins. 

[MacGyver]

Most Michael's or Hobby Lobby type places will carry small amounts......

Sadly, there are none of those here, and if there is, I have no idea what their name is, or where they are.  I just recently learned of a place I can buy wire and connectors from (Radio Shack like place), it's just that it's 5 towns over, and like everything else here, closed on Sundays.  (Germany)

Sometimes I have dreams that I'm eating Jack in the Box, or Cracker Barrel back in the states.

I will try to post pictures tonight of what it is I'm trying to do.

[Le Chuck]

I did four years over there. You just need to find one of the deutchers over at DPW and make friends. Those guys will know where to go.

[Mysterioii]

LED rings.... dang it it sounds like you're doing the exact same thing I plan on doing but I haven't had time yet....  I actually bought my LED rings like 2 years ago, then my kid came along and the CP rebuild has been on hold ever since...   

If you go with casting resin I really do recommend epoxy casting resin, as opposed to polyester casting resin.  They're not the same...  I've been playing around with both recently and find that the polyester stuff tends to shrink more, which is not something you're going for.

I got mine at Amazon.

The stuff is "water clear" by itself but can be made translucent with additives.  "Microballoons" work well, just the smallest amount is needed.  You might be able to pull it off with talc (baking soda?  corn starch?  not sure).

Hot glue just doesn't seem very durable to me.  I guess if there will also be plexi on top then it would be ok.  If you're gonna have plexi over it then you could also consider wax or paraffin or something like that maybe.

[RandyT]

If you go with casting resin I really do recommend epoxy casting resin, as opposed to polyester casting resin.  They're not the same...  I've been playing around with both recently and find that the polyester stuff tends to shrink more, which is not something you're going for.

The stuff is "water clear" by itself but can be made translucent with additives.  "Microballoons" work well, just the smallest amount is needed.  You might be able to pull it off with talc (baking soda?  corn starch?  not sure).

Look into adding very small amounts of white acrylic paint.  It's the stuff you see in small bottles at craft stores.  It's cheap, and is compatible with most casting materials

Hot glue just doesn't seem very durable to me.

Seconded.  It won't hold up, especially if there is any sort of human contact with it.  The hard stuff requires very high temperatures to melt it, and the chances that it will be the color you want when done (and later exposed to dirt, oils, etc.) are pretty slim.

RandyT

[HaRuMaN]

Now my dainty little glue gun is one of my prized and used possessions.  Sits right next to the soldering iron.

+1.  Cost a dollar and still running strong 10 years later...

[ChadTower]

Hot glue also turns yellow after a while.  Not sure how long but I've seen a lot of crafts made with hot glue where it has yellowed like an SNES.