Envirotex question

[billstein]

Just did my first envirotex. How long do you guys wait until you drill the holes out?

[juansolo]

3-4 days.

[rullywowr]

I have drilled the holes out after 24 hours without issue. The material is still slightly soft but usually not an issue. Until 3 days have passed the envirotex will still be soft.

You really have to pay attention to get exact equal proportions of the epoxy and hardener.  I did one that never quite cured.  It worked out pretty cool however as the pliable envirotex peeled right off without wrecking the powdercoat underneath

A good way to measure it is by weight.  I use a plastic soufflé cup on a digital scale with great results.

[pickdropper]

I predrill before epoxy but leave the graphics label on solid.  After 24 hours, I just cut out the holes with an exacto knife.

The exception is 3mm LED, which I hand drill 2-3 days later.

[Govmnt_Lacky]

Have been interested in this but one question lingers for me....

How do you control the flow of the Envirotex over the sides so that it doesn't build up at the bottom edges of the pedal?

I have seen a few envirotex jobs that looked like they poured it on the enclosure while it was sitting flat on a surface and the bottom edges had mounded envirotex all the way around.

Ant tips from the pros?

[pickdropper]

I've never had good results with it dripping down the sides. but I've seen others that have.

At this point I only put epoxy on the top.

[muddyfox]

I'm still looking for a reasonably priced european seller for Envirotex that doesn't cost a kidney to ship. Any suggestions?

[Govmnt_Lacky]

At this point I only put epoxy on the top.

I was thinking about this as well.

How do you control the flow so it does not run over the edges and down the sides? Is the envirotex easily manipulated so run off isn't a problem?

[pickdropper]

Two ways:

1). If you only apply it to the sticker, surface tension can hold it on.

2.). If you epoxy to the edge of the enclosure, you need to wipe it off as it drips.  It's a tedious process, but it looks the best

Juansolo has a tutorial on the second method.

[rullywowr]

At this point I only put epoxy on the top.

I was thinking about this as well.

How do you control the flow so it does not run over the edges and down the sides? Is the envirotex easily manipulated so run off isn't a problem?

Simple. Just use a Popsicle stick or similar to spread it out right to the edge. Keep a paper towel or tag soaked in isopropyl nearby to wipe off any runs down the sides. You only have to watch it for 10-20minutes. I wipe maybe 2 or 3 times depending on how it goes. Then let dry under a box to keep dust away.

[juansolo]

At this point I only put epoxy on the top.

I was thinking about this as well.

How do you control the flow so it does not run over the edges and down the sides? Is the envirotex easily manipulated so run off isn't a problem?

Here you go:

http://juansolo.demon.co.uk/stompage/finishing.html

I'm still looking for a reasonably priced european seller for Envirotex that doesn't cost a kidney to ship. Any suggestions?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=envirotex+lite+16oz

We get it from Beadaholique via Amazon. Haven't found anywhere local that sells it. It's about £22 delivered for 16oz, which works out very reasonable if you do it in batches and only coat the tops. We get a LOT of pedals out of one pack.

[bcalla]

I have only ET'd 3 enclosures so far, so I am still early on the learning curve.  Also, I only build for myself, so I am a little less concerned about winding up with a few imperfections.  I'm keeping all of my 'failed' experiments... 

I am pretty stubborn, so against the advice of many others on this and other forums I am doing the sides.  I think that if I can achieve decent results on the sides then I will have a nicer look over all and protection for the whole enclosure.

On my first attempt, the sides were a little runny and there were some bubbles that remained in the finish.  I did 2 more last weekend and they came out better.  The sides were less runny this time (although there is still room for improvement here) and I managed to virtually eliminate the bubbles.  I used thin popsicle sticks to apply ET to the sides like I was icing a cake.  I tried to keep the coating thinner than my first enclosure, which helped with the runny sides and also seemed to make it harden quicker.  I was able to drill out the holes after 2 days while the first one I did wasn't hard enough until about 4 days.  A different tutorial I found advised that if you are doing the sides you need to pay special attention to the corners, the ET tries to run away from them.  Also, several tutorials suggest using a small torch to remove bubbles.  I don't have one of those, but I do have a heat gun.  I used that on low speed to pop the bubbles, and I found that to be very effective.  I think that the combination of even spreading with the popsicle stick, the thinner coat, and the heat gun account for my better results this time around.

But like I said, I still have a lot of room for improvement.

[billstein]

Thanks guys for all the replies. Another question. Where do you get your disposable measuring cups?

[bcalla]

Thanks guys for all the replies. Another question. Where do you get your disposable measuring cups?

When I was at Michael's buying the ET, I bought cheap plastic cups similar to these: http://www.amazon.com/Disposable-oz-Plastic-Cups-100Count/dp/B00ASGX4DQ
They have lines/ridges on the sides that you can use to measure.

[rullywowr]

I got my cups from the local Chinese Buffet    They are the little ones you can put sweet and sour sauce in to dunk your crab Rangoon. Or soy sauce for sushi. I just grabbed a few extra.  No need to get fancy cups as you will be tossing them anyway.

About 5g each side (resin/catalyst) for the top of a 1590b.