Polystyrene hardening product

[GASANT]

Hi
I am working with polystyrene and am hoping someone can help me with a hardening product to paint brush applied over it to create a harden effect. I intend to use hardened polystyrene outside.
I surfed the internet but products so expensive plus import and shipping fees to my country is way out of my reach.

Perhaps a member has a home made product to share with me. I'll be delighted and thankful.

Thank you in advance
Best of luck in your endeavours
Gasant

[Coxsteve]

Hi Gasant have you considered Polystyrene is the inner blank for surfboard manufacture and they then overlay Glass Matt and resin to achieve a finished product,I am assuming your strength requirement is both for mounting and to ward against destructive wind gusts,if so then a long strand glass matt with a spray resin would give you what you need and at a cost effective price.

With Fibreglass work most of the cost involved is Labor or mold making not materials,Heck even using Prepreg which is FibreGlass or even Carbon Fibre Matt with resin already in the matt is not that expensive,The cost only comes into it if for instance with Carbon a requirement for Autoclaving is needed(Basically a glorified pressure cooker).

Plenty of good information on working with Polystyrene and Glass in the Model Aircraft scene and likely on one of the subforums here in that area.
Cheers Steve

[GASANT]

Hi Steve

Thank you for advice. The problems are mat takes away the finer details of my designs and resin is a solvent which dissolves the polystyrene.

Perhaps you could explain how to apply the resin or how the surfboard makers use resin as surfing boards are made from polystyrene. Hope I am right.

Thank you
Gasant

[Joe Crumley]

I understand what you are after. There's isn't such a product. Even Dual Spray systems kills detail.

Here's how I manage the situation.



Joe Crumley
Norman Sign Company, Norman, Oklahoma, SandBlasted Signs, Sign Painter, Redwood Signs

[GASANT]

Hi Joe
That is beautiful. Please reveal your secret how you do it and what hardening product you use over the polystyrene. I will appreciate it.

Thank you
Gasant

[Joe Crumley]

There IS NOT any kind of spray coat that will give a hard enough first surface. I cut out hard board, MDO, to go over the foam. I do this on all sides then hopper gun a good latex texture. That's all there is to it. It took a year of miserable failure to figure it out.

[rocketflier]

Interesting technique, thanks for sharing.

I recall an episode of Monster House where they made some huge wall sculpture outta foam and 'sent it out' to be hardened. No idea what they did nor used.

[Joe Crumley]

Hardening off eps foam is a normal process with Plural Spray technology. It's a good hardcoat but destroys detail.

The cheapest spray units cost in the thousands and you must be in a controlled environment.

Joe Crumley