Wooden wood

[Taipan]

This is the kind of thing I'd want to replicate. In an ideal world I'd just order the larger of the two sizes, but the cost (£668) is a trifle daunting...

https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/Pro ... room-Sinks

Shame that with digital taking over, so much of that stuff you linked to was skipped! No plastic water troughs that would do the job?

[mangocrazy]

This is the kind of thing I'd want to replicate. In an ideal world I'd just order the larger of the two sizes, but the cost (£668) is a trifle daunting...

https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/Pro ... room-Sinks

Shame that with digital taking over, so much of that stuff you linked to was skipped! No plastic water troughs that would do the job?

Yes, I'm sure that tons of similar stuff was sent to landfill, which is a real shame. I'm liking the idea of building my own from ply as I can make it exactly the size I want and will be sure it fits in the space I have available. It won't happen for a year or so as a) I've got to build the room first (metal framing and plasterboard) and b) the room first has to do duty as a temporary bedroom while the current bedroom is completely re-modelled.

[mangocrazy]

The main requirement is to support dishes of photographic chemicals as a succession of prints are made with the prints passing through 3 or 4 dishes as they go through the process. Once the session is over, the whole sink will be thoroughly washed down and rinsed.

Personally I'd make your long sink thingy out of one sheet of plywood. cut the pieces, put it all together, fillet the inside seams with thickened epoxy then something like 6oz fibreglass on the inside while the filleted seams are still wet. When that's all set up (24 hours or so) another couple of coats of epoxy all over the inside. Tutorials here: https://www.clcboats.com/shoptips/

Epoxy is pretty resilient to a lot of chemicals in my experience (although I haven't tried 'em all ). If you shape the panels right it could double as a small boat.

An easy peasy project, it'll take 4 days maximum (it's best to let the epoxy set up over 24 hours. You could save some money by using polyester resin instead of epoxy. Most shop built fibreglass boats are made with polyester resin. You just have to be careful with the hardener, MEKp as you only need about 2% or 3% hardener to resin ratio (3% will go hard faster) and MEKp is quite a nasty chemical. I measure small quantities with disposable syringes.

Also, have a look at Andy's YouTube videos on Boatworks Today, he's a dab hand at this sort of thing.

Thanks - that's exactly the kind of info (and links) I was looking for. It's not going to happen immediately, but when it does, this is what I'll be doing.

Thanks again for the invaluable info.

[Yambo]

No problem, happy to help.

If you need any more info / advice etc just give me a shout. I can for example, give you a list of all the bits and pieces you'll need to do the job - it can be quite extensive.

[ZRX61]

Yes, I'm sure that tons of similar stuff was sent to landfill, which is a real shame. I'm liking the idea of building my own from ply as I can make it exactly the size I want and will be sure it fits in the space I have available. It won't happen for a year or so as a) I've got to build the room first (metal framing and plasterboard) and b) the room first has to do duty as a temporary bedroom while the current bedroom is completely re-modelled.

Convert one of those large plastic tubs they sell for mixing concrete into a sink. Piece of cake & cheap as chips. I know they make them bigger than 2x3ft

[ZRX61]

https://stonetooling.com/mixing-tub-ext ... -cubic-ft/

[mangocrazy]

No problem, happy to help.

If you need any more info / advice etc just give me a shout. I can for example, give you a list of all the bits and pieces you'll need to do the job - it can be quite extensive.

Excellent stuff. I did look into fibreglassing and related kit many years ago, but I've forgotten everything and the game has probably moved on a fair bit since then, so I will definitely give you a shout when I'm nearer to starting. Thanks!

[mangocrazy]

https://stonetooling.com/mixing-tub-ext ... -cubic-ft/

I can see a couple of problems with that - 1) it's in the USA - in Blighty we tend to use different kit for hand-mixing concrete. 2) I don't believe it's 6-8 foot long on its largest side. Thanks for the suggestion though - appreciated.

[Count Steer]

There's an outfit called secondhanddarkroom.co.uk that's worth a look. Lots of photography outfits have closed/gone digital so there's stuff out there but you may need to be patient and pounce when something comes up.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I would have said a ply of glass fibre and a few coats of epoxy is less hassle than shit loads of epoxy TBH, given that you'd have to mix up loads of batches of epoxy and wait hours in between. Then also deal with the fact you either have to spend ages cleaning tools each time, or treat them as disposable.

[mangocrazy]

I would have said a ply of glass fibre and a few coats of epoxy is less hassle than shit loads of epoxy TBH, given that you'd have to mix up loads of batches of epoxy and wait hours in between. Then also deal with the fact you either have to spend ages cleaning tools each time, or treat them as disposable.

It all really depends on the level of finish I can get with whichever method. I 'd want a reasonably smooth finish; i.e. not a lumpy fibreglass mat finish, although I guess a couple of finish coats of epoxy on top of the fibreglass could achieve that. I'm resigned to the notion that it's gonna be messy and tools will be treated as consumables.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Fibre glass mat, wash your mouth out.

You can buy woven glass fabric dead easy now. Even bathtubs aren't made out of shonky arsed mat any more, they're usually press moulded SMC.

[mangocrazy]

Fibre glass mat, wash your mouth out.

You can buy woven glass fabric dead easy now. Even bathtubs aren't made out of shonky arsed mat any more, they're usually press moulded SMC.

Blimey how cheap is it? £3.50 for a square metre of the stuff:

https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/290g-w ... lass-cloth

At that price it would be rude not to.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Easy composites are legit...I use em all the time at work

Even when I worked at a fully fledged composites company we still bought odds and sods from them sometimes.

[mangocrazy]

Easy composites are legit...I use em all the time at work

Even when I worked at a fully fledged composites company we still bought odds and sods from them sometimes.

And they're almost on my regular route back from Sheffield to Stafford... Coolio.

[Yambo]

Then also deal with the fact you either have to spend ages cleaning tools each time, or treat them as disposable.

It all really depends on the level of finish I can get with whichever method. I 'd want a reasonably smooth finish; i.e. not a lumpy fibreglass mat finish, although I guess a couple of finish coats of epoxy on top of the fibreglass could achieve that. I'm resigned to the notion that it's gonna be messy and tools will be treated as consumables.

If the fibreglass is applied well, with excess epoxy removed and applied elsewhere then you'll have a decent surface. It will depend on the type of fibreglass you use, a bias weave is preferable and you certainly don't want to use chop strand matting. I buy fibreglass cut off a roll, with the edges often stitched so it doesn't fray. Four ounce or 6 ounce glass would be fine, I think both of my kayaks are glassed in 6 ounce (or the metric weight per square metre) and 3 coats of epoxy are enough to fill the weave and leave a smooth surface. My rowing boat has heavier glass on the bottom and that took 4 coats iirc to fill the weave with the first coat being slightly thickened.

There's no need to dispose of lots of tools. Plastic squeegees and mixing sticks are simply wiped with kitchen roll and acetone. Same with measuring pots. I have two usually, one with some acetone in and the other for the epoxy mix. I often measure small amount with plastic syringes and I draw a bit of acetone into them, little shake and eject it back into the pot. Pull the plunger back and that's it. Too much effort in cleaning them destroys the rubber washer and I often have to throw them away because the markings have worn off. You will go through rubber gloves, lots of kitchen roll and if you cut up a black poly bag to cover your work surface you'll not need to clean that up. When I'm done, I make a ball of the wet kitchen roll in my handand pull the rubber glove off over it. No mess.

If I'm using paint brushes they are the cheapest 1" ones that I can find, they are single use. I don't use a lot of them though as brushing epoxy onto the fibreglass can open the weave. Epoxy is poured onto the fibreglass and spread out with a plastic spreader. When all the wood is the same colour it's done so run the spreader over the surface to collect the excess, wipe the spreader on the edge of the mixing pot so none is wasted. I sometimes use rollers, 10 cm short nap ones and they too are single use. To fillet inside seams I make different sized radius ends of 4mm plywood strips. They can last for ages, just a wipe off with acetone and kitchen roll. I often mix epoxy with another bit of plywood stick. I have plastic mixing sticks as well that have a square end which is great for mixing if the mixing pot has a flat base. Old cream cheese pots are maybe OK but if you aremaking up fairly large batches then a proper measuring pot is best. The plastic sticks have a radius other end but different radii are often required so I have a selection of plywood ones for filleting seams. I certainly don't spend ages cleaning up.

I realise that on a one off job you won't be as slick as I probably am but there's no need to make it difficult. One thing you do need to bear in mind is that fibreglass hates square edges. If you are going to glass over the top lip of the tray sides and ends they will have to be rounded over or the fibreglass will not adhere properly. same with the inside seams. A thickened epoxy fillet is required all round the inside seams so that the glass will lay and adhere properly. You can thicken the epoxy with seived sawdust.

[Yambo]

Fibreglass laid out, I piece about 5 metres long



and epoxied, all in one easy session.

[Mr. Dazzle]

There are two typical approaches to the sharp corner problem in industrial/professional composites (well three, preference is design 'em out ).

"Bootlaces" are the typical go to. Roll up a bit of the fabric to make an err...bootlace...and then stick that into the corner to make your fillet. Probably easier said than done with wet-laid stuff, but it means it's there in with the moulding of the reinforcing fabric during the lay up and cure. Suggest you'd wet out a bit of the glass and then roll it up. Or you could probably use an actual bootlace!

"Intensifiers" are the other approach, various bits of material which push the fabric into the corners. They require some kind of external bagging + pressure, so basically aren't an option here.

[Felix]

Fibre glass mat, wash your mouth out.

You can buy woven glass fabric dead easy now. Even bathtubs aren't made out of shonky arsed mat any more, they're usually press moulded SMC.

Blimey how cheap is it? £3.50 for a square metre of the stuff:

https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/290g-w ... lass-cloth

At that price it would be rude not to.

Never knew that existed myself. Was going to use a mat on my bus as its fiberglass body and some arse clipped the rear quarter.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Go all in and make it carbon