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Two Part Epoxy for windows/portholes

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hornet
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Hornet

Hornet

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I have had a lot of success using clear two part epoxy (used for epoxying guides to fishing rods) to create window and porthole ‘glass’. Lay the windows or portholes on baking paper which does not adhere to the epoxy. Needs to be left 24 hours to set. I’ve used it for very small portholes as the picture shows.

IMG_0348.jpeg
 
Hornet said:
I have had a lot of success using clear two part epoxy (used for epoxying guides to fishing rods) to create window and porthole ‘glass’. Lay the windows or portholes on baking paper which does not adhere to the epoxy. Needs to be left 24 hours to set. I’ve used it for very small portholes as the picture shows.

View attachment 542920
Click to expand...
the u/v resin does portholes well. no mixing and just a few minutes in the sun to cure
 
Thanks Hornet and Bob
I've used diluted white PVA with success but it is limited in how large a pane it can make. What is the largest that you can make with the epoxy? If it can handle typical panes on 1:48 scale stern lights (what I think you are calling windows) that would be a great option to try. With as many as 40 lights (300 panes) on the stern and galleries it makes your method more attractive than cutting them from resin, plastic, or glass microscope slide material.
Allan
 
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I have used this method for openings up to 5mm. I don’t see any reason for it not working on bigger sizes.
 
My usual go-to for that sort of glazing job is clear nail polish. It cures quickly and avoids the two-part mess of epoxy mixing. I don't doubt that epoxy works well, also. Back when I was processing a lot of black and white film, I always had a lot of film leader offcuts that, after processing, would be a glossy black film on one side and a flat black on the other. I used to cut out windowpanes from that stuff and had no problems with it. I used Duco Cement to glue it to the frames. The model railroaders have a bunch of products, most being apparently epoxy, polyester, or acrylic resins, for modeling water, glass, and casting. Google "liquid glass" to find some of them.
 
Guys, I need some help- I’m almost done painting the hull and ready to glue the deck structures onto my boat before I stain the deck. But before I do I want to make one or two skylights on two of the structures. I see your posts about skylights and I’m not sure about how to go about it. The epoxy thing sounds easy but I remember (I think it was you Allan) something about using microscope cover slips (painted sky blue on the underside of the “pane” (microscope cover slip) to effect the image of an an actual skylight. I was thinking about using thin strips of wire glued to the back of the structure over the microscope cover slips to simulate “Mintons” (the thin strips of wood that divide the panes on a French door) over the microscope cover slips on the backside of the “window”.

I don’t understand:
-How do you glue the cover slips onto the back of the roof on the structure? Does CA glue adhere glass to wood?
-Does acrylic paint stick to glass?

If I used epoxy to make the panes what do I do? Do I just make a wood frame for the skylight and “pour” epoxy between the frames over parchment paper?

I already made the skylights but they look too crude and I would really appreciate your advice to make things more realistic.
 
BigBad said:
Guys, I need some help- I’m almost done painting the hull and ready to glue the deck structures onto my boat before I stain the deck. But before I do I want to make one or two skylights on two of the structures. I see your posts about skylights and I’m not sure about how to go about it. The epoxy thing sounds easy but I remember (I think it was you Allan) something about using microscope cover slips (painted sky blue on the underside of the “pane” (microscope cover slip) to effect the image of an an actual skylight. I was thinking about using thin strips of wire glued to the back of the structure over the microscope cover slips to simulate “Mintons” (the thin strips of wood that divide the panes on a French door) over the microscope cover slips on the backside of the “window”.

I don’t understand:
-How do you glue the cover slips onto the back of the roof on the structure? Does CA glue adhere glass to wood?
-Does acrylic paint stick to glass?

If I used epoxy to make the panes what do I do? Do I just make a wood frame for the skylight and “pour” epoxy between the frames over parchment paper?

I already made the skylights but they look too crude and I would really appreciate your advice to make things more realistic.
Click to expand...
I guess you mean "mullions", & 'muntins' not 'mintons'. ;)
 
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