# Things i could make with glow-in-the-dark Resin?



## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

hi guys

new to forum, first post.

So the last few years i been suffering from depression. with each month that passes, my capacity for projects gets less and less.

I got a wood workshop at home, basic tools. Every new project i start seems to fizzle out after a few days.
its like a wet blanket over my shoulders that gets heavier and heavier.

my personal financial situation is not looking good. Due to my health, suitable employed work almost impossible to find.
so i really need to make some things from wood that i could try sell.

was hoping for some suggestions for small woodwork projects that could be completed in a few days?

I recently got hold of some glow in the dark powder (blue). when mixed with resin (or maybe PVA glue?) it can be pasted into cracks/imperfections/carved grooves, in wood.
Once dried, and sanded, it gives of a beautiful hue in the dark.

Iv seen it used for shelves. Havnt yet come across a piece of timer with lots of natural cracks (improperly seasoned).
(example pic attached)
A friend recently gave me an electric sander/jig, so i can do shelve-scale projects.

Anyone got any ideas for use of glow in dark resin in woodcraft?
(Also got given a nice set of small carving knives)


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Key fobs?
johnep


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## GoIrish (Jan 29, 2012)

johnep34 said:


> Key fobs? johnep


 I like the idea.


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## woodchux (Jul 6, 2014)

First, Welcome here to this very friendly WW forum. Always good to get new creative ideas, and IMO your "glow-in-the-dark" is unique! Consider adding some "glow" to wood light switch plates, stair hand rails, or perhaps picture/mirror frames. With holidays just a few weeks away, these could be "one-of-a- kind" gifts! Enjoy your stay, and be safe.


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## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

Just how is the glow obtained? The original luminous paint contained a radioactive substance. Found some watches set off geiger counters and caused a scare at the time (was in the 50s).
johnep


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

If you wanted to get really adventurous you could mix the powder into a stabilizing resin, something like Cactus Juice, then use it to stabilize pen blanks


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## Nite (Nov 16, 2015)

I plan on making a desk with a built-in computer cabinet the same style. I'll be posting about it shortly


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## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

wicked suggestions everyone. many thanks.

key fobs and wooden light switch plates sound like a nice start. 

i like the idea of practical applications in addition to aesthetics. the above 2 things can sometimes be difficult to find in the dark.

as far as im aware its not radioactive in any way. 
apparently this type of glow powder is fairly new. looks similar to a water soluble version of them glowy star stickers that often go on bedroom walls


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

That product is really cool!

Small shelves sell well---impulse item ---perhaps you could work the glow into those---


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## Floyd69 (Feb 8, 2014)

First thing that come to mind with the glow in the dark resin is to burn the wood and wire brush out the soft leaving the harder grain then fill it in with the resin. You can leave rough or sand smooth then clear coat. That may have some interesting effects to see how that works. Or even use a soldering iron and burn out designs and fill in as well.

Floyd


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## purplenurple (Dec 15, 2013)

Floyd69 said:


> First thing that come to mind with the glow in the dark resin is to burn the wood and wire brush out the soft leaving the harder grain then fill it in with the resin. You can leave rough or sand smooth then clear coat. That may have some interesting effects to see how that works. Or even use a soldering iron and burn out designs and fill in as well.
> 
> Floyd


How much would you burn the wood to do this? Slightly or to the hard core is left? If so, how do you take off the black soot? Or am I not comprehending


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## Floyd69 (Feb 8, 2014)

purplenurple said:


> How much would you burn the wood to do this? Slightly or to the hard core is left? If so, how do you take off the black soot? Or am I not comprehending


From what I understand and remember from my cozen who did burn out animal figures. Some woods work better than others so it would be best to test with some scrap. Burn then wire brush and if you have a rotary wire brush you can target better the soft leaving the hard core/grain and repeat till desired depth. Larger grain is better than fine grain. I believe you can sand off the burn from the hard core/grain if the burn out is deep enough. Trial and error will be the best teacher for what works best for you.

Floyd


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I am sorry to hear about the unfortunate stage of your life you are going through. 

I have a suggestion so take it for what it is worth.

Depression seems to be something that feeds off itself. That is why it is so difficult to conquer.
I would recommend woodturning to beat depression. It in itself becomes its own addiction, fortunately, a good one. When you are turning, Your mind becomes very focused on what you are doing and there is nothing more mesmerizing than staring into concentric circles.
I was a professional turner for several years. I would say the biggest advantage of turning small bowls for a profit is that after a short while, you can turn a piece of scrap into a nice bowl, including finishing on the lathe in less than 30 minutes. Typically, you can get anywhere from $30 to $60 for a small bowl. My bowls were mainly turned green from freshly felled trees. 
The idea that you can complete a project in less than 30 minutes is very gratifying and no time to get bored with it. You should be somewhat creative but nothing out of the ordinary. The best design ideas come from pottery shops and decorative bowls in the better retail stores. 
Stay away from gluing up pieces other than a contrasting base. Just use the wood as it is. just make a pleasing shape and it will sell. This would be a great way to play with a glow in the dark finish.

Best of luck in whatever you do

Tony B


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## mat 60 (Jul 9, 2012)

Great suggestion Tony...I would like to see the op come back on this forum..


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Wood turning is very relaxing for the mind yet requiring a good bit of focusing and concentration, if that makes any sense. 
It is easy to learn and with proper instruction, your skill level will climb fast. 
I found bowl turning very rewarding. 
If I could put a lathe on my boat, I would have one.


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## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

sorry for not geeting back sooner. these days i find communication quite difficult.

thanks Tony that's a really nice suggestion, i see what what you mean about the concentration thing.
i had a few goes on a foot/peddle powered lathe.
(been volunteering with uk national trust, getting involved with the whole reviving lost wood-craft techniques)

with the way things are panning out i'm looking at probably needing a semi-portable workshop.
not sure if there are any smallish lathes about.

Lately I been working on building a yurt, slow progress. my current workshop is spare garage with no door.
this winter many tools gone rusty and wood going moldy.
i needing somwhere new to live soon, so am currently putting woodwork efforts toward Yurt.

wicked to hear about your boat Tony. i used to spend a lot of time hitchhiking round europe.
just before things started to go downhill, I had begun working towards getting a wooden boat and exploring oceans.
now i struggle to feed myself :/

but yea... anything to get out my own head. wood turning seems spot-on.
thanks


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

pondweed said:


> ................not sure if there are any smallish lathes about.
> *Actually, there are smallish lathes that people use for making pens. A fun thing to do, but unfortunately, the only ones making money are the ones selling the supplies. We live in a throwaway world. *
> 
> Lately I been working on building a yurt, slow progress. my current workshop is spare garage with no door........ so am currently putting woodwork efforts toward Yurt.
> ...


In the US a decent size lathe for turning 8 to 12 inch bowls and platters can be purchased new for around $800 USD and used for 1/2 that price.

*Of all the toys I ever owned, the lathe was almost my favorite - not even a close second.*


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## mat 60 (Jul 9, 2012)

Cool dog man..Hang in there and Pondweed.


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## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

Really beautiful bowls / plates Tony. Thanks for posting.
Loving the deep reds.

I heard that turned bowls can somtimes crack. You mentioned doing the finish while it's still on the lathe.
Does this prevent greenwood from eventually cracking?

It might be fun to try letting it dry and crack, then fill in cracks with glow dark resin. Can then put back on lathe for finish.

Loving the sound of 30min-ish completion by the way. My attention span about 20/30min these days.


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## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

mat 60 said:


> Cool dog man..Hang in there and Pondweed.


Thanks mat. Jack makes sure I get at least 1 good walk each day


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments. The deep red pieces are made of padouk. I believe some comes from africa and some comes from india. All of these particular bowls are from kiln dried lumber. If I can find a pic of turned piece fresh from tree, I will post it. Turned green, most pieces do not crack. They will warp, however, making them appear more oval than round. I do like your idea of filling the cracks with the glow in the dark resin.

I spray lacquer for the finish. while the piece is still on the lathe. After about 5 minutes, you can gently handle the piece. 

The hardest part of woodturning is learning to sharpen the tools properly.


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## pondweed (Nov 14, 2015)

Ah, kiln drying.
Is that something which can be done in the home workshop, with small pieces such as your padouk?

Did a little research, though found nothing in regards to smaller / induvidual pieces of wood.
It seems on the 'undesired' effects of kiln drying can be cracking (think it was called honeycombing?)
In regards to the glowy resin, it could turn into a nice feature.

I'm not sure how the cracking might effect the structural integrity of the wood?

I had a good laugh about sharpening tools


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I'm sorry for the confusion, The Padouk was kiln dried when I purchased it. What I was too lazy to explain was that the bowl stock was too thin for a bowl by itself so I added a piece of padouk for the base. That allowed me to use almost the full thickness of the oak and resulted in a deeper bowl than If I used the oak alone. All of my bowls, other than from a fresh cut log, are scraps from other projects. So, if a scrap or wood is only 2" wide, it can become the base of a small bowl. In this particular case, the padouk was scraps from some small writing tables I made.

The tool sharpening is not really a joke - well maybe. If you cant sharpen tools quickly, you will never finish a piece of fresh cut log because it will warp and change shape as you are hollowing it. That is one of the drawbacks of sharpening jigs, they are usually not fast enough. When I turn wood, the grinder is constantly running. I just turn around and hit the grinder for a quick touch and one swipe of a small stone which is under 5 seconds total. When I started turning, there were no sharpening jigs that I knew of and I'm glad of that. Otherwise, I would have had one and never learned to do it on the grinder. 

Turning green wood is the most fun you will ever have in woodworking. When you hollow out a bowl, you will get one continuous shaving like a never ending ribbon.


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