Interesting Homemade Finish

[kmmcrafts]

Ran across this on YouTube and thought maybe someone here my like to see this as well.. Making finish out of styrofoam..

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

Interesting. Never seen anything like this. Brings out questions. First is what is he melting it with? I assume acetone. Next is what is the odor and gas smell and air quality like? next how durable is this? is it a hard shell finish or like a rub on wax? next can it be polished to a high sheen finish? Finally I am thinking of a use in the pen turning world. We use CA as a finish most times on wood pen blanks. Could this work on that? Has anyone else seen this or if there is a chemist amongst us could you explain what we are looking at in better detail That guy was a little hard to follow being it was being translated. Going to have to do some investigating on this. 

[kmmcrafts]

23 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

Interesting. Never seen anything like this. Brings out questions. First is what is he melting it with? I assume acetone. Next is what is the odor and gas smell and air quality like? next how durable is this? is it a hard shell finish or like a rub on wax? next can it be polished to a high sheen finish? Finally I am thinking of a use in the pen turning world. We use CA as a finish most times on wood pen blanks. Could this work on that? Has anyone else seen this or if there is a chemist amongst us could you explain what we are looking at in better detail That guy was a little hard to follow being it was being translated. Going to have to do some investigating on this. 

Yeah, I need to know more info on this too.. I've been looking a little more and not finding much on it. I did find this about using as a glue though and seems to be more about that than as a finish.. 

 

[JTTHECLOCKMAN]

1 hour ago, kmmcrafts said:

Yeah, I need to know more info on this too.. I've been looking a little more and not finding much on it. I did find this about using as a glue though and seems to be more about that than as a finish.. 

 

I posted it on my pen turning forum and the answers to some questions were. The product he is using to melt it is Xylene . Suppose to be safer than acetone. yes it can be used as an adhesive. No one on pen turning site is interested in try as a finish. I know at one time with the pen world we are always looking for that perfect hard shell finish that stands up to abuse and wear and tear and that is why CA has become the finish most use. But at one time the melting of plexiglass in acetone used as a finish was big too. The biggest problem is the use of acetone can be hazardous and the off gas is not good to breathe. Do not know what the off gas is with this stuff. He was not wearing any respirator but how smart is he. 

[kmmcrafts]

57 minutes ago, JTTHECLOCKMAN said:

I posted it on my pen turning forum and the answers to some questions were. The product he is using to melt it is Xylene . Suppose to be safer than acetone. yes it can be used as an adhesive. No one on pen turning site is interested in try as a finish. I know at one time with the pen world we are always looking for that perfect hard shell finish that stands up to abuse and wear and tear and that is why CA has become the finish most use. But at one time the melting of plexiglass in acetone used as a finish was big too. The biggest problem is the use of acetone can be hazardous and the off gas is not good to breathe. Do not know what the off gas is with this stuff. He was not wearing any respirator but how smart is he. 

I seen another video where the guy melted it with automotive type urethane paint reducer.. potent stuff and in that video he also wasn't wearing any protective gear so clearly not the smartest, LOL.. and likely lost what few brain cells he had left.... Gotta watch what gets passed around on these videos as always.. none or most posting this type of thing is not professionals.. so you always have to take that with consideration..

[Wichman]

My condolences to your family

[Ber Gueda]

Just another way of poisoning oneself (as well as the environment). 

 

[BadBob]

I don't think I would use it.

[barb.j.enders]

I saw a video that used the  melted product as a finish for outdoor ornamental items.  It made the fairy house waterproof.

I will also point out (only because my father worked for Dow, the manufacturer of Styrofoam, that the product in the videos is "expanded polystyrene beads" not Styrofoam.  "If it isn't blue it isn't Styrofoam" was the tagline through the 1960's & 70's, for sure.

[TAIrving]

Interesting, but lots of questions.  Using a hazardous solvent is #1.  Another would be "How durable is the finish?"  

After the solvent has evaporated, what is left is the expanded polystyrene beads reduced to a thin plastic sheet.  Durability would depend on the plastic used to make the beads.  

[Bill WIlson]

I vaguely remember seeing something like this several years ago.  While the idea is conceptually interesting, I can't ever see myself trying it.  In the big picture, finishes are a fairly small percentage of material cost for most of us hobbyists.  At least for me they are.  The potential risks of trying this method really outweigh any theoretical benefits.

[TAIrving]

The technique described is a plastic dissolved in a hazardous solvent.  Spread it on your work and, when the solvent evaporates, you have a thin layer of plastic (of unknown quality) as a finish.  

You can get that in a rattle can at the local DIY store, they call it polyurethane.  You can get it in clear or color of your choice, gloss, semi-gloss or matte.  I think the people who make it paid more attention to the quality of the residual plastic finish than did the guy who made the video.  Ditto the nature of the hazardous solvent. 

Or you can get shellac, lacquer, tung oil, etc.  

I could go on, but you get the idea.