Water Help, How large of a pour?

[marty w.]

Hi all,

I have used a epoxy or polyester casting resins about 20 years ago to pour a small pond approx 4"x6". Worked OK .

Now, I have a large lake that is approx 12"x48". The base of the lake is 1/2" plywood with a thin coat of plaster that has been sanded smooth. Earth color is along the banks with black color for the deep portions of the lake. I am thinking to use Envirotex, maybe 1/8"-1/4" thick.

Has anyone poured a lake this big? Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Marty

 

[Casey Feedwater]

Marty, I have never poured a pond that big before, but I have poured a creek bed of equivalent total area. It took me four mixes and pours of Enviro-tex to get it done.

Since yours is a fairly large open area, I think I'd use a torch, rather than a hair dryer or heat gun, to drive off the bubbles.

Also, for whatever it's worth, 1/4" seems awfully thick to me. That's the near-equivalent of 2 feet of clear water before silt and other debris stain the water. I think I'd shoot for the 1/8" pour if it were me. Also, 1/4" will take a lot longer to set and dry.

Finally (and again, for whatever it's worth), with an area that large, you might want to consider finding a way to cover it for about 48 hours to keep the dust out after your pour. Once it begins to set, dust can be a real nightmare.

 

[Catt]

Marty,I got to agree with Casey on this,cause the thicker you pour the longer it will take to dry.This stuff is a dust magnet while its drying.

 

[NYCentral]

Marty,

If you do go to 1/4" do it in a number of pours. I once did a large section of a lake on one of my layouts and I wanted it to be about 1/4" to look deep. I did 4 thin pours over a period of about a month. It ended up being about 3/16" thick and did look great.

 

[marty w.]

Thanks for the info.
I think you guys are right. I will pour 1/16" thick at a time.
After pricing this stuff, I hope 1/8" will be sufficient.
Thanks again for your help.
Marty