Mike, I've used everything from food coloring to a few drops of Tamayia transparent green and blue paint. It seems like almost anything will tint Envirotex. The two part ones are a little tricker because you've got to get the tint right or you've just wasted the whole lot. With Envirotex, you can pour a little in an old bowl and expermient. If you don't like it, just wash the bowl out with water and try again. I have found that painting the bottom the right colors to simulate depth, darker in the middle and lighter towards the banks, is much more important than tinting, unless you're doing really muddy water.
model water
- Thread starter mburns5us
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For those interested in a comparison of the Wally Water vs Envirotex I just got done with a small test sample on some scrap. I mixed the same small quantity for both products and mixed them according to the directions for each.
1) Both call for a 50 / 50 mix of resin and hardener so nothing new to learn there.
2) The Wally Water is quite thin and runny after mixing and pours quite readily. This can be a plus for flowing around rocks and other objects in your pond or river. It also will run out of the tinyest crack or opening so a good tight seal is needed.
3) Envirotex has noticeably more body to it but still flows well. It also will run through any small cracks or openings, just not as quickly as the other type.
4) Envirotex will contain a zillion small air bubbles when properly mixed and they will rise to the surface once it is applied. The directions state a couple of methods to get rid of them if they don't break on their own.
5) Wally Water does not create any bubbles when mixed and doesn't release any after it is applied. A good thing for hard to reach locations like under low bridges, etc.
6) Both products end up clear although to my eyes the Wally Water is crystal clear and the Envirotex is only a little less so. Unless you had them both side by side as I did I doubt the difference is even noticeable for our uses.
7) I used plain old Testors flat blue enamel as a tint. Both products mixed it in well and remained transparent and didn't cloud from some sort of chemical reaction with the enamel.
8) Set up time for both is about 4 hours according to their directions and 24 to 48 hours to completley cure. The Envirotex is setting up quicker than the Wally Water. I wasn't surprised because the Envirotex directions point to about a 15 minute working time. Wally Water does not give a maximum working time but after almost an hour it was still pretty liquid and easy to move around on the test piece and it would relevel itself. Sticky, but liquid.
This slower set up time should be a big help if you need to mix large batches or have to mix a second batch to finish covering a large area. *Note: all epoxies cure much faster in large thick quantities.
My river narrows and ends over a waterfall. Tonight I only poured the lower fall area below the dam. After a day or so to allow the area to harden I'll pour the main river and post an update with some pics.
The real name for what I am calling Wally Water is Le Silk Shoppe Acrylic Water. Again, thanks to mburns for discovering this great stuff.
1) Both call for a 50 / 50 mix of resin and hardener so nothing new to learn there.
2) The Wally Water is quite thin and runny after mixing and pours quite readily. This can be a plus for flowing around rocks and other objects in your pond or river. It also will run out of the tinyest crack or opening so a good tight seal is needed.
3) Envirotex has noticeably more body to it but still flows well. It also will run through any small cracks or openings, just not as quickly as the other type.
4) Envirotex will contain a zillion small air bubbles when properly mixed and they will rise to the surface once it is applied. The directions state a couple of methods to get rid of them if they don't break on their own.
5) Wally Water does not create any bubbles when mixed and doesn't release any after it is applied. A good thing for hard to reach locations like under low bridges, etc.
6) Both products end up clear although to my eyes the Wally Water is crystal clear and the Envirotex is only a little less so. Unless you had them both side by side as I did I doubt the difference is even noticeable for our uses.
7) I used plain old Testors flat blue enamel as a tint. Both products mixed it in well and remained transparent and didn't cloud from some sort of chemical reaction with the enamel.
8) Set up time for both is about 4 hours according to their directions and 24 to 48 hours to completley cure. The Envirotex is setting up quicker than the Wally Water. I wasn't surprised because the Envirotex directions point to about a 15 minute working time. Wally Water does not give a maximum working time but after almost an hour it was still pretty liquid and easy to move around on the test piece and it would relevel itself. Sticky, but liquid.
This slower set up time should be a big help if you need to mix large batches or have to mix a second batch to finish covering a large area. *Note: all epoxies cure much faster in large thick quantities.
My river narrows and ends over a waterfall. Tonight I only poured the lower fall area below the dam. After a day or so to allow the area to harden I'll pour the main river and post an update with some pics.
The real name for what I am calling Wally Water is Le Silk Shoppe Acrylic Water. Again, thanks to mburns for discovering this great stuff.
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