So, some ideas are awesome--like having a very smooth, level surface that's super easy to clean spills off. Glass is amazing for that purpose. Just wipe and resin is gone. Or it even peals off once it cures.
Annnnd some ideas go south super quick ... like crashing down in about an hour after neglecting to think about a certain law of the universe (that I know damn well!) You know, thermal dynamics. Specifically in thick pieces of glass when heat is rapidly applied to one side.
In summery, I had a VERY bad day. Facepalm.
I own this rather dramatic faux pas. This is entirely my own oversight and I had quite the mess to clean up. Feel free to check the video if you want to see the results of what I am about to describe.
So a couple days ago I stumbled upon some thick pieces of beveled glass that were being sold super cheap because they were redoing their displays. Right away I was thinking how nice it would be to not have to line the work bence, but to be able to have the wood protected from spills and mica powder, and inks ... yeah, resin is a messy medium even when you're careful.
It was a joy getting the bench all reset and organized on the glass. A truly leveled surface and more space. All wins! Shop all set, yesterday I decided to give the new layout a go. It was wonderful! Got the pour set and put in the pressure pot. Set up a new larimar pour geode on the glass top. I was thoroughly digging have inches more space on the edge. Well, I started the geode under its own chemical process for several hours. The geode was looking great! Once I was happy with the migration, I switched on my resin curing pad ... and a disaster similar to my greatest nightmare occurred!
A loud crash grabbed my attention. I went downstairs to discover my half liquid geode hanging precariously over a cliff of glass--the pane having cracked directly down the center channel of the heat pad and fractured at a angle across the nearer to the edge panel. That was bad, worse--some syrupy geode resin dripped over my loaded and charged pressure pot!
Immediately I went into panic mode!
My pot getting resin on and gunking up the mechanics had been a worry since I got it. A second oh crap hit me in that large chunks of heavy glass had collided with the pot on the way down.
I drained the pressure and went to work on disassembling the large wingnut, washer and bolt that had gotten the worst of it. Lots of iso-alcohol went into that. After getting the wheel basin that also fell victim to my folly I checked the hell out of the fixture on the pot. Luckily the glass impact mark was on a thick welded cap seal. That didn't care. I was able to refill the pot and it was fine.
My dice set I was casting, however, this morning was sacrificed to the learning god, as was the poor lopsided geode.
In the end, the good news is I had another pane of glass to replace the heat shattered one. My heat pad is fine. The resin mostly came off the floor. Today my bench is reset and worked just fine for a repour on the dice.
The bench ALSO sports a new sign under the replacement glass to remind me not to neglect laws of science again! No heat curing directly on the glass--EVER! From now on I will use the wood level pad for that, as I had before.
I do not blame the makers of the heating pad, this was something that should have occurred to me prior to the glass voicing its complaint. However I found it interesting they didn't have a heads up on types of surfaces for use on, only to make sure it's level.
Hey folks, make sure heated curing pads are on not glass, or you may have a big ol' mess to clean up like I did.
Happy casting!