I didn't want to continue to sidetrack the Handplane thread, so I thought I'd start an off-shoot on the talk about Osmo Smart Oil, which is their new product that cures more or less instantly with the application of UV light, and has some really cool implications, like being able to apply finish and ship out a product on the same day.
There are a few brands of UV finish already on the market, but with Osmo's entry, they'll definitely be the manufacturer with the most name recognition.
Unfortunately, Osmo isn't currently selling this at retail - they're only selling it direct to "professionals." I filled out a purchase inquiry online and then traded a couple of emails with one of their reps, who covers the east coast (even though I'm in MN 🤷♂️). To complete the transaction, he had to call me for a credit card number. There was never any kind of verification that I was a professional (though I am a small-time pro with a registered business, etc), so I'm sure that anyone willing to jump through a couple of hoops can get their hands on it.
A .75L container, with all of the shipping and handling, came out to ~$75 bucks, which isn't too bad if you've bought any of their little cans of Polyx at Woodcraft, etc.
Anyway, I've got some Smart Oil on the way, and I'm excited about trying it out. I'll update with impressions when I get my hands on it.
While I was on the phone with the rep, I asked about pigmented options, specifically Raw, which is one that I use frequently (there's only one Smart Oil SKU right now, and that covers Matte and Satin finishes [1 coat vs 2, respectively]). Nothing immediate, but he said that he expected that there would be pigmented options in the future, because stuff like Raw is really popular for them.
I also asked about selling it at retail, and it doesn't sound like there are any plans in the near future.
First, like we'd discussed in the Planes thread, there may be aversion to liability on Osmo's part - they don't want to deal with the headache of customers that don't use it properly. While I thought that the problem might be users trying to apply it in an environment exposed to UV, the rep went the other direction - an application where UV might not normally reach (like a closet) and a finish that stays forever tacky.
The rep indicated that the other obstacle is just that dealers like Woodcraft are set in their ways, and slipping a new SKU on to their shelves can sometimes be tough. I figure that, if I like this stuff (and I think that I will), I'll make inquiries with Woodcraft every so often and see if that nudges them in to bringing it in.
I'm curious as to how quickly (& completely) different brands cure in good ole sunlight. Having to twist, turn and flip some projects without having a cured finish seems would be tricky but worth a shot vs. $1400 for a lamp.
No experience with finishes yet, but I do use UV resins pretty regularly.
I have a jury-rigged UV station, consisting of a couple of 395nm UV party lights from Amazon, and they get the job done - with up to 3/4" pours, a few minutes under the lights is enough. The light were about 35 bucks after a coupon and shipping.
That said, if the sun it out, I just pop the pieces outside and come back to them later - 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or whenever. For bigger pieces, a sunny day might actually be more convenient than waving a light around, because there isn't a huge spread on those lights.
I've set panels out int he sun for a little bit to unwarp them so I would worry on a table top for example that letting it sit out in the sun might cause it to warp a little.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
Did you get an actual spec on the UV needed to cure (UV-A/B/C)?
Most stuff you can buy is UV-A/B (black lights, nail polish driers, etc.). UV-C is the stuff that many of the industrial products like finish and epoxies require, but the C is what can damage your eyes and quickly if exposed. Of course a lot of these will cure with A/B given a long enough exposure. I have several pond pump sterilizers that have UV-C sources, a lot of shielding and the bulbs are clear, some kind of arc lamps. The A/B I have are violet colored florescent.
Of you have an old first generation LED bulb, like the Phillips with the outer shell acting as the phosphorous layer that converts the LED's UV to visible, it is easy enough to remove that layer and have a bright hard-uv source.
