Regardless of how long you've been in this industry, you probably have a number of remedies for fixing chips or "divots" and scratches in natural stone.
Some of these have been around for a long time like using Cyano Acrylate (CA) for small shallow scratches, and various epoxy blends for fixing larger sized voids that require more "filler." In many cases (speaking from my own experience), many of the techniques that I have learned over the years were "OK" for fix ing small chips especially but I never found "the" system that could do all things for me be fast, inexpensive and look terrific.
Over the last 7 months, I have been able to use the Plexus System on numerous projects that required an aesthetically pleasing remedy. This is a "newer" type of glue mix that reacts to ultraviolet (UV) light to work as a catalyst for the glue that's being used. As with more conventional glues that work as most epoxies using a resin and a hardener. Instead of two part glue, the Plexus System uses the reaction of the ultraviolet light to set and harden the Plexus glue.
This feature of using the UV light is signifi cant because of the low amount of time that is required for the glue to "catalyze" or harden; in most cases, usually one minute or less from start to finish. This single attribute was espe cially helpful about a month ago when I was installing a bath/vanity top that had gotten chipped just as it was being brought into the home.
I was able to pull out the Plexus System, fill the void, and proceed with the install-as if nothing had ever been chipped! On this project alone Plexus saved the day for me!
The Plexus System comes in an easy to use plastic syringe along with a blunt nosed "nee dle" tip. The way that the glue flows into the chip "hollow" there is very little waste of the glue. I like this aspect of the product as this helps for long-term use and makes the "sys tem" last longer for repeated uses.
The thing that makes this system work better than others that I have tried, is the addition of a plastic sheet that is applied over the wet glue just prior to applying the UV light. This plastic layer prevents a type of oxidation that turns other glues like this tacky and sticky after the light is applied.
I have tried other systems that did not have this additional plastic sheet that prevents the oxidation, and with this additional step, the glue dries totally, and is able to be sanded or shaped immediately.
The Plexus glue after it has been activated using the UV light is easily sanded and then polished. The clear color works with many col ors of stone, and I have even had good results adding some small chips of the surrounding stone in order to make the filled "spot" to blend in with the surrounding stone. The one thing that I have found that you can not do with Plexus is adding liquid tinting agent to the clear Plexus glue. When this is done, the tint effects the ability of the glue to set up reacting to the UV light. The tinting agent prevents the UV light from totally reacting with the glue, so the use of any tints added to any Plexus glue is not advised.
Once the glue is applied into the chip area, the plastic curing sheet needs to be placed over the wet glue so it makes contact with the glue. You tend to flatten down the glue under the plastic, and once this is done, the UV light is applied for up to 3 minutes. I have been able to average around 1 minute of exposure in most of the repairs that I have used the Plexus System on.
All in all, I give the Plexus System an A+ for ease of use and final results. If you are a fabri cator who is looking for a great way to fill chips, scratches and cracks, the Plexus System is something that you should not be without.
Until next month...
Best Regards & Happy Fabricating!
"Chip & Scratch Repair" is a hands on topic that is taught each month at AZ School of Rock. Find out more by logging on to their web site: www.azschoolofrock.com . For more informa tion about class schedules, contact Kevin at 480-309-9422.
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