The science behind nail polish :)

[Zang]

Until yesterday, I didn’t know there were two types of nail polish: air-dried and UV-cured. The latter won’t dry at all without a UV lamp. That little lesson cost me 10 bucks! Long story short, after rebuilding the Topcor 3.5cm, I noticed a groove on the front barrel. My first thought was to fill it with red paint. Maybe someone knows what that groove is for?

Cheers,
Zang

[Hugh_3170]

Many of us use nail polish as a convenient low strength thread locker. 

Do you know how strong the UV cured form of nail polish is?  I am guessing that it is tougher than the air dried form, which would have the advantage of longer nail polish life for those folk (women) that use this product.

[Zang]

Many of us use nail polish as a convenient low strength thread locker. 

Do you know how strong the UV cured form of nail polish is?  I am guessing that it is tougher than the air dried form, which would have the advantage of longer nail polish life for those folk (women) that use this product.

Hi Hugh, I have no idea. As I do not have an UV lamp, I threw that one away and ordered an air-dried one.

[Nasos Kosmas]

Many of us use nail polish as a convenient low strength thread locker. 

Do you know how strong the UV cured form of nail polish is?  I am guessing that it is tougher than the air dried form, which would have the advantage of longer nail polish life for those folk (women) that use this product.

As my background is chemistry, the normal nail polish is nitrocellulose in solvent and when it dries it gets medium hard
The UV cured form is a kind of  Acrylates copolymer Resin 55-65% as you may find in the MSDS or SDS  (Material Safety Data Sheet)  data on the net

My personal experience with Acrylates is that is a bit harder than Nitrocellulose

Thank you for the info Zang

[Zang]

As my background is chemistry, the normal nail polish is nitrocellulose in solvent and when it dries it gets medium hard
The UV cured form is a kind of  Acrylates copolymer Resin 55-65% as you may find in the MSDS or SDS  (Material Safety Data Sheet)  data on the net

My personal experience with Acrylates is that is a bit harder than Nitrocellulose

Thank you for the info Zang

Wow, can someone translate that into plain English?

It's been decades since I last studied chemistry, so this really brings back some emotional memories!

Thank you, Nasos, for sharing this fascinating scientific insight.

[Birna Rørslett]

Plain English can be condensed into the following: you do your nails at home with the air-dry polish, and visit a salon for the UV nail version Since the latter option is expensive, the paint has to be more robust and longer-lasting. Simple, isn't it

[Hugh_3170]

Thank you all for your responses.

[Zang]

Plain English can be condensed into the following: you do your nails at home with the air-dry polish, and visit a salon for the UV nail version Since the latter option is expensive, the paint has to be more robust and longer-lasting. Simple, isn't it

It was supposed to be a joke, but thanks Birna. I do not have any UV lamp and don't plan to purchase one.

Also, I tried buying the nail polish from the local fb marketplace. However, I don't think the ladies thought I was serious, so they did not respond to my inquiries

[Birna Rørslett]

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Also, I tried buying the nail polish from the local fb marketplace. However, I don't think the ladies thought I was serious, so they did not respond to my inquiries

That's a pity. Nail polish is not gender specific.

It can be mentioned here that nail polish, apart from enhancing your finger nails, also sees alternative uses. Thus, I use nail polish to seal my microscope slides after mounting. That is common lab practice.

[Hans_S]

That's a pity. Nail polish is not gender specific.

It can be mentioned here that nail polish, apart from enhancing your finger nails, also sees alternative uses. Thus, I use nail polish to seal my microscope slides after mounting. That is common lab practice.

Yes, it's very useful stuff. If drying time is of little consequence then the clear "Sally Hansons" is great for locking/sealing the threads when tying fishing flies.
For a more rapid cure (or more substantial coating) the various UV resins are excellent. A few dollars buys a UV Led of the right wavelength and a series resistor, just add an old phone charger and there is your curing light source.

[Zang]

Birna, for sure it is not gender specific. The proof is that I needed it LOL

BTW, my wife has a plenty of nail polishes that I can steal but I could not find a bright red one and that was why I needed to order one.

I had never used that for anything else but thanks for the hints! I actually have an Yashica camera with a loose winder screw. I could make use of the polish, using it as a thread locker!

[Roland Vink]

Until yesterday, I didn’t know there were two types of nail polish: air-dried and UV-cured. The latter won’t dry at all without a UV lamp. That little lesson cost me 10 bucks! Long story short, after rebuilding the Topcor 3.5cm, I noticed a groove on the front barrel. My first thought was to fill it with red paint. Maybe someone knows what that groove is for?

Wouldn't it be better to use enamel paints (eg Humbrol), that are used for scale model making?

[Hugh_3170]

The quick drying variety of nail polish seems little different to thinned down balsa wood cement and the dopes used in the construction of model aircraft, so using it as a sealer or cement makes perfect sense. 

A related form of balsa cement was made by dissolving acetate sheet in acetone - no doubt I could now get arrested for such alchemy in these days of anti-drug laws.  Also hard to buy ether and amyl nitrite, nitromethane, methanol etc etc for brewing ones own fuel for model aeroplane engines.  Off topic - my apologies.

That's a pity. Nail polish is not gender specific.

It can be mentioned here that nail polish, apart from enhancing your finger nails, also sees alternative uses. Thus, I use nail polish to seal my microscope slides after mounting. That is common lab practice.

[BruceSD]

.
The only time I used anything that cured with UV light was a few years ago when I used a UV glue to re-cement two lens elements that had separated.   I did not use a UV lamp, I just took the elements outside on a bright day and the sunshine cemented them together in a fraction of a second.   

As I recall it was a messy and imprecise process; one that I will never attempt again.

[paul hofseth]

I have next to zero knowledge of chemistry but do know what i want. 
I tried in vain at the local apothecary to buy isopropanol for lens cleaning , even when i said that I was not fussy about whether the molecules were chiral or not they could not supply.Not just a case of the receptaries being used to sell boxed and readymade stuff rather than composing from basic ingredients, but probably some hypochondriac public safety institution thinking that some idiot might drink it. Luckily a chemist in Germany provided me with a bottle that will last a long time. Similarly it is easier to get lighter fuel than specifying very pure and easily evaporating octanol at the apothecarys`.

p.