MR. JO Artglue — CT50i
The thick, glass-deep finish for showpiece art and stone inlays
Hook — the commission that needed depth
Arun, a stone-inlay artist, had a 3 ft tabletop commission: richly veined marble pieces set into a dark base. He wanted a single, deep, glassy surface that made the marble look suspended in crystal — not a thin shine that betrayed the joins. Multiple thin coats would take days and risk dust, while standard resins either sagged at that thickness or trapped bubbles. Arun needed a resin that could hold thickness, level well, and deliver a deep, glassy finish in fewer coats.
If you’re doing showpieces, river tables, thick decorative inlays or high-value art, Arun’s challenge is probably yours.
The problem — why deep, glassy finishes are tricky
- Sagging and runs: Many resins can’t hold a thick pour and slump, ruining edges or disguising inlay edges.
- Heat & exotherm: Thick pours can overheat during cure, causing yellowing, cracking or bubbling.
- Bubbles trapped deep in the layer are hard to remove and very visible in thick, clear pours.
- Long lead times when many thin coats are required — dust, dirt and handling introduce defects.
These problems turn a premium job into a headache.
The solution — why CT50i was made for this job
MR. JO Artglue — CT50i is the thicker, buildable member of the Artglue family. It’s formulated to hold depth without sagging, produce a dense, glass-like optical finish, and reduce the number of coats needed to achieve museum-quality depth.
What CT50i offers:
- High body / thixotropy — holds thicker pours cleanly along edges and over inlays.
- Glass-deep clarity — minimal haze, excellent light transmission and shine.
- Good leveling despite thickness — gives a smooth mirror surface without excessive hand-finishing.
- Fewer coats needed — faster overall project completion when used correctly.
Put simply: CT50i lets artisans build depth, not just surface.
Where CT50i shines (use cases)
- Thick decorative tabletops and river tables.
- Stone or wood inlays needing deep encapsulation.
- Showpieces and display art where optical depth matters.
- Small sculptural pieces that benefit from a single, deep glossy layer.
Practical workflow — build that glass layer (field-tested steps)
- Plan & mockup — test color, inlay layout and final depth on a small sample.
- Prepare — ensure inserts are clean, fixed and dry; seal porous substrates if necessary to avoid outgassing. Mask edges and fixtures.
- Measure & mix — follow the CT50i TDS exactly. Mix gently but thoroughly to avoid entraining air. Work in batch sizes suitable for the thickness you’ll pour (smaller batches for hotter weather).
- Pour strategy
- For moderate deep pours (a few mm), CT50i can often be poured in single passes.
- For very deep pours (several mm to cm), plan staged pours to control heat — allow lower layer to reach tack-phase before the next pour per the TDS guidance.
- Bubble mitigation — after pour, use a soft torch or warm air at a safe distance to pop surface bubbles. For deeper bubbles, a vacuum chamber for mixed resin or a brief vacuum on the filled cavity before final cure helps.
- Cure — allow undisturbed cure in a dust-free environment. Avoid rapid temperature swings.
- Finish — CT50i cures to a hard surface; light sanding and a polishing pass (if required) bring out maximum clarity and depth.
Dos & Don’ts — field wisdom
Do
- Do run a small trial pour with your exact stone/wood mix to check behavior.
- Do pour in controlled ambient temps; warm conditions accelerate cure and exotherm.
- Do use staged pours for very deep fills to control heat.
- Do mask and protect finished edges to avoid drips.
Don’t
- Don’t pour blindly too thick on the first try — test your substrate and batch size.
- Don’t overheat the mixed resin to speed flow — that raises exotherm risk.
- Don’t skip sealing highly porous materials (they can trap air and cause bubbles).
- Don’t rush sanding until the resin has reached recommended hardness.
Troubleshooting
- Surface haze or bloom — usually moisture or improper cure; check ambient humidity and curing schedule.
- Deep bubbles after cure — consider vacuum-degassing small batches next time or using a slower staged pour.
- Edge sag — mask and build with temporary edge dams, or reduce pour thickness per stage.
- Heat discoloration — reduce batch size, pour in cooler conditions, or stage pours.
Artisan story — Arun’s tabletop revealed
Arun did a single sample panel first: sealed the stone inlays, masked the edges, and did a 6 mm test pour with CT50i in controlled ambient conditions. With careful mixing and a gentle torch pass, the sample cured crystal clear. Confident, he executed the full tabletop in two staged pours (to control heat) and delivered a heavy, glass-deep table that stunned the client — fewer coats, less sanding, and a premium finish that read as one continuous piece of glass.
Final takeaway — who should choose CT50i
Choose MR. JO Artglue — CT50i when you need depth, clarity and the ability to build a thick, glass-like surface without sagging. It’s the artisan’s tool for showpiece tables, deep inlays and any project where optical depth is the goal.
Leave a Reply