Sealing sand with epoxy?

[timelinex]

I've got a few clear vase's filled with layers of sand from places we have travelled to. Currently they are uncovered, and I want to put a top on them to make sure it doesn't spill out in case it ever falls over.

Would 2 part epoxy work? The primary concern I have is for it not to somehow mix with the sand or even worse seep into it and start going down the inside sides. Has anyone every done something like this?

I'm also open to other ideas!

 

[no704]

Cork?

 

[jack stand]

Wax?

 

[Xti04]

Wax was my thought as well. My wife made us do this unity sand thing at our wedding. Well this guy forgot to seal it up and got to clean it all out of my trunk of my wagon when it spilled years later while moving.

 

[Ralphxj]

How much sand in each vase and how big is the opening to the vase? Could you remove some sand and mix it with enough epoxy to not have it run out and then put that mixture on top of the dry sand to form a solid top?

 

[RMERR]

Get some cheap similiar vases at a thrift store and a bag of sand from HD. Fill them and do some tests! My hunch is regular epoxy will seep right into the sand, unless it's some really fast setting epoxy, or epoxy with some thickening additive like cabosil? You can add enough to make a thick putty-like consistency. Maybe a hot glue gun, it's fairly thick, cheap, and sets fairly fast.

So there is sand from different locations in each vase that will mix if you transfer it I take it? Otherwise I'd say buy a few nice clear containers with a screw or clamp-top lid and put the sand in them.

 

[timelinex]

Thanks for all the feedback guys

Wax was my original idea but I figured it wouldn't look nearly as nice as clear epoxy.

It looks like some of you have similar concerns about epoxy seepage. I was planning on doing a test run in a mason jar, but ultimately the problem is each sand is different and just because it doesn't seep in my test doesn't mean it won't seep in the finer (or coarser) top sand that one of the vases has on top.

Each vase has like 10-12 different sands in layers...So no chance in transferring it anywhere!

 

[no704]

Hot glue?

 

[Sndun]

Thin layer of polymeric sand on top, cured, prior to epoxy?

Or a few spritzes of hair spray, let dry, then do epoxy?