# Realistic Water Blistered



## c&nwman (Dec 30, 2009)

After a month of looking good, the lake I poured started blistering on the surface. It's so blistered it don't appear like water. Anyway of fixing this like laying something else over it, remelting the surface? I have a few boats, pier, ducks, people etc. stuck in it and would hate to pull the whole lake.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

c&nwman said:


> After a month of looking good, the lake I poured started blistering on the surface. It's so blistered it don't appear like water. Anyway of fixing this like laying something else over it, remelting the surface? I have a few boats, pier, ducks, people etc. stuck in it and would hate to pull the whole lake.



I would like to see a picture. I am planning on doing some water and am gathering facts.

I guess you just poured it according to the directions?

One of the products I was reading about the measurements have to be exact.

Throw a picture here.

What was your base that you poured it over? Plaster? Foam?


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## c&nwman (Dec 30, 2009)

*Realistic Water Photos*

I'm posting the before and a month later. I don't know if someone tried
cleaning dust off of it with a window cleaner or what. don't know if that would cause this or not.
Yes I poured and hardened according to destructions. The base is foam painted with Woodlands Earth Tones.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Dam that is a change!

I guess you can't hurt it with heat though I don't think that would work.

Did you try their site? Realistic water right?

I think they have a FAQ there.

Man that is a big change. It looks like a wind storm came through.:thumbsdown:

I hope you find out what went wrong, that sucks huh?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Holy Cow!  That really went out to lunch! Mental note to self, avoid Realistic Water! :thumbsdown:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Wow ... very upsetting. No tips/ideas on my part, but just wanted to offer my sympathies ... that pond as first poured looked fabulous.

Hope there's some solution down the road ...

TJ


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Send photos to [email protected] with an explantion of the details and you should get some help.


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## c&nwman (Dec 30, 2009)

NIMT said:


> Send photos to [email protected] with an explantion of the details and you should get some help.


Alrighty then. Thanks for the condolences. I foresee having to remove the lake and redo, but I have just sent the pics to Woodland and will keep everyone posted.


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## matt785115 (Feb 13, 2012)

I used the same product and mine sat in the garage during the Georgia summer. mine did get a little soft but not like that. i am so sorry, maybe you got a bad batch?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

You normally have to put that on in thin layers, did you do that? I was told if you pour it too think, it may bubble.


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## c&nwman (Dec 30, 2009)

Woodland Scenics got back to me and wanted to know everything but my tool size  This is what I relied with.

I sculped out pink foam to an 1/8 of an inch, I painted the bottom with Raw Umber from the Earth colors Kit C1215, edged the lake with fine brown ballast and poured the Realistic Water.
Now, that being said, after a month or so, I wiped off the lake with some kind of windex to clean it. It did not blister at that time and actually didn't start for a little while after that.
I also cleaned in the same fashion a pond kit that I put in from Noch Gmbh and Co. and that did not blister. I'm assuming the epoxy is different from each manufacturer.
Is there any way to correct this?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

What did Woodland Scenics say about fixing it?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

If you just painted the bottom without sealing it with plaster that might be part of the problem?
But I don't think it would take that long to show, everything I have read or been told was that to seal the bottom so nothing leaches through.
I doubt if the Windex did it, but you did say Windex "OR SOMETHING ELSE" what would that something else be?
Then again doesn't Windex have ammonia in it?

Ditto what John asked?
What did they say?

I don't want that to happen to me.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The original Windex formula was this,

The Sam Wise patent #3,463,735 lists example formulae, one of which is 4.0% isopropyl alcohol (a highly volatile solvent) 1% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (a less volatile solvent), 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant), 0.01% tetrasodium pyrophosphate (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% ammonia, 1% of a dye solution, and 0.01% perfume. This formula was not only less expensive to manufacture, but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a plastic sprayer.

Though they say they changed it now to more environmentally friendly ingredients now.

The original Windex was colored a light, transparent shade of blue, but varieties are marketed today in a variety of colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon and citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree), and with a variety of additives such as vinegar, lemon, lime, or orange juice.

Vinegar is a form of Acetic acid.
Maybe the Windex did do it?
Maybe a wet damp sponge would be better to clean the water off?


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## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

Im guessing the windex some how made a chemical reaction to your water! 
I do not think there is any fixing that, but i hope im wrong for your sake. Would it be alot of trouble to sand it down some, and start over from the base up 

That is terrible that this happened to you, i think your lake looks awesome in pic #1!:thumbsup:

What happened afterwords would of had me firing up my chainsaw and cut my layout in half

Ive used realistic water for my first river, and my experience using it was a :knock_teeth_out: 
My opinion is there is better things out on the market for this, i will not use it again unless somebody gives me a bottle for free.


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