How To Repair a Latex Animatronic Prop Using UreCoat™

Overview

At Lehigh Valley Screampark in Orefield Pennsylvania, an animatronic haunted attraction prop which was made using latex rubber has deteriorated over the years.  The owners want to repair this expensive prop so it can be used for many years to come.  The project called for a durable material which would withstand the motion of the prop and not deteriorate like latex has over time.

Learn more about the park at lehighvalleyscreampark.com

UreCoat™ was chosen as a repair material for the animatronic because of its strength, flexibility and UV resistance.  UreCoat™ is a two component urethane (A+B) that can be mixed and brushed onto a variety of surfaces to provide a flexible, tough and impact resistant coating. Mix ratio is 100A:10B by weight (gram scale required), pot life is 8 minutes, re-coat time is 30 minutes, tack free time is 2 hours and full cure is 16 hours at 73°F/23°C. UreCoat™ contains no phthalates or VOC's.

The UreCoat™ is poured into a flat tray to extend the working time.  SO-Strong™ colorants are added to the UreCoat™, and it is brushed on the surface of the cleaned latex skin to provide a long lasting refurbishment.  Ure-Fil™ 11 is used to thicken the UreCoat™ for use as a repair material. Cryptolyte™ is also added to Tarbender™ epoxy to give the final prop a glowing, UV activated look. In addition, new teeth are created using Free Form SCULPT™ epoxy putty.

Materials Used in this Tutorial

  • UreCoat™ Urethane
  • So-Strong™ Colorants
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Mixing Cups and Sticks
  • Gram Scale
  • Disposable Brushes
  • Isopropyl Alcohol for Surface Cleaning
  • Acrylic Paint and Paintbrushes
  • Cryptolyte™ additive
  • Tarbender™