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Props "Glass " for butterfly specimens

May 30, 2023

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    1. Hello everyone!
      I am working on creating a set of doll sized butterfly specimens for my good friend. I have the butterflies, the backing and the wood, and I know how they are going together. My only issue is the "glass" that will go on top, protecting the butterfly. I was thinking resin, but getting it to not leak would be hard, bubbles would ruin it, it would yellow and look weird, and it would be a bit heavy. I also thought of using the plastic "window" from toys pushed into place and glued, but I don't have any and I am not sure if it would be very sturdy. So does anyone have any ideas for what I can use for this project? Let me know if you need any more info!
       
      #1 lividdarkangel, May 30, 2023
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    2. Sounds like an interesting project! Although I love butterflies and wouldn't want to keep specimens of real ones like this, I admit that I like the look of a specimen board as a prop (I am such a "vaguely Victorian aesthetic" fan haha). My first thought for the "glass" part is acetate sheets. Something similar to this:

      Scrapbook.com - Acetate Sheets - Clear - 5x6 - 20 Pack

      There are also other options (such as on Amazon) and it appears to vary in thicknesses, so a thicker "glass" piece is probably achievable.

      I hope this helps!
       
      #2 StellaMarigold, May 30, 2023
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    3. I am really excited to see if it turns out well. I didn't think of using thicker plastic. Do you think it will still work scale wise if the "glass" is thicker? It would certainly be more sturdy. And do you think glue would work well to keep it in place?
      And if it helps, my butterflies are just paper.
       
      #3 lividdarkangel, May 30, 2023
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    4. I haven't used acetate sheets yet myself, but I think that an epoxy glue (which seems capable of securing nearly anything) would hold it in place in a wooden frame.

      On Amazon it appears that the sheets vary between 3-7mils, with 3 being the thinnest, most flexible, and easiest to cut. So maybe you could try that first? Scale-wise, I am not sure, but I think that once the sheet was glued in it won't be too obvious how thick it is (looking at them head-on and not at extreme angles). Shadow-boxes often seem to have rather thick glass anyway, so hopefully the scale will look correct.

      Paper is a great choice for the butterflies! :)
       
      #4 StellaMarigold, May 30, 2023
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    5. I wonder if you could use a tempered glass screen protector for electronics? Never done so and I'm not sure the size or scale of your frame. But it's really thin and clear :ablink: if there's a device with a screen of the same size as your butterfly display, a glass screen protector probably exists for it.
       
      #5 Novalyna, May 30, 2023
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    6. #6 Victoria Victrix, May 30, 2023
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    7. Thank you for all the ideas everyone! I have a lot to consider.
      So far I am thinking I will get that acetate and glue it, so my next issue is how to make sure the glue doesnt become a clumpy mess. I don't want it to be super visible on the edges. Any sugestions how I can keep it neat and tidy? I was thinking just go slow and steady with a toothpick.
       
      #7 lividdarkangel, May 31, 2023
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