Thinning epoxy question?

[Frank Hagan]

The easiest' date=' quickest way to get rid of any bubbles when rolling epoxy is to just stick a gloved finger out onto the roller to stop it from rolling and lightly dragging it over the surface. Make sure you do it lightly, evenly and from one end to the other. I usually do this immediately upon completing rolling a surface..

Why use a foam brush when you've already got a foam roller in your hands, right there as needed.[/quote']

I'll add to that to remember to use a VERY short nap foam roller. The ones in Home Depot have about 1/4" of foam, and that's too much. The West System and other "epoxy rollers" have about 1/8" of foam, and I have found them to work much better at getting epoxy on the surface without depositing a lot of bubbles there.

[Charlie Jones]

plus sometimes the ones from Home Depot ( the black or dark grey ones) will just totally come apart on you. The ones from Gougeons aren't THAT much more expensive and well worth the bucks. Those are all I use, particularly since I always cut them down to 3 or 3 1/2 inches anyway, so I get double the use from a package. Can't remember when I last used a full size roller.

[John Stevens]

Why does the epoxy last longer in a wide open dish? I would think more air hitting it would make it cure faster.

John

[Scott Dufour]

Epoxy doesn't dry; it cures. The resin and the hardener form chemical bonds between them, which requires energy. The warmer the mixture is, the faster the reaction can take place. Plus, the reaction actually gives off heat, which can be used to make the mixture cure even faster. If you spread it thin, the excess heat is lost to the air and the reaction doesn't speed up.

Because nothing evaporates, the epoxy doesn't shrink as it cures the way that a lot of glues or drywall compound does.

[John Stevens]

I've got it now, thanks!

John

[capt jake]

Because nothing evaporates, the epoxy doesn't shrink as it cures the way that a lot of glues or drywall compound does.

Actually, a small amount (of non-thinned) will evaporate. Very small as it is, it still happens. If it is thinned, a greater amount will evaporate.

Epoxy DOES shrink as it cures! It will do so for quite a while after the intitial cure. I have the print through on my finish to prove it, as minor as it is, it is thill there. Shrinkage isn't a bad thing, as it can help to pull things together, 'slightly', very slightly.

[Scott Dufour]

Having cut my construction teeth taping sheetrock, I figure anything with less then 30% shrinkage is "neglible". :? I forgot about Capt. Jake's famous finish work - trying to make the boat look all smooth and seaworth and stuff. The D4 I'm launching the weekend already looks like its been around for 60 years. The built-in antiqued look of a lazy workman. If only I could use a couple of layers of mud and paper coated gypsum sheets to make boat...

[Frank Hagan]

Having cut my construction teeth taping sheetrock' date=' I figure anything with less then 30% shrinkage is "neglible". :? I forgot about Capt. Jake's famous finish work - trying to make the boat look all smooth and seaworth and stuff. The D4 I'm launching the weekend already looks like its been around for 60 years. The built-in antiqued look of a lazy workman. If only I could use a couple of layers of mud and paper coated gypsum sheets to make boat...[/quote']

My kind of boatbuilder! None of that fussy stuff, just get it done and in the water!

Of course, in my case, I take just as long as the guys doing the "finast kind" type of finish, but my finished product is considerably less "fine".