Epoxy question

[Randy C.]

I keep my epoxy in the garage. It doesn't freeze, but it does get close. The bottom 1" of two unopened part A one gallon containers have become hard. I think I read somewhere on this forum that the epoxy can be softened up. Is that right??

Thanks in advance,

Randy

[Charlie Jones]

Yep- plop the jug into a bucket with very hot water and let it sit- that hard white stuff will go away- then just stir it up and it's good to go.

Would be better to store it in a warmer place though. If nothing else, put it into a cardboard box with a light bulb turned on inside. Epoxy works MUCH better when it's close to 70 degrees ;D

[Randy C.]

Charlie,

Thanks a lot. I'll give it a try.

Randy

[Randy C.]

Charlie,

It worked great. I'm taking your advice and will be keeping in the warm house.

Thanks,

Randy

[Randy C.]

Now another problem. The pump on the resin is stuck(plugged). What's the best way to clean it?

[Ken_Potts]

Run some white vinegar through the pump.

Use vinegar to clean up if you get it on your hands too ( but don't get it on your hands - Even though it doesn't smell bad it's dangerous stuff)

[Apteryx]

Does anybody use a cooler?

Thinking forward to more hospitable climes this summer, I don't work very fast.  Expoxy at 90 degrees kicks pretty quick for my pace.  Any good ideas for keeping epoxy at 60 degrees or so?

Ice and a cold box would do, but it also seems like an apartment size refrigerator would do the trick, if you could set the temperature high enough.

[PAR]

Cooling epoxy will slow the reaction down, but also has draw backs. Cool epoxy can be pretty thick and difficult to work with. Also letting epoxy cure at temperatures below the recommend minimums will affect the quality of the cured matrix. Tests have shown that epoxy needs a specific range of temperature to cure completely. If lower then this range, then the some of the crosslinking doesn't take place, making for weaker epoxy. At higher temperatures, the goo goes off too fast and the same thing occurs, but usually not as bad, as epoxy would prefer to be warmer then necessary then cooler, from a strength point of view.

If moving to a warm climate, you'll need to start using slower formulations. I have a few different "slows", one is so slow it will not kick off if the temperature is 70 or lower. This same mixture will provide 40 minutes of working time at 95 degrees. Try that with your fancy 206. Now West 209 comes close, but at 95 degrees it'll kick fairly quick, in about 20 minutes. I've used my super slow at 100 degrees and had 30 minutes.

[tom151]

I have a few different "slows", one is so slow it will not kick off if the temperature is 70 or lower. This same mixture will provide 40 minutes of working time at 95 degrees. Try that with your fancy 206. Now West 209 comes close, but at 95 degrees it'll kick fairly quick, in about 20 minutes. I've used my super slow at 100 degrees and had 30 minutes.

So, tell us already, what is it and where do we get it?

[Tom Lathrop]

This is my cooling box for epoxy.  I have a small one and a large one for big coating jobs in the summer.  The top is removable.  Works great and doesn't need special epoxies.  Professionals can make economical use of special epoxies but the small shop gets cluttered and doesn't need the extra expense.

I mix the epoxy at room temperature in the summer and then put it in the cool box so there is no loss in curing properties.  In winter, I have a storage cabinet under the workbench with a light bulb to keep the epoxy warm.  Prevents crystal formation and makes pumping easier.

[Charlie Jones]

OH boy do I know about epoxy work in hot weather. I've glassed a boat ( the Princess in fact) in 104 degrees. Using MAS or Raka. Or WEST.

Trick is to use small batches, a series of mixing containers- don't use the same one more than twice in a row and working quickly.

But one other trick when rolling epoxy- I've used a metal paint pan for the epoxy and set that into a second paint pan with crushed ice in it. Keeps the epoxy just cool enough. I've used that trick in Florida, in the summer, in the direct sunshine, glassing the amas of a 35 foot trimaran.

[lbrewer]

Tom,

You mix the epoxy and hardener together and then put it in the cooling box?  That makes sense.  I wonder why I've never tried that?  I have cooled the resin and hardener in their own containers but never liked doing it because of how it thickens the resin and makes it harder to pump and mix.

[Tom Lathrop]

Tom,

You mix the epoxy and hardener together and then put it in the cooling box?  That makes sense.   I wonder why I've never tried that?   I have cooled the resin and hardener in their own containers but never liked doing it because of how it thickens the resin and makes it harder to pump and mix.

There are a lot of tricks to learn when working with epoxy.  Just like all boatbuilding work.  Mostly we learn from mistakes.

Another thing is that when using micro baloons or Q cells, these act as a moderator and slow down the reaction time depending on the mix ratio of filler to resins.  Makes fairing easier or allows use of faster hardeners.

[Randy C.]

Ray,

Your idea of warming up pump turning crystals back to liquid made sense. I ended up putting the pump on a piece of aluminum foil in the oven(turned off after warming up, cool enough to touch metal rack), pump works fine now.

Thanks,

Randy