bigwow
Well-Known Member
Yoghurt pots or similar are free:encouragement:
Using epoxy mini pumps.
- Thread starter FairweatherDave
- Start date
Yoghurt pots or similar are free:encouragement:
FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
Brilliant! As I said, I normally dig into our recycling box but we don't recycle yoghurt pots because the council specifically said they don't want them. Now more washing up. Along with the chinese takeaway things .....
macd
Well-Known Member
Only if you eat Yoghurt
Luckily we do. The large pots are prized for bigger mixes. Plastic cups for the smaller ones.
ffiill
Well-Known Member
Suggest you check out Glasssplies and other on line stockists fot resin hardner etc.I've done a little fiberglassing in the past using materials usually from Autofactors type places. Now I want to use the proper stuff although not a lot of it, in order to reseat various deck fittings (by drilling oversize holes, filling with epoxy and then redrilling for the fitting). I am looking at the West system and in particular the pumps that make getting the ratios right easy. My question is basically is this a good investment? Do the pumps need cleaning after use or with careful storage do you keep the pumps mounted and they remain ready for use indefinitely for other jobs? I am thinking of approximately a kilogram of resin and slow hardner (£35 approx) then £14.50 ish for the pumps, plus some colloidal silica. My previous experience of mixing epoxy in little cups attracts me to those pumps. Thanks for any advice
Georgio
Well-Known Member
I have used a number of different epoxy resin suppliers, all the main ones and some of the less well known. I found that West, while having the best support if you need advice, suffered the most with Amine blush which is a pain to wash off every time. I am currently using EPAFD epoxy from reactive resins and have been pleased with it so far.
paul.norton
Well-Known Member
Many years ago when I first used polyester resin, we used kiddies potties to mix the resin in.
They have a handle so the heat from the hand does not make the resin go off quickly and, being flexible, set resin can be broken out of the potty.
Biggest problem now will be to find the old fashioned shaped potty with the handle on the side.
Happy hunting.
Paul
They have a handle so the heat from the hand does not make the resin go off quickly and, being flexible, set resin can be broken out of the potty.
Biggest problem now will be to find the old fashioned shaped potty with the handle on the side.
Happy hunting.
Paul
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
The Chinese/Indian takeaway pots are excellent, as opposed to a yoghurt pot or something of similar shape, in that they are wide. The reacted epoxy is spread over some area which increases reaction time so that it doesn't go off in the pot. For small, quick jobs I use cut-off plastic 1.5 litre milk bottles, for the same reason (no takeaways within miles of here, so rarely used)
cliff
Well-Known Member
Scales for small amounts, pumps for medium amounts and scales again for large amounts (more than 10 pumps). For "critical" work slow hardener to allow time to vacuum degas the mix - it is amazing how much gas (air) is trapped in the resin after mixing
rhumlady
Well-Known Member
Pumps and scales as i don't like the idea of trying to pour and stop at the right weight.
DownWest
Well-Known Member
Had SP pumps, occasional use made them claggy, so now only use a good digital scale. 'Greek' yoghourt pots are stronger and wider, so were the choice on my last build. I found the cheap plastic drinking cups too fragile for mixing up thickened fillers.
West innovated and educated us on époxy use. But the choice is far wider now. Personally I use Resoltech. But I was given a 200 lt drum of époxy and assorted hardeners, so the current build is with them.
West innovated and educated us on époxy use. But the choice is far wider now. Personally I use Resoltech. But I was given a 200 lt drum of époxy and assorted hardeners, so the current build is with them.
Sticky Stuff
Well-Known Member
Cold resin or hardener when you go to use the pumps will put almost double the working load on the pump set due to the vastly different viscosity of the materials when cold.
The biggest tip of all is store it in the warm and use it in the warm.
Most DIY resin systems are developed to be best usable at 20-22 oC
You will find the nozzle of the Hardener pump may clog over time where the excess dribbles ect react with the moisture in the air and turn it to a sticky white mess. Avoid this by pushing the end of a match stick in the nozzle after use.
If build up occurs you can wash the pumps out with soapy water and then ensure they dry before re-use.
I have seen some hardener pumps become so clogged with congealed white snot they gave a very poor mix ratio and caused curing issues.
If you want to avoid a waxy by-product after curing you need to use it in a warm but especially dry atmosphere. A fast hardener can also help as there is less time for the mixed product to react with the available atmospheric moisture.
Remember the basic curing rule :
For every 10 oC above or below the recommended temp you will get roughly double or half curing speed.
ie if it takes 4 hours to cure at 20oC it will most likely take 8 hours at 10oC or 2 hours at 30oC
The pot life or working time of the mixed product is also altered at different temperatures. I have seen some use very warm mixed resin so the pot life was very short however the item they were applying the resin to was very cold so the cure time of the actual item was very long.
Using a hot product on a cold item is never recommended due to the possibility of causing moisture between the two items and later having bonding issues.
I would suggest that using most solvent free epoxy resins below 10oC you could struggle to cure correctly and it may remain soft.
Using the resin at the correct temperature will also avoid any excess of trapped air in the mix, air can escape from a low viscosity warm resin much more easily(rise to the surface).
I have seen some people spray a threaded bolt with WD40 or similar and then pour the mixed resin around it, when cured the bolt could be un-threaded (I would advise you try this on something non critical)
The biggest tip of all is store it in the warm and use it in the warm.
Most DIY resin systems are developed to be best usable at 20-22 oC
You will find the nozzle of the Hardener pump may clog over time where the excess dribbles ect react with the moisture in the air and turn it to a sticky white mess. Avoid this by pushing the end of a match stick in the nozzle after use.
If build up occurs you can wash the pumps out with soapy water and then ensure they dry before re-use.
I have seen some hardener pumps become so clogged with congealed white snot they gave a very poor mix ratio and caused curing issues.
If you want to avoid a waxy by-product after curing you need to use it in a warm but especially dry atmosphere. A fast hardener can also help as there is less time for the mixed product to react with the available atmospheric moisture.
Remember the basic curing rule :
For every 10 oC above or below the recommended temp you will get roughly double or half curing speed.
ie if it takes 4 hours to cure at 20oC it will most likely take 8 hours at 10oC or 2 hours at 30oC
The pot life or working time of the mixed product is also altered at different temperatures. I have seen some use very warm mixed resin so the pot life was very short however the item they were applying the resin to was very cold so the cure time of the actual item was very long.
Using a hot product on a cold item is never recommended due to the possibility of causing moisture between the two items and later having bonding issues.
I would suggest that using most solvent free epoxy resins below 10oC you could struggle to cure correctly and it may remain soft.
Using the resin at the correct temperature will also avoid any excess of trapped air in the mix, air can escape from a low viscosity warm resin much more easily(rise to the surface).
I have seen some people spray a threaded bolt with WD40 or similar and then pour the mixed resin around it, when cured the bolt could be un-threaded (I would advise you try this on something non critical)
Boathook
Well-Known Member
And another. With scales you can use disposable plastic drink cups and bin after use.
FairweatherDave
Well-Known Member
Well thanks everyone for all the advice, really good. I have ordered my stuff and decided for the amount I will be doing to start with the pumps are not needed. All the points about temperature and mixing are taken on board and I bought the fast hardener. Looking forward to getting to work once the temperature warms up a bit.
usernamenotvalid
N/A
Cheap, idiot proof and accurate. Whichever type of plastic cups/pots or whatever you use please remember to mix it more than you think you need to (Don't agitate to the point you are adding air) . Especially if using thickeners, fillers or whatever. Then mix it some more. If using additives mix them with the resin thoroughly before adding hardener. Only mix as much as YOU can use at one time. Less is less waste. The cup will get hotter the more you mix.
+ What it doesn't say on there is that you can accurately mark out your proportions using whatever measuring system mls / fl oz you choose. Use water to mark your amounts in the marked cup. Make up two measuring cups that are not to be used for mixing in, because in the heat of the moment you will inadvertently use the marked one... I know becau..
Last edited:
VicS
Well-Known Member
Good luck!
Pity about not buying the pumps. They are useful for dispensing . Your tins will get very messy if you repeatedly pour small quantities from them ( mark the caps so they don't get swapped over).
Check what your council now recycles. Ours now takes yoghurt pots and all the other plastic food containers except black ones. Also now drinks cartons.
prv
Well-Known Member
Oh? I've always mixed up the epoxy before adding any fillers. It's a lot easier to combine the two parts thoroughly as a liquid than as a stiff microfibre paste. And the epoxy benefits from additional mixing when you do add the extras.
I can't see any reason for putting the additives in first - why?
Trouble with marked cups is that you're restricted to a fixed size mix - or at best multiples of it. Then for a small mix the amount that gets left behind on the sides of the measuring cup is probably enough to throw off the ratio a bit.
One mixing cup on a digital scale with a tare button really is the best way for typical DIY sized mixes.
Pete
prv
Well-Known Member
I've found that mine stay cleaner than they did with a pair of dribbly pumps on top. A quick wipe round the top with kitchen roll before putting the lid back on is all it takes - that and rolling the hand as you stop pouring to prevent drips.
Pete
VicS
Well-Known Member
Well the outsides of mine have stayed completely clean and no wiping with EBR needed either.
macd
Well-Known Member
+1
The instructions for every epoxy I've ever read insist that resin and hardener should be mixed thoroughly before the addition of any fillers, pigments or anything else.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Perhaps mixing filler with the resin before adding the catalyst is the way to do it with polyester resin ??????? Dunno never used an additive with polyester!