Epoxy Not Curing?

Posted by CLC on Feb 16, 2005

An epidemic on the board tonight.

Solvents, scraping off the bubble gum...that MIGHT have to happen...but first:

Try applying heat. Make up a tent over the boat; clear plastic will do. Put a bunch of 75-watt lightbulbs under there, or a space heater that you trust. Get the whole assembly up to about 100 degrees. Let it stay there for 12 to 24 hours. Then let it cool down (it will stay soft because the heat).

Quite often, the extra heat will cure a marginal mix.

Another cure for a slightly off-nominal mix is to roll another coat of PROPERLY catalyzed epoxy over the whole thing. AND apply heat. This will help fire off the delinquent coat of epoxy.

Remember, temperature matters. If your shop was 48 degrees last night and the epoxy is still soft this morning, that might be why. Mixing matters, too. You can't have a little extra resin or hardener in the mix or there are going to be molecules that don't find mates to catalyze them.

Replies:

• Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by CLC on Feb 16, 2005
• Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by Thomas on Feb 16, 2005
• Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by Jon Zeidler on Feb 16, 2005
  • Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by Steve Miller on Feb 17, 2005
    • Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by CLC on Feb 17, 2005
• Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by Laszlo on Feb 17, 2005
  • Re: Epoxy Not Curing? by CLC on Feb 17, 2005
• Re: Friendly Reminder by terry on Feb 17, 2005
  • Re: Friendly Reminder by Jon Zeidler on Feb 17, 2005
  • Re: Friendly Reminder by Mark Camp on Feb 17, 2005