Epoxy problems solved !!!

Posted by J. Schott on Jan 12, 2006

After experiencing many problems with contamination and extremly long cure times, I decided to go against my nature and read some directions. I went to the West System website and got some more epoxy knowledge. I have been having trouble keeping my garage above 60 deg, using a kerosene heater, and as it turns out that is probably the worst heat for epoxy. According to West, open flame heaters contaminate the suface and the unburned hydrocarbons add moisture and deplete oxygen which is detrimental to curing epoxy. So off to the big box home store I went in search of an infared heater, no luck. I got to thinking (agian, not like me to do that) and looking when I stumbled across heat lamp bulbs. They sure feel good when you get out of the shower so they should warm the surface of my kayak pretty well. I purchased 4 heat lamps,4 bulbs and a power strip. I rigged a 2x4, suspended from the ceiling, with the 4 lamps and voila, 90 deg surface temp! Moral to the story is, I put the glass cloth on the deck and got on one fill coat in one day. Before the lamps that would have taken 4 days.

I don't know if this has been discussed before and I'm sure someone else has also thought of this, but it has been the best $100 I've spent in a long while. When I was in line at the store, a guy next to me asked if I was incubating chickens. I had to laugh and explain that they were for my kayak. So my garage is going to be renamed the "Chicken Coop" because of his comments and the red lights are visible from the street. I'm Waiting for questions from the neighbors which are sure to come soon about them. Anyway, I thought I'd pass this along in hopes someone else could be spared the frustration I've had. I've attached a link to some pictures of the first good idea I've had in a while-Joey


The "Chicken Coop"

Replies: