Epoxy Mixing cups

I bought some of the CLC mixing cups.  They are supposed to be reusable. Supposedly after the epoxy hardens, you can just knock it out. I was able to get the epoxy of the sides easy enough but the puck on the bottom wouldn't budge. Trying to get it ou destroyed the mixing cup.  Any secret to this?


7 replies:

« Previous Post       List of Posts       Next Post »

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

I don't know if this will work with official CLC-issue epoxy mixing cups, but it does work with the recycled plastic yogurt cups that I use. I wait for the epoxy to harden in the bottom of the cup, with the mixing stick in it. Then I hold the cup upside down in the palm of one hand and use a plastic dead-blow hammer to give the cup a few sharp whacks on the bottom. That usually loosens the puck enough so I can pull it out by the mixing stick, leaving a clean cup for the next batch. On those occasions when it doesn't work, well, I figure it's time for another cup of yogurt.

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

I use the bottom of 1l plastic milk bottles and cardboard juice containers. Then bin them once they are used.

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

Try placing the containers in a shallow pan of hot water for a minute or two. That might loosen the bond.

Beware of using any container that does not have a flat bottom to mix epoxy, as the indentations prevent thorough mixing of the hardener with the resin

-Wes

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

I've used my CLC cups many times. I let the epoxy harden then whack it with a hammer a few time until it pops out. Never fails.

Mike

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

Thanks for the advice all. I'll try some of these. If they fail maybe it's time to start eating more yogurt LOL.

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

Consider purchasing an electronic food scale for about $25.00 on Amazon.  Mixing by weight is much easier, faster and more accurate than measuring by volume.

RE: Epoxy Mixing cups

Just make sure that the food scale has sufficient resolution. The one I have in the kitchen shows weight only to the first decimal place and internally rounds everything to the nearest 1/2 ounce. The result is that the displayed weight can jump between 2.5 and 3.0 ounces simply by adding or removing a single stick of dried #9 pasta.

A similar performance in the shop would probably ruin every small batch of epoxy. Imagine the results of 1/2 ounce too much epoxy and 1/2 ounce too little hardner on a 3 ounce batch.

And don't forget to keep the scale clean (with a spare battery or 2 tucked away for when you need to weight something and the battery is dead and the stores are closed and the smoke detectors have already been raided).

Laszlo

 

« Previous Post     List of Posts     Next Post »


Please login or register to post a reply.