Too cold for an end pour?

Hi guys, new member here.  I'm very excited to be near the end or builiding my wood duck.

I want to do an end pour, but temps here won't go much above mid 50's for the forseeable future (high of 53 today).  How long will it take at these temps for it to be solid enough to take bake inside?

Thanks!


8 replies:

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RE: Too cold for an end pour?

i would start by reading the instructions/technical notes for the epoxy that you have.

if you have standard MAS epoxy with slow hardener, according to the tech advisory, it can work at anyting above 45 degrees.  but they explain that you start to have issues at the lower part of the temperature range.  i have copied from MAS's site below.  if it were me, i would wait until it warms up to do an end pour.  if i had to do it, i would keep my epoxy indoors and in the +70 degree range and mix my batch inside to maintain its temperature and then pour it so, at least the epoxy will be thin and pour properly.  

btw, if you have not already put the deck on, a lot of folks build their end-pour prior to attaching the deck.

is there some way you could do the whole operation inside?  its a relatively small boat and if you turned it upside down and lifted the back end up you could probably get the angle you need for an end-pour. 

 

  1. 0 votes
    Q Can I use this product when the temperature is 55 degrees? answer now
    Asked by Rick Herman on October 24, 2020 4:04 pm
    Answered by the admin 

    he recommended minimum temperature for clear coating and laminating is 55-60°F, but for bonding anything above 45°F should be sufficient.  A chalky white appearance can happen when epoxy coatings have been allowed to gel below the recommended minimum temp.  30-65% relative humidity is ideal for manufacturing, but the MAS 2:1 Epoxy System is not as sensitive to ambient moisture as some other products.  Just be mindful not to let the curing epoxy come in direct contact with moisture while it is gelling, i.e. rain and dew.  Be sure to keep containers tightly sealed when not in use to protect material from moisture contamination during storage.   

     

    A chalky white appearance can happen when epoxy coatings have been allowed to cure in temperatures below the recommended minimum temp of 55-60°F.  You may be able to turn the coating clear again by heating the area up with a space heater or heat gun, but more than likely you will have to sand off the chalky epoxy and recoat if you want the coating to be clear.  Potential failures down the road of the opaque coating could be a reduced life span and lower overall mechanical properties of the epoxy.   

     

    For best results, all materials and working conditions should be maintained at a constant 70°F-80°F. Epoxy is a temperature sensitive material.  When cool, it’s thicker and sets slower.  When warm, it’s thinner and sets faster.  When working in conditions or with material below 70°F, epoxy may become to viscous to properly release air and self level.  Working in conditions or with material above 80°F, it may set too quickly and exotherm, become too hot, which could cause it to yellow, distort or crack. 

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RE: Too cold for an end pour?

Thank you hspira!

Its a 14' so I don't think an inside pour is in the cards.  Also, the boat is complete and ready for varnish, so the deck is definitely on!

Tomorrow will be the warmest day predicted of the next 10 (high of 57), within thelike it is range of MAS epoxy (thanks again for posting this), so I'll give at try then.  I'm thinking of putting a 100W bulb in the hatch and shop heater near the base, the heater may actually be overkill.

 

 

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

Picture because! The topside just has the final skim coat, no varnish yet.

 

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

   Make a "tent" out of plastic sheeting or tarp over the boat with lamps underneath to pre-heat the boat. Then do the pour and re-cover with lamps. Make sure they don't touch the plastic, safer than a heater under, although some have used an electric heater also

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

   Oh, and use old incandescent lamps, not LEDS!

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

sounds like you will be fine,

a couple notes on end pours. 

no more epoxy than you need....so angling the boat correctly is important.  your really just focused on the triangle at the tip....not filling up entire bow of the boat:)

becuase an end pour represents a concentration of epoxy, as long as you start it at the right temperature, it will be fine and you want to ensure that you don't have so much epoxy that your exothermic reaction overheats or catches fire....so a cool day as described may, in fact, be good for this operation.  once that epoxy kicks, it can get pretty hot.....a lot of folks actually talk about having the bow in a bucket of water to ensure it does not overheat.

anyway, not trying to scare you but a cup or more full of epoxy that in the contrained space of a bow/stern end pour, when it kicks, can get hot.

h

  

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

   forgot to add.    nice looking boat.  you should be proud.

RE: Too cold for an end pour?

Everything went great with end pour, I started at about noon with the air temp about 50.  I found a place in the sun, and used about 3/4 cup of a 3:1 epoxy/microballoon mix.  With about an hour I checked and the it was warm to the touch and fairly solid, so I removed the heater and lamp.  I left it until about five and it was very solid and held up great.

Thanks for the advice!

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