Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

I am making a Shearwater 17 hybrid.  This is my first build.  I have epoxied the three pieces of the sheer clamps to make the full length parts.  The next step is to epoxy each to the side panel.  My build space temperature is in the 50s these days.  I am thinking of clamping the side panel to my work table, then making a simple tent around the part with a light paint tarp and putting a light bulb in a reflective holder at each end to up the temperature for proper curing after I attach the sheer clamps to the side panels.  I appreciate any tips on how to do this easily and well.


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RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

sounds like a reasonable plan.

i have two little air thermometers i keep in my shop just to maintain awareness of where my shop/piece is at temperature wise.  when i do a tent like you are describing, i confirm the tent can deliver the temperature i need before i start.  two thermometers help me ensure a long piece is getting unformly heated.  i will typically put one thermometer at the end i expect to be the coldest and another one closer to the warm side.

the most important concern in any heat tent is not starting a fire.  so its important to ensure the plastic will not fall onto the heat source and light up. 

anyway, i have a little plywood box i use for my heatlamp so that if the tarp fell, it would be kept far enough away from the heatlamp to prevent melting or other bad things.  ensure no pets or small children or even big children and adults who do not know the area come into the space when you have something delicate set up.  

h

RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

Thanks for the feedback.  Always good to be sure no fire starts if something falls.   

RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

   Instead of building a tent, I got some fast MAS hardener from CLC. It can be mixed with slow hardener in any proportion.

I've been doing, roughly, all fast hardener below 50ºF, half-and-half between 50 and 60º and all slow above 60. (Depending on the amount of epoxy and the nature of the job, of course.)

If I remember correctly, fast hardener will keep curing even below freezing, and we had our share of nights (and days) like this here in Boston.

RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

Using fast hardener is an interesting idea, Andrew.

I checked the MAS technical data sheet for the fast hardener. Their recommended minimum temperature is 55 F.  Obviously it's working for you below that.

RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

Somebody on this forum linked to the following table. Apparently, it used to be on the MAS website, and is not anymore, but I choose to trust it :)

I was misremembering about below freezing: the table only goes to 41ºF. But I definitely applied fast hardener at around 45-50º and left it cure overnight when it was around/below freezing, and it seems to have cured fine. (I am still building my boat, so who knows, maybe I put her on the water and she immediately falls apart... But so far so good.)

I must add that I always keep my epoxy and fillers at room temperature and bring them to the work space right before mixing. So even when it's pretty cold in the space, the epoxy itself is 65-70º, and I assume it helps to start the chemical reaction going.

 

RE: Making a heated tent for curing sheer clamp to side panel attachment

That is a good chart to have.

Thanks!   

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