Resin Failure?

[thegoldenboy]

I glassed in my footholds 3 days ago. 12oz biax and 5oz mat I had kicking around, used a layer of each.

Brand new quart of it with fasat hardner.

Temperatures here are kinda cold outside (14-23F)
My shop temperature is (60-75F)


After 3 days the resin is still tacky and gummy, I could literally pull the Biax I put down between the holds off if I wanted to. It would be tough but I could do it with my hands.

I was a little heavy on the resin, but rolled it out good enough (no heavier than I have been in the past)

I mixed the hardner right, for sure.

Bad batch or too cold/too heavy on resin? This will suck if I ned to re do it.:nono:








Bad batch or no warm enough?

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Poly resin or epoxy resin?

 

[thegoldenboy]

Epoxy

 

[Matt_E]

Cold weather does that every time.
Put a heat light on it - that should cure it within a couple hours.

Other than that, it may have been mixed incorrectly, or the phenophylic (SP?) hardener may be past shelf life. I've never had that happen.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

All I can tell you is to heat the begeezesssss out of it ,if it doesn't set up and harden then you get to start over.

 

[Wolf Child]

it's too damn cold and humidity is high.. I had that same problem last week.. allow for longer cure times it'll be fine, just dont dink with it till it's fully dry. also, heavy resin will increase the cure times.

of course all of this is assuming you mixed it correctly.

 

[Matt_E]

High humidity aids in curing - it doesn't delay it.

 

[BruceSki]

i had this happen with one of the my footholds so i got nervous and ripped it off the next day. it was still gummy like you said....

then i realized to start using a halogen light on the area after it was laid...cured within an hour or so dry to the touch. then remove light and it is sandable within 24 hours.this was in a garage at 65 while working in it and 50-55 after i would leave and turn off the heat.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Heavy resin also speeds curing,epoxy is exothermic which in laymans terms means it creates its own heat to cure,the more epoxy you have piled on the faster it will cure.

 

[thegoldenboy]

Definately mixed right, and i made 2 small batches, one for each hold. Both are gummy so its not the mix. Just trust me on it.

I'll try and go with heat, and see what happens.

 

[jetx]

at least you got your footholds in...your further ahead than I am

 

[Matt_E]

Heavy resin also speeds curing,epoxy is exothermic which in laymans terms means it creates its own heat to cure,the more epoxy you have piled on the faster it will cure.

While that is technically correct, I would say if you're piling on the resin heavy enough for it to actually generate enough heat to warm the material noticably, you are using way too much resin.

 

[Matt_E]

Definately mixed right, and i made 2 small batches, one for each hold. Both are gummy so its not the mix. Just trust me on it.

I'll try and go with heat, and see what happens.

You will see vapor coming off the glass/resin. Don't be alarmed - that's normal.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

While that is technically correct, I would say if you're piling on the resin heavy enough for it to actually generate enough heat to warm the material noticably, you are using way too much resin.

That also applies to the thickness of the layup,the thicker the layup the faster the cure rate,I use WEST SYSTEM so I have different hardners for different temps,IE I don't have this particular problem.:buttkick:

 

[tor*p*do]

Where did you get the resin?
My latest gallon of epoxy from uscomposites has been really slow
Actually been having air bubbles form from cloth drying out as resin drained

 

[Matt_E]

That also applies to the thickness of the layup,the thicker the layup the faster the cure rate,I use WEST SYSTEM so I have different hardners for different temps,IE I don't have this particular problem.:buttkick:

There are only 3 or so resin manufacturers worldwide.

You keep buying West System, I'll buy the DOW repackaged that is exactly the same, for far less. :bigok:

I don't care about cure rates, either. I got a relatively slow cure now, but I can throttle it with heat.
Problem solved. Three gallons of fine quality resin for 130 bucks.

Neither West System, no US Composites, nor hardly any other US label makes their own resin.
They buy 55 gal drums and repackage.

 

[sflsurfrider]

There are only 3 or so resin manufacturers worldwide.

You keep buying West System, I'll buy the DOW repackaged that is exactly the same, for far less. :bigok:

I don't care about cure rates, either. I got a relatively slow cure now, but I can throttle it with heat.
Problem solved. Three gallons of fine quality resin for 130 bucks.

Neither West System, no US Composites, nor hardly any other US label makes their own resin.
They buy 55 gal drums and repackage.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...go=DR&its=S%2BI%2BSS&itu=ISS%2BUCI%2BSI&otn=4

 

[marz831]

Good deal and reasonable shipping but...

These materials are both quite thick, they WILL NOT wet a fiberglass cloth or mat well, they are too thick

 

[keefer]

When I did my build last winter the shop the ski was in during the reinforcement layup was only about 60 during work time and cooler at night. I have found that if you can get one of those little cube ceramic heaters and partially box in the area with some kind of panels you can take care of all your cure time problems in winter. I like the little cube heaters because they have an overheat sensor and are small enough to fit into small compartments. Even on the low setting it will make enough heat to speed up cure times significantly. I used the medium hardener and had plenty of pot life and could control the cure time better.

 

[Matt_E]

Good deal and reasonable shipping but...

Stuff I got is very thin. Excellent for wetting out.