Drying Time for 2 Part Epoxy

[Greg]

Someone gave me this to use on a plastic piece. But the tubes don't give the proper drying time. Any ideas?

[Charles Spitzer]

anywhere from 5 minutes to a day. it depends upon what type it is, and they have their own setting times. there's no way to tell just by looking at it.

[Red Neckerson]

Well I'm sure it's too late NOW!!

[PrecisionMachinisT]

Pretty sure you can speed up the process by heating with a heatlamp or somesuch.

Which seems odd to me as the stuff gets warm all by itself as it hardens, and the colder a set, the longer it will take.

If you vary the amount of hardener, adding more than the standard 50/50 mix this will make it set faster too, IIRC.

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

What DO the tubes say? What is the product name for starters? If it's called "5-minute epoxY" I think we can help you.

BTW: epoxy doesn't "dry", it "cures"

BB

[Greg]

Did you read my post or just decide to show your ignorance?

"the tubes don't give the proper drying time"

This statement might lead an someone to believe that the tubes say nothing. Other than a general safety warning.

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

There are very few mind readers following this group. You gave no indication that the tubes were completely unmarked. Actually, I find that very odd. How do you know what is in the tubes? Where did they come from? Are you sure they are even two part epoxy? How can you be sure? How many times did you retake "critical thinking 101" before your failed it for the last time? Your posts just keep generating more questions that beg for answers.

BB

[Bob]

don't give the

24 hours.

Bob

[Red Neckerson]

Well just get pissy about it.

I hope if f*cks up whatever you are trying to fix.

Better yet, mix it a drink it, *sshole......

[Jim Yanik]

"PrecisionMachinisT" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Actually,for epoxy,adding more hardener does NOT speed up the cure;all you get is a sticky mess.Epoxy depends on proper ratios of resin/hardener to cure,excess hardener is just extra stuff in the mix.The hardener is a catalyst.

Also important is proper,*thorough* mixing.

Epoxy in thin layers does not generate heat like thicker amounts.That's a commmon trick to slow curing time;place mix in a large container that lets the epoxy be in a thin layer,keeps it from generation heat and speeding the cure.

Reference;The Epoxy Book,from System Three.

[toller]

Epoxy does not dry, so it is tough to say what the drying time is.

And frankly, I have never seen a glue that does not mention the setting time. What did you buy?

[mark]

mix a small amount up see for yourself.

[SteveB]

I like to give mine 48 hours just to be sure because if it ain't cured, you don't have a second chance. And then if it's winter, I bring it in the house where it is at least 70 degrees. Otherwise, where I live, it is blazing hot most of the time, like today was 95, and things dry very quickly. But still I let it go for two days. I just JB welded a plastic/metal sewersolution housing for my motorhome. That stuff is awesome, and I don't use much of anything else. Tomorrow will be the third day, and I am going to hook it up. I am pretty sure it is dry by now. ;-)

Steve

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

When in Dought just go 24 hours for nothing in this stuff goes more than that unless it is freezing temperature.

TURTLE

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

Apparently, that's a well guarded secret!

BB

[Jim Yanik]

"toller" wrote in news:xg45d.4924$ [e-mail]:

For epoxy,cure time is variable,dependent on the hardener,temperature(the largest variable) and thoroughness of mixing. You can greatly speed the cure of epoxy by warming it with a lamp,or as I do,putting it in my car in the Florida sun,makes a nice oven to speed the cure.

[zach]

5 to 10 mins or an hour just to make sure

[Frank]

Epoxy does not dry. It cures and time is dependent on curing agent. There is also a setting time or period that it will still flow to work but complete cure may take much longer. Fast setting epoxies must be used within 5 minutes. There are also industrial epoxies that take high temperature cure and will not set for months until heated.

[notbob]

It sez on the pkg. Duh.

nb

[Micky]

Yes. At the retail level there is iirc 5-minute, 30-minute, and maybe other times for epoxy products that don't come in the double syringe.

You have to get something fairly close to a 50-50 mixture or curing time can be increased, greatly to the point of never finishing.

After driving over a chrome strip on my way to work, I applied a gas tank patch, woven fiberglass patch with epoxy over it, to the big hole in the tank, but it was an 85 or 95 degree day and it cured before I could really get it on. I had to buy gas every 8 miles on the way home, and I still ran out once.

The next day I bought another identical kit but I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. It was also cooler because it was 9 in the morning. That one worked and lasted more than 6 years.