Epoxy Resin

[Huge]

Be skeptical no longer;

mixing nozzle

[Gib Bogle]

Huge, you have embarrassed me. Do they work?

[Huge]

I've never used them, but the blokes who expoxied in my subsidence cracks were using them and they seem to work fine.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well you live and learn...

Seems dubious to me though on old epoxy.

[Andy Champ]

Fascinating. Looks to me though as if the first squirt (and the last!) won't be properly mixed. OK I suppose if you're doing a whole cracked floor slab, perhaps not so good on a single hole.

Andy

[Bill]

One observation... I had some West brand epoxy that came with some nozzles that fitted the top of the containers. I don't think they mixed in the process. However, I tried them a couple of times and went straight back to my syringes and manual stirring. Far less mess, far more accurate and much easier to control and store part way through a job.

It would be interesting to know what the OP was actually using and what the hole was in. When I started with epoxy, I rang Ciba-Geigy (as they were) who made Araldite and licensed the original '30's invention and asked where to buy in bulk. They suggested SP Systems who they supplied and it was their bulk supplies I originally used. My understanding then, and now, is that in the Western world there are only about 3 or 4 actual manufacturers, and they sell on to companies like SP and West who then blend various concoctions from the basic products to fulfil specific tasks. Hence with my SP stuff I used the basic clear epoxy as a sort of varnish/base coat on wood, then added fillers to turn it into glue. Things like tar epoxy, epoxy paint and the stuff for filling in holes in roads were pre-mixed with various fillers and other modifiers. I assume the stuff they mend Liverpool Cathedral with is yet another epoxy blend.

When I've used little eastern epoxies from Poundland, I've always been a bit under-impressed. I wonder who makes their epoxy.

[meow2222]

OK, the puzzle was solved. Self mixing nozzles work fine btw, as long as you start the gun with the nozzle off, and only fit the nozzle once both streams are coming out - one always comes out before the other.

What happened was pockets of air in one tube meant that a) the proportions were out b) a lot of slugs of one component only were going into the nozzle, and this stretched its mixing ability past its limit.

So the resin's fine, the dispenser was the problem.

I'll try and asnwer the qs I can remember: The epoxy is filled with iron oxide to stiffen it to gel, and reduce resin use. Its metoset brand, being used to anchor studding into brickwork, and yes lesser fixings would not be sufficient. The self mix nozzles work fine. The chosen solution was mixing the epoxy by hand, and putting it in an adhoc cake decorating bag type thing using a plain nozzle.

PS fwiw I have in the past used the cheap epoxies someone mentioned, and it did the job, but I wouldnt have the faith to do anything that required a proper engineering adhesive, and its not cost effective for regular use.

thanks for all the input!

NT

[Gib Bogle]

Unless I'm missing something, there appears to be a slight contradiction here. "the dispenser was the problem" but "the self mix nozzles work fine" but "the chosen solution was mixing the epoxy by hand".

??