Epoxy!

Intro: This page is not an scientific essay! Neither a chemical one! If you don't have a certain humor , please hit the Browser "Back" button ! It shall help you to understand with what you are dealing or want to. Just a basic intro into epoxy. For the use and different mixes please use the appropriate page from  Tips and Tricks section , thank you ! And to make the whole story easier from the beginning on we change the word

What is this stuff ?

Like it is with chicken soup you mix a lot of stuff together to get somthing called " Epoxy" ... or what is sold as Epoxy in most shops is a mixture of different chemicals seldom one solid component.  Epoxy resin is coming on two parts - a Resin ( mostly clear in color) and a Hardener (mostly amber in color) both parts need to be mixed in the manufacturer recommended ratio which is either volume based or weight based ( please check your data sheet to make sure you have the right unit) Your margin of error is not allowed to be more than 3% to achieve maximum physical properties of your cured resin

Ciba is producing 2000 different epoxies / addetives! Quite a lot for making a few thousands of chicken soup! Each different and with other properties -or taste! So how do you know what you get ? Guess it is the same like with the soup in the restaurant - big surprise - you have to try it ... don't believe that the epoxy from one supplier is the perfect for you and for every job - what is good for wood is not good for concrete even less for steel - and vice versa ! Before every job test your resin / hardener mix if it is suitable for your purpose, temperature in your workshop, material where you apply it and to you in form of chemical reaction! Like you have to find your perfect restaurant - you have also to look out for your perfect supplier !

Where do I get the perfect stuff ?

My honest opinion is that you have to find him by yourself - the perfect supplier is one who has an open ear and mind for you where you can ask questions and get answers! If you describe him your problem (example the resin is to stiff and not fluid enough to wet-ten your cloth , it makes fish-eyes , has high amount of amino blush ....) - he tries to find the solution - sometimes it's the small shop around the corner  - sometimes it is a supplier a half continent away - the basic resin from one supplier can be modified to your need's with the correct additives in the correct mix ... I know that if you buy a few gallon most of them don't really care - but if you shop around - you will find some who do and most give samples so you can test them out ! Stay in contact with him and tell him what bugs you and what pleases you ... would you eat a salty chicken soup in your favorite restaurant without telling the waiter how lousy it was ... the same is with your resin ... you can only get the perfect resin if you describe what you like and don't like.

How do I know it is right ?

Here are the answers as much as there are applications ... you have to use different resins during the year to adapt to changes in humidity, temperature and application - except you are doing always the same in a 100% stable environment ... lucky you ...or perhaps boring since you can't screw up! Still an epoxy which you apply to a concrete structure does not need flex, on a wooden boat it should have a certain amount, for laminating fiberglass you don't need leveling characteristics but for you're sealing it makes a big difference if you have fish eye's or not ! Tell your supplier for what kind of applications you need it and he might pick a good choice on the spot! Still check it out and never throw your old mixing pot right away in the garbage can it is the best "quality control" you have after the resin is cured and you break the left over resin out of the pot
I use old yoghourt cups for mixing through mark the date and leave them a week - after that the resin is 100% cured (most of them) squeeze the pot and see how your resin behaves ... you can learn a lot from your mixing pot.  

Technical Data sheets !

These wonderful papers come normally with your first order ! They are more or less the Nutrition facts of your chicken soup or the waiters comment "it's still hot - don't get burned".  Even if they look sometimes like the description of a space shuttle part and you have no clue whatsoever is written there ... please try to look them through - they are not in the package to fill it up but they have important info on how dangerous the stuff is how flammable and what to use to extinguish the fire ...perhaps read before the fire reaches your shops ceiling and have the correct extinguisher around medical first aid might be useful if your kid took a sniff from it or somebody stored the remaining MEK in a sprite can with no label ..., Hand - Eye and other body part protection ...and so on ... please read before opening the first can - if not - it might be your last. 

So guess this are enough smart words on chicken soup and if you still need more answers, please look through our other pages of resin - applications, resin - filler ...as they get posted !