epoxy

[byron constantine]

Where is the best and cheapest place to buy 2part epoxy? Thanks, Byron

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Best and cheapest are almost never the same thing.

And what type of epoxy. Or what do you want to do with it?
There are many types of epoxies on the market

[John K Jordan]

Where is the best and cheapest place to buy 2part epoxy? Thanks, Byron


The two might be mutually exclusive. The Cheapest place (hardware store, Walmart) might not give you the best epoxy. The Best epoxy might depend on what kind of epoxy you want.

I like System Three epoxy. The best place for me to buy small and moderate quantities is usually Amazon since it is painless to hit the Buy button and I don't have to drive.

Do you plan to use a lot or a little? The dual syringe applicators are nice for small quantities. Are you fastening, filling, or both?

JKJ

[Bruce Page]

Where is the best and cheapest place to buy 2part epoxy? Thanks, Byron

Probably Wally World, assuming you are looking for run of the mill 5 minuet epoxy.

[Michael Schneider]

System 3 and West seem to come up as the ones to use.

I took a class and the instructor used West, so that is what I use. She recomended jameston distributors, and I buy from there. If you just need a little bit, there may be better places. For turning work she suggested 105, and a set of pumps.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=3760&familyName=WEST+System+105+Epoxy+Resin

[Prashun Patel]

System three t88. I got mine from amazon

[robert baccus]

For an expensive yacht deck--Ant marine store brand. For a bowl crack repair the 5 minute double syringe type can hardly be beaten.

[Doug W Swanson]

You can buy the small tubes for $4 at the hardware store but I like to buy the Bob Smith Industries epoxy at the local hobby store. I get 8 oz of epoxy for about $9 that way....

[Paul Williams]

For run of the mill 5 minute it is hard to beat the $1.98 two tube set from Harbor Freight. For quality I agree with West, and System Three. I built a fiberglass airplane and used T88 for structural attachments and SafetyPoxy for the large surfaces including the wing spars.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

A very good alternative to West and System 3 is US Composites. It may be slightly lower in quality, but it's 1/3 the price. I've been using it happily for years.

[byron constantine]

A very good alternative to West and System 3 is US Composites. It may be slightly lower in quality, but it's 1/3 the price. I've been using it happily for years.
thanks for the info, will check them out , byron

[Allan Speers]

I like West Systems, but I'm actually NOT of fan of System Three:

I've bought it several times, and each time one of the bottles would leak from the side a little, and also let air in, so the stuff starts going bad after maybe 6 months. I never had this happen with West.

A very decent general-purpose epoxy, for less money, is Loctite 5-minute. Easy to mix & work with, decent open time, etc. It appears to me to be the same stuff as the Bob Smith, (also good) though I can't be sure.

- The only niggle is that it darkens more with age than the others, which can be a factor in some uses. I would think that turning is one of those uses. I'm not a turner, so I don't know, but West Systems makes an epoxy that's guaranteed to stay clear over the years. (I forget the number. Someone here surely knows.) It's expensive, but probably a wise investment.

[Allan Speers]

I looked up that West Systems "stays clear" epoxy, FWIW:


West System 105 resin, +
West System 207 hardener (this is the clear part)

[Prashun Patel]

I have the same issue with my bottles Alan. I thought it was just me. I will try west systems.

[John Nesmith]

This is what I most often use http://www.raka.com/epoxy.html

[terry richards]

I use T 88 60 minute epoxy. This is structural epoxy and seems to have very high strength. The 60 minute pot time (really about 40) allows the epoxy mix to seep into the wood a little but, making a stronger bond. The 5 minute stays pretty much on the surface and doesn't have time to penetrate before it thickes. I thin T 88 with a little DNA if I want to brush it on a large glue up. That also helps it penetrate into the fibers a bit faster.

[John Beaver]

I recommend West G-Flex. It's designed to accommodate wood movement, so it's ideal for woodturning. I buy mine at a boating store near me, but you can find it online at Amazon and such.

[robert baccus]

I wouldn't concern yourself about epoxy penetration--it doesn't do it. It developes full strength on metal or really any surface except waxes or oils. The times recommended are for application issues and temperature issues. Do read the label 3 times.