Epoxy Hasn't Set Up Yet

[Joe Wood]

So I mixed up some West Systems, 4 squirts, but ran out of the catalyst, probably only used three squirts or a little less.

it's been 4 days of fairly hot weather here in San Diego and it's still tacky! Any solution for this? How about going back over it with some properly mixed epoxy?

[Mike Hollingsworth]

So I mixed up some West Systems, 4 squirts, but ran out of the catalyst, probably only used three squirts or a little less.

it's been 4 days of fairly hot weather here in San Diego and it's still tacky! Any solution for this? How about going back over it with some properly mixed epoxy?

Seems that stuff has to be mixed at perfect ratio at the right temp when the moon is full.
I would apply it as you suggest. I don't see how it can hurt.

[Joe Wood]

I just emailed them asking, we'll see what they say

[Joe Wood]

I forgot to say I was using this epoxy as a thin coating over wood, like varnish.

if it hasn't set up by now with these temperatures it never will, so he said to just remove it with denatured alcohol which I did, then recoated it.

going over the tacky stuff with properly catalyzed mix wouldn't have kicked off the softer coat underneath.

I didn't know epoxies and resins could be cut with D alcohol, thought it was only acetone, learned something new :-)

[Wayne Lomman]

FYI
With a polyester resin, the curing agent is a true catalyst and Joe would have gotten away with it. There is a ferry deck somewhere in the world that proves this (enough said lest I incriminate myself...). That's why with fibreglassing you can speed or slow the reaction by varying the rate of catalysis. Epoxy on the other hand needs the curing agent fully incorporated in the correct ratio to make it work. I can think of 2 sizeable structures where the epoxy coating was not fully incorporated. It dried with a crocodile skin pattern. Again, say no more. Cheers

[andy bessette]

JW--you learned a valuable lesson.

[Kevin Jenness]

It likely would not have been effective on your partially cured coating, but vinegar works for cleaning up uncured material.

[Evan Stewart]

I forgot to say I was using this epoxy as a thin coating over wood, like varnish.

if it hasn't set up by now with these temperatures it never will, so he said to just remove it with denatured alcohol which I did, then recoated it.

going over the tacky stuff with properly catalyzed mix wouldn't have kicked off the softer coat underneath.

I didn't know epoxies and resins could be cut with D alcohol, thought it was only acetone, learned something new :-)

I had no idea DNA would take that off either! The first real table I made for my kids ended up in the exact situation that you had. I hand carved their names into it and spent many hours getting everything just right and then decided to pour that epoxy as a top coat thinking it would be a durable shell for the kids to abuse and just like you I must have made the mix just a little off. After 3 days the top was still sticky and it never set up. I ended up reusing everything except the top and building a new one and using about 10 coats of water based polycrylic. It was certainly a learning experience but perhaps if I didn't have that wonderful male trait, you know the one about asking for directions/help maybe I would have called the company like you did :)

[Joe Wood]

I've always assumed epoxy and resin were almost the same. Can you use DA to clean up resin also?

[Mike Nolan]

Yes, alcohol can clean epoxy resin and hardener, at least the ones I have used.

[andy bessette]

Acetone has long been my favorite solvent when working with epoxy.

[Joe Wood]

No I mean fiberglass resin, does DA cut that as well as epoxy resin??

[Ken Fitzgerald]

For years, turners have used an "epoxy cocktail" to harden punky wood. They mix epoxy as directed and then thin it with denatured alcohol.

[Adam Herman]

No I mean fiberglass resin, does DA cut that as well as epoxy resin??


we used MethelEthelKetone and Acetone with polyester resin in a factory that built all manner of things out of fiberglass ex: hoods for Caterpillar machinery and tractors and MRI machine covers.

[Wayne Lomman]

Common fibreglass resin is polyester and as Adam says, cleans up with acetone or MEK. With all resins, they have a solvent that works best. Look up the tech data sheet for the product and it will tell you. Not all epoxies are the same as far as solvent is concerned. Many thin with one solvent and clean up with another. This is why there are mixed messages out there as to what does or doesn't work. ALWAYS read the manufacturer's tech data sheet for the product you are using. They are readily available on line. Cheers

[andy bessette]

For years, turners have used an "epoxy cocktail" to harden punky wood. They mix epoxy as directed and then thin it with denatured alcohol.

They didn't know any better.

[Alan Lightstone]

Coulda been worse. I put a full epoxy coat on a deck chair, and it didn't dry in a week. After trying a million things, we realized that the company had shipped me two cans of hardener, and no resin (or vice-versa). Needless to say, that would still be wet if I hadn't realized that a week later.