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  1. #1
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    Default Got any tips for thinning epoxy ? epoxy wash.

    I put it in the musical section cause I'm guessing luthiers etc know glues pretty well.

    I've got unstable timber that'll be painted. checks in places. I want to lock it all up, or else it'll stuff the paint job latter.

    So, the idea is to air blast all of the dust out of all the little checks especially....then thin the rather pasty epoxy I have to something more like warm butter, and spread it all over..going cross grain to get it right in there....then just sand and paint after its gone off.

    But what can I thin the epoxy with. I was thinking meth, but guessing there'd be something more suitable. I've never used epoxy in this way before.

    appreciate any ideas. Thanks.

    Jake

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  3. #2
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    You should be able to use industrial meth (>95%) or ethanol (booze hahahaha) to thin it, but I dont know what it will do to the chemical reaction. Remember epoxy is resin and a catalyst, so buggering around with the proportions by introducing a thinner, could well change its reactivity completely. May not, either. Do it on a bit of board outside with a fire extinguisher handy. I worked with a guy that made an exploding epoxy canon by using a 1 to 1 mix of 5 to 1 epoxy. (he didn't mean to he was just stupid!)

    Good luck, and post us your findings please...
    Cheers!
    Mongrel


    Some inspirational words:
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    Besides being a guitar player, I'm a big fan of the guitar. I love that damn instrument. -Steve Vai
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  4. #3
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    Ta. I'll do just that. See what happens.

    At work at the moment I'm having to do it with some troublesome bluegum. But we use the west system there, with different pigments (attempting to match colour). thinner though. spreads no problems. But at home I've got this megaepoxy product. too thick for this sort of thing I thought.

  5. #4
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    I have used hot water to increase viscosity, by putting the mixing cup in a pot of warm to hot water, it makes it thinner, sometimes, but will usually speed up the reaction (chemistry 101) so you gots to be wary that it may be thinner, but might go off much quicker. Lots of smelly epoxy experimentation comming up, i think...
    Cheers!
    Mongrel


    Some inspirational words:
    "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -Stephen King.
    Besides being a guitar player, I'm a big fan of the guitar. I love that damn instrument. -Steve Vai
    "Save me Jeebus!" -Homer Simpson

  6. #5
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    In aircraft work we thin it by heating with a hair dryer! Don't get it too hot - it thins fairly quickly and easily. We use 24 hour+ drying times (about 30min-1h pot life). This might be too long if you plan to use it on curved surfaces, etc as it will all run off!

    Sanding epoxy can be a challenge. If colour is not an issue (ie. going to paint over it) add micro-balloons. These are tiny glass bubbles that you mix in the epoxy to make it easy to sand. You can get a very smooth finish using epoxy and 'micro'. You may have to experiment with the ratios to get the right consistency.

    Hope that helps...

  7. #6
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    it does help. Thankyou kindly. I'll give the hair dryer a go to.

  8. #7
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    I'm not really sure what you are really trying to achieve here Jake. I'm guessing the epoxy you have is a glue mix?

    Any thinning of epoxy will impact on its performance, but I guess you don't need too much if you are trying to stabilize the timber.

    Why not fill it with a bit of bog and use a good solid oil based primer?

    cheers,

    P

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by bitingmidge View Post
    I'm not really sure what you are really trying to achieve here Jake. I'm guessing the epoxy you have is a glue mix?

    Any thinning of epoxy will impact on its performance, but I guess you don't need too much if you are trying to stabilize the timber.

    Why not fill it with a bit of bog and use a good solid oil based primer?

    cheers,

    P
    Well, its pretty unstable timber. Meaning these little checks are opening up all over, even though its kiln dried. Every day I notice a new check.

    Same timber I use at work, from the same batch, causing problems too. There's a kitchen bench top I've near finished for the boss. And when you look closely you see all these little checks. And it won't look good under finish. Point it out to the boss, and thats what he's told me to do.

    I've got to stop the checks from continuing to develop. Thats why I want to get epoxy in there. I don't think bog would work as well ? or would it. I don't know. If the bog doesn't stop it then the finish is stuffed.

  10. #9
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    Jake, do you mean like thin splits in the timber? What about CA glue? This will penetrate more than epoxy from what I understand. The thinner stuff will get into the slits where epoxy will be too thick.

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by mkat View Post
    Jake, do you mean like thin splits in the timber? What about CA glue? This will penetrate more than epoxy from what I understand. The thinner stuff will get into the slits where epoxy will be too thick.
    yep little splits here and there. I should get a picture. I don't know why its happening exactly. Its all just got one good face. Sappy on the other side. Maybe that has something do with it. Its disappointing though. The timbers not cheap.

    I don't know about CA glue. Feel that what ever it is, it has to be something that stops the cracks from developing, and acts as a fill at the same time. Thats why I think epoxy.

  12. #11
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    Jake, I use epoxy casting resin to fill up all those fine cracks it runs pretty well and fills the finest of crack.

    BTW heating will also help speed up the reaction rate.

  13. #12
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    Jake
    I assume your using Megapoxy 69, if you heat it with a hot air gun it will thin out and soak in. Don't breath the fumes it can make you real crook!! The thinnest epoxy I've seen and used is Megapoxy HX which is designed to fill fine cracks in timber and concrete.
    http://www.resimax.com.au/Technical%...ng%20Resin.pdf

    Mark

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    Jake,

    Make sure youre using either Z poxy finishing resin or west systems epoxy. Dont go using araldite or some other cheapo epoxy..youll end up with a disaster on your hands.

    I use Zpoxy for grain filling on my guitars. I put on at least two coats of the stuff neat using an old credit card, mashing the resin into the grain and then finishing off with sweeps at 45 degrees to the grain. If after two coats Ive still got pores showing I dilute the finishing resin 50% with tech grade mthes ( I use it for frensh polishing) and wipe on a final coat using a lint free rag. Once set I give the surface a light sand with 400 grit paper.

    I sometimes get checks in the tonewood I have in my shop. I usually deal with same by either working AR or PVA into the crack or if its really narrow Ill whick CA glue into the crack. Note that CA will stain light coloured woods...its not an issue for me as the cracks are outside the area of the wood I use.

    Cheers Martin


    Quote Originally Posted by apricotripper View Post
    I put it in the musical section cause I'm guessing luthiers etc know glues pretty well.

    I've got unstable timber that'll be painted. checks in places. I want to lock it all up, or else it'll stuff the paint job latter.

    So, the idea is to air blast all of the dust out of all the little checks especially....then thin the rather pasty epoxy I have to something more like warm butter, and spread it all over..going cross grain to get it right in there....then just sand and paint after its gone off.

    But what can I thin the epoxy with. I was thinking meth, but guessing there'd be something more suitable. I've never used epoxy in this way before.

    appreciate any ideas. Thanks.

    Jake
    Whatever note you blow youre never more than a semitone away from the correct one....(Miles Davis)

  15. #14
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    Thanks Bob, mark, Martin.

    Yep its the megaepoxy 69. I'm worried about the fumes from heating it as mentioned. Had enough of fumes and fine dust getting up my nose. Was hoping there's a solvent to just thin it a bit.

  16. #15
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    I have been experimenting with Kinetix R104 and thinning it with MEK for impregnation into cork and other real soft wood for the manufacture of pen blanks it gives a real thin solution ... One problem I found with heating to thin epoxies is that the heat accelerates the cure, as the epoxy set with exothermic reactions.

    Quote Originally Posted by brinesharks View Post
    In aircraft work we thin it by heating with a hair dryer! Don't get it too hot - it thins fairly quickly and easily. We use 24 hour+ drying times (about 30min-1h pot life). ..............Hope that helps...
    Brinesharks Do you have any details P/n etc of the epoxy you use as as I would like to get a really long working life of epoxy but found that once you mix 250+mls it reduces the time down to around 25mins

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