mixing epoxy

J

josie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am tired of using the West sytem pumps and hoping for the correct mixture of the two parts. I know a lot of you guys measure your ratio by weight. I am trying to figure a way to mix small amounts using a scale or store the two parts in some small bottles to pour a little out at a time into the small mixing ratio cups. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric
 
Epoxy

josie said:
I am tired of using the West sytem pumps and hoping for the correct mixture of the two parts. I know a lot of you guys measure your ratio by weight. I am trying to figure a way to mix small amounts using a scale or store the two parts in some small bottles to pour a little out at a time into the small mixing ratio cups. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...

I mix by eye, but I always add just a tad more hardner than the 50/50 mixture calls for. I mix in small plastic cups you can buy at most grocery stores. Stir, stir and then stir some more. Let the mix set for 1/4 of the setting time (sweat time) and then stir some more. Once the left over mix has set up in the cup you can be assured that you can safely work on the parts you epoxied together. Bob
 
Not knocking any others way of mixing but my feelings are if you're going to do it...do it right.
By weight is the only way to fly in my book. The better the scale the better your ratios. I use an old Ohaus triple beam that breaks grams into tenths.
I can mix any size batch I want and know for absolute that it is dead on.
The epoxy I use says it can be mixed by volume or weight but the ratios are NOT the same. For instance, by volume is the same amount for both the hardener and epoxy.....by weight it is 100-83. The hardener is heavier by volume than the epoxy. I use three different epoxies and they're all different by weight ratios.
If you want to do it right...IMO....contact the manufacturer for the tech sheet on the type of epoxy you're using for the correct ratios.
I know each manufacturer has around a 10% lead way but why guess? when you want it done right.
 
josie said:
I am tired of using the West sytem pumps and hoping for the correct mixture of the two parts. I know a lot of you guys measure your ratio by weight. I am trying to figure a way to mix small amounts using a scale or store the two parts in some small bottles to pour a little out at a time into the small mixing ratio cups. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...

I buy small plastic pill cups at the grocery store which cost around 1.50 for a 100 or so and use this scale http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.1165 that costs around 10.00 and goes down to .005 of an ounce. That's 1/200 of an ounce or about 1/7 of a gram. It also has three other weighing modes such as grams, penny weight and carrots. I sit the cup on the scale and hit tare so that it zero's with the cup and then I put in a little resin and weigh it and then add the hardener. The ratio is five to one by weight. I've weighed as little as .050 of resin and .010 of hardener with ease. That's about enough to do a set of rings on a shaft with no wastage and is less than a gram total weight. In this way you're using about 1/50 of a pump. I mix and apply with artist brush that I buy from H/F that I get on sale for a package of 20 for 1.00. When mixing a little more I use 3/8 inch acid brushes.

Dick
 
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JoeyInCali said:
Scale in grams and a calculator work.
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I can figure out a 50/50 ratio or 5-1 ratio (I hope):wink:. My questions was more of trying to come up with a way to dispense very smally amounts of resin and hardener. Instead of trying to pump out little amounts I was thinking of storing the resin and hardener in little plastic bottles like you can buy for wood glue. Does the epoxy need to be stored in the metal cans they come in? would it go bad sooner in plastic bottles.

Thanks for the reply.
 
josie said:
I can figure out a 50/50 ratio or 5-1 ratio (I hope):wink:. My questions was more of trying to come up with a way to dispense very smally amounts of resin and hardener. Instead of trying to pump out little amounts I was thinking of storing the resin and hardener in little plastic bottles like you can buy for wood glue. Does the epoxy need to be stored in the metal cans they come in? would it go bad sooner in plastic bottles.

Thanks for the reply.
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Epoxy will never go bad. It can be 100 years old and work the same. Like I said, pumping out small amounts is very easy once you've done it a couple of times. I pump it out to within a 1/36 of a gram probably 10 times a day. If you want to put it in smaller plastic bottles then go for it. It certainly wont hurt the glue. I believe it will be messier though as the glue will end up starting to run down the spout and contaminate what's ever around it as it will never harden nor dry up without the other part. Of coarse I could be wrong and putting it in small squeeze bottles may be not as messy.

Dick
 
josie said:
I am tired of using the West sytem pumps and hoping for the correct mixture of the two parts. I know a lot of you guys measure your ratio by weight. I am trying to figure a way to mix small amounts using a scale or store the two parts in some small bottles to pour a little out at a time into the small mixing ratio cups. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...
I mix with a triple beam scale and small cups you buy at the store. The trick to get it perfect is to first know the correct ratio. The you put the cup on the scale so you know what it weighs. Then add some epoxy resin. when you have enough for what you want check the weight subtracting the weight of the cup. Now you can easily calculate the amount of hardener you need. Adjust the scale to what will be the final combined weight. The just drip the hardener till the scale balances. This can be done by just dipping a toothpick in the hardener and letting it drip one drop at a time. When you are done it will be perfect now just mix it. The pumps are impossible to do small mixes. They are not really that good period.
 
The you put the cup on the scale so you know what it weighs.
Click to expand...

I basically do the same except I used some little washers to counter balance the scale so when I put the cup on it I'm zeroed out so I'm only weighing material.
 
BarenbruggeCues said:
I basically do the same except I used some little washers to counter balance the scale so when I put the cup on it I'm zeroed out so I'm only weighing material.
Click to expand...

Or you could get a digital one and tare/zero after you place the cup over.
You keep using that balance beam scale, you'll get arrested by the DEA.
 
I just squirt it in my eyes and go running into the house screaming like a little girl. It really is the best way as then you get to take a few weeks off of work.
 
Eric, I buy at Harbor freight, the squeeze bottles, like 6 for $5 and then disperse the epoxy into them. It makes it very easy to use at that point. BUT, as I have just recently found out, some epoxies in their 'pure' form, not mixed, can yellow due to flourecent lighting in your shop. If you put them into clear or semi-clear containers, I recommend to keep them in a cabinet, or way under a countertop when not in use. Some will not harden the same after long exposure to those lights. I went to an Iparty store recently and bought plastic shot glasses for about $2.59 for 100 and are perfect for the amount needed for rings, butt sleeves etc.
Dave
 
JoeyInCali said:
Or you could get a digital one and tare/zero after you place the cup over.
You keep using that balance beam scale, you'll get arrested by the DEA.
Click to expand...


It's a triple beam.....and has only ever been used for........uh....measuring gun powder and epoxy.
Besides.......the DEA is scared of me.

I like the 2oz Dixie bathroom cups. The white ones with flowers.
 
josie said:
I am tired of using the West sytem pumps and hoping for the correct mixture of the two parts. I know a lot of you guys measure your ratio by weight. I am trying to figure a way to mix small amounts using a scale or store the two parts in some small bottles to pour a little out at a time into the small mixing ratio cups. Any help or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Eric
Click to expand...

Eric,
I got on ebay and bought some 8oz and 2oz dispensing bottles with yorker tops. Then I found some 1oz medicine cups on ebay as well.

I put resin in the 8oz bottles and hardener in the 2oz bottles. Using the marks on the side of the cups, I measure 3:1(resin to hardener). Been working great for me doing this using the West system as I don't like the pumps either.
Hope this helps.:thumbup:
Paul
 
Thanks everyone for the responses. I think I am going to try the plastic bottles and store them in a filing cabinet out of the light.
 
West System sells a small batch scale that has the ratios for the various hardners written right on the scale. It costs $40 and measures down to .1 grams. Works great, a whole lot less waste than full stokes on the pumps.
 
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