I like the thought process here, but I think we are once again over analyzing and over processing a very easy task…we are just mixing up a batch of epoxy. When i mix epoxy it starts out the consistency of maple syrup, identical to poly resin. Not a hard material to get bubbles out…So I’m not sure what everybody elses baseline is?
I have only degassed compass oil for boat compasses, so everytime you hit a wave the compass won’t be all frothy. It takes a few minutes to pull it all out, but that oil is the consistency of Mineral Oil
Do you really think its worth the time letting epoxy sit in the jar, running a vac pump trying to pull bubbles out, all the time having it start to therm. …when all you need to do is spread it out on the surfboard real thin…and the bubbles will vanish. Getting the material on the board and then letting it sit is a much btter option, because even it you have a gin clear mixing operation…you still need to work it properly on the surfboard.
If you know how to handle epoxy properly (in a surfboard build) , there is no need for vac bagging, blow dryers, torches, heat guns etc. By the way The last thing you want to do is heat up the blank / epoxy with a heat gun…this will cause a pressure change, and you will get out gassing…now you really have a problem with all those little volcanoes…and now you just built a Leaker Special.
I’m suprised about the comment of letting the epoxy sit for a while in the cup to let it therm. If you heat up the resin side in the micro, then add the hardner, you get the benefits of thin resin in the mixing stage…then you get it out and onto the board fast and spread out. The therm process never starts, but the epoxy stays thin for the wet out process. After about 30 mins then it starts to booger up a bit. Thats when you can pull those areas in the nose and tail that drive you crazy.
Channin tried out the AST polyuretane resin years back, it was 2 part and the supplier gave a vacuum pump with the kit, after mixing, it was apply vacuum and watch the amazing amount of air that was pulled from the batch, so I would think that epoxy would perform in the same manner ?
Agree with resinhead about folks making a big deal out of nothing. I will say though that using the propane torch is so fast I doubt it really heats up anything but the surface of the resin a bit. I use one of those fan tips and move really quickly over the surface. But then again I am used to it.
I am like a mad scientist always messing around with stuff. Every once in a while you hit a gem. If I were to get in to making epoxy boards I would just gloss em like I do poly boards. I would keep my room at around 75 degrees and keep the resin there so it’s the same temp. The board needs to be room temp also.
I love simplicity and time saving methods. Coolest thing I have seen of late is the video of the guy in Hawaii doing the resin tint. It was put up by Fiberglass Hawaii on Utube. You have to replay it and watch real close in order to understand the pure beauty of what he is doing. I think his name is Otis Schaper? I know two pro glassers who freaked out watching it. (Maybe you have to be pro glasser in order to understand his moves). Thats my rant for now. Have fun
I agree, unless you mix EVERY damn drop of the mixture, you are in trouble, early on with Greg’s resin in Florida, I was being “thrifty” with the amount I used and had to scrape the sides of the pot to get enough on the board for the hot coat, the next moring when I looked at it, it had veins of uncured / unactivated resin / hardner that I had to scrape out, scuff with old sand paper and generally be tortured over for being too cheap. I didn’t have time to do it right, but I had time to do it over
One of the other videos there showed an explanation for degassing silicons and the guy mentions using it for infusion epoxies and other composites. While watching it I was particularly struck by how much clearer the materials got after vacuuming. The 5-gallon bucket size he was using for the vacuum chamber drew down in about 2 minutes.
I’ve never “cast” a halo around a fin before but I’m thinking this degassing might be one way to get a clear halo and/or fin base out of epoxy.