Epoxy + Microwave = Disaster!

It’s cold here in the NE. I laminated a quad recently, I put RR Epoxy resin in the microwave for 30 seconds, then mixed with harder, add F, and laminated. Came out fine, spread on nice and easy. So I did the same thing for putting in FCS plugs. Well, I did the front fcs plugs first. Microwaved the resin for 20 seconds. Taking it out it was very watery. Continued installing plugs, it hardened rather quickly. I found that kinda of strange so the next batch, for the back fcs plugs, I only microwaved the resin for 7 seconds. Now that it’s harden enough to take jigs out and flip the board, it seems that I melted foam on the front fins. FCS plug outline is bigger than normal and nasty brown. When I apply pressure to the glass it definitely moves and seems hollow. The back plugs are fine.

Could it be that heating it up too much in the microwave made the resin kick toofast and heat too much therefore melting out foam?

I’ve installed 3 sets of fcs plugs and this is the first that I microwaved because of cold weather.

What do I do now to fix these melted out plugs?

Thanks

Rick.

Ding ding ding ding!!! We have a winner. You have answered correctly. The melted EPS basically disappeared and will almost certainly be completely inadequate to support the plug. You should drill out the mess, replace the foam, patch and re-install, I think. Or, better yet, use another fin system and miss out on all the fun.

Get a hole saw and drill them out to the diameter of the gap left over, drill a small pilot hole in the middle of the plug to keep it centred, fill with a foam block and patch over it.

When that’s set redrill…

Don’t do it again…

My case was worse.

Epoxy + hardener + microwave oven for 5seconds = ‘epoxy foam’ hard as a rock in less than 20seconds.

Fortunately, I wasn’t able to spread the warm mix over the board before it foamed!!!

Rick, Next time try this:

Fill a container about half way with hot water from the tap. I use a large plastic measuring bucket.

Measure your epoxy into a smaller plastic bucket, then set it into the hot water for about 1 minute. (There should be enough hot water in the larger container so it surrounds the resin in the smaller container.) Take it out and set it aside.

Do the same with the hardener, then take hardener out and mix them together. Tip: wipe the water off the outside of the resin containers to avoid drips into the resin.

With tap water, the resin won’t get too hot and you can control the heat better than a microwave. Microwaves heat unevenly and they get really hot in some spots. Hence the rotating plate inside.

Doug

Or better yet, don’t set the plugs with RR, use the 5 min epoxy from HD or Harbor Freight. That way it won’t have time to melt you gear.

Three plugs seemed to have melted the foam out. But as it was happening I was able to refill in more epoxy. So I checked it out this morning after it hardened. The seem really firm. On the top when pushing down on the plugs one of them seems to ‘crack’ the slightest amount, the other two seem really strong. And filled. But who knows what’s really going on in there. Last thing I want to do is drill them out. But also don’t want to blow all the work I’ve done so far.

I was thinking…tape off a circle aorund hole on top of board and do a light coat of white opaque lam. Let dry. Sand a bit. (this will hide the nasty brown.) them do a deck patch cloth/resin for extra strength…

any thoughts?

Thanks.

I got caught trying to heat my resin during a cold spell, barely got it done and it was not my usual clean job.

The next near miss was heating the epoxy for a long box install, it was really watery when it came out of the micro and started fuming. My fear was it would melt the styro (180 degrees melt point), good thing I was hesitant, it banged off hard in about 45 seconds and was a Chernoble in the pot. I now nuke it at a few seconds at a time, I guess I still haven’t learned my lesson

Try a heatgun next time.

Jim, classic…Chernolbol napalm melting pot. Chuck it out the door before it explodes…FUC&&&&&&&&&& RUN, everbody RUNNNNN.

Yeah there was definitely some smoking in the mixing bucket as it kicked.

That’s when I started worrying.

AAAHHHHHH!!! So frustrating.

I’ve had more than a few ‘smoking epoxy due to microwave’ incidents as well. When you think about how many boards I’ve done, that says something, and not necessarily good. One time I melted the bottom out of the plastic mixing cup. What I’ve learned is that the microwave works fine, just let the resin cool down if you get it too hot. If the resin feels hot to your hand through the container, it’s too hot. Only microwave the resin, not the mixed batch. If it feels hot, wait a bit. Water, and putting the resin in front of a heat fan for a few minutes have worked too.

Pat

I’ve been looking the archive for a good thread on fixing my problem. Drilling out, etc. Anyone have any more hints?

Also…can i just drill out the holes on the top of the board and refill in the hollow areas with foam and resin, then patch glass the top? I say this because the plugs are in really well on the bottom of the board. Don’t see much reason to tear them out at this point.

Thanks so the help!

Rick.

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https://swaylocks7stage.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/1023123_Day%20After%20#4.jpg

Jim, I have hanging in my hotcoat room a copy of a drawing that I believe you did. Guy is running with a smoking bucket. Fits your story perfectly.

Awesome drawing. I could be wrong, but I thought it was the Jim Phillips of Santa Cruz Skateboards art, though…

MMmmmm… Exotherm disasters.

Had my own not too long ago.

But it started half way through a wetout.

Man it was hot!

TIP TO SELF: Only heat the resin, not the hardener.

TIP TO SELF: Don’t bother on a 40C day in a steel shed.

TIP TO SELF: Use a wide deep container.

TIP TO SELF: Consider indirect heat by floating container in warm water instead.

Lucky it was only an internal skin so not visible. And mostly ccleaned up fine.

Very. HOT. Stuff.

Howzit Benny, A few years back a friend of mine and jim’s gave me a few of Jim’s drawings and I made some copies, That same one is hanging in my room. Have you seen the one of the old geezer hanging ten on the hood of a car, pretty funny.Aloha,Kokua

Howzit rick, You said you have an install kit for FCS and in that kit there should be a wooden jig with 2 holes in it. That is for taking out plugs, just tack the jig down over the plug with hot glue and use the hole saw to drill around the plug then take the jig off and use the saw again to finish drilling the depth. Next take a screw driver and insert it in to the plug and twist, this should pop the plug out. The only thing is some times the core in the hole breaks off with the plug and comes out.Aloha,Kokua

Hey Kokua, Thanks

When you say…‘The only thing is some times the core in the hole breaks off with the plug and comes out.’…I’m figuring that it’s a melted mess of foam/epoxy in there. Should I completely core out the hole from top to bottom and fill in space with a foam piece or something?

Thanks