I have a finished board that needs finboxes,vent,and leash plug.Have any of you had good results using any of the 5 minute epoxies for plug installs found at local hardware stores?I don’t want to have a small amount of epoxy shipped,funds are limited…How about west systems?The foam is 1 pound eps and xps box inserts for probox fin system.How did surfing get so complicated!
Most 5 Minute epoxy is NOT waterproof,
not really that strong, & I doubt you
will be able to get any cloth wet out
with it. I have used it to set glass ons,
but then it gets buried in football
patches, fin rope, properly saturated glass.
WEST system is expensive, turns brown,
has that funky(mono/poly?amine?)
chemical in it that can sensitize you to epoxy
Price out the cost of enough 5 minute to set boxes.
you are better off getting more epoxy or using
Pete
ALL epoxies are waterproof, but few are UV stable. The UV stable ones are generally the surfboard lam epoxies.
That being said, many shapers glue the center finbox to the stringer with 5 minute epoxy before pouring a cabosil/epoxy or cabosil/PU resin mix to fill the hole. You can use it ONLY where you are sure the epoxy will not be exposed to sunlight.
I've read about 5 min. epoxies not being water proof also, but I don't know what that means in a practical sense of water saturation, new beautiful boards maybe not so good but its worked good for utility repairs so far, keeps looking like regular epoxy resin on various repairs. One repair I tried to wet out some 4oz. glass cloth, doable but too thick. I've been getting the $1. pack at Harbor Freight on sale, sometimes avail. at the $.99 store.
Hey Jesus
I get a marine grade 5 minute epoxy from a local marine epoxy manufacturer which is definitely better than the stuff from the hardware store.
I've used it to set in fcs plugs covering maybe a third of the way up the plug hole, then finished off with laminating epoxy. It also provides a barrier to melting the foam if the epoxy heats up.
I've done this with two boards and it is holding up well.
Karl
I doubt you'd be happy with the results using any of the 5-minute products. If you HAVE to use hardware store syringe-style glue, I'd look to one of the longer cure products. some of the marine ones are opaque (usually grey after mix). Better gray than yellow-brown after short exposure to UV. JB Weld or similar might also work, but don't take that to the bank...
Blakstah,
Careful with generalities, some are, some aren’t so much.
However; the Five minute stuff from the hardware store says
something along the lines of "do not use in underwater
applications" or some such thing.
How about some hot melt instead?
Pete
Hey Jesus...
The only application I've found 5min to be good for is sticking on tailblocks. Any thick amount of the stuff can potentially get too hot next to EPS, and it goes fluorescent yellow if its exposed.
Not to mention that 5 mins isn't long enough to do much...If you get caught out its going to cause grief!
So if you must resort to 5min, be sure your plugs have a nice tight fit.
I've found fast hardened resin just fine for plug and box setting. So just wait a little longer.
Josh
Ive used the 30 minute stuf with pigment
for leash plugs and vents
no discoloration and are holding up great on short and long boards
True Ken, yes...
Pigment slows the hardening a little.
Jesus, yeah, go 20min if you have to go there at all...
Josh
Same here… used marine grade 5 min epoxy for leash plugs a couple of times. Never leaked or failed. Some discoloration, though, as it’s right on the deck. But hey, the plug’s behind me anyway…
I just got a Goretex vented leash plug from Greenlight. It comes with epoxy putty to install. Anybody have experience with putty for plugs or boxes? I’m not sure I’d trust it for boxes, but I trust that it’ll work with a plug. Maybe this might work for you, Jesus?
Thanks for all of the great replies,I believe I will hold out until I get some more RR epoxy so I don’t ruin a good set of proboxes.When the surf report calls for 10’ glassy faces here in florida I want all of my boards seaworthy so I can surf them all! 
jesus
check with Brian G at Greenlight
he sells these little probox plug resin kits for probox (see below)
http://stores.greenlightsurfsupply.com/Detail.bok?
Fiberglass Hawaii used to sell tese little 1-3 ounce jars of this 1-3 minute 1-1 white epoxy putty for fins and leash plugs.
The stuff never exothermed at all
too bad they don’t sell it any more
better than hot melt.
CMP used to buy something similar from an online hobby store somewhere
neat stuff
no heat at all
and it came in a variety of colors
Bernie, Was that the “Fastkine” stuff or something? I could never get that stuff to cure properly.
I’d use proper epoxy where possible, but I gotta admit i’ve used 5 -min loads of times for leash plugs and vent installs, probably 20+ boards
Never had a problem!
The only issue is that the bubbles you get from mixing don’t always have time to escape before the resin gels.
I havn’t used it for fin boxes, as it’s too expensive to use large amounts like that.
Close tolerance holes for leash plugs are quick and easy
Pigment in epoxy will not only increase the cure/dry time, but it will increase the flexibility of the epoxy too.
The best way to colour epoxy is by using oxides.
Not quite so good for full lam tints of course, but for fins and leash plugs, they’re great. (Normal tints are the best for real colour work of course).
Just look in the hardware store for the powders that you colour concrete with.
It is just a powder in suspension through the spoxy, so it decreases strength very minimally. Doesn’t affect cure time, or resin flexability, at least not to any degree that matters.
They produce a very strong colour, so only a small amount is used.
A $2 pot will last you forever, and there’s the basic colours available.
I’ve used 5min epoxy for setting blakestahs fin plugs, the real expensive one from the boatshop (about $80 for two small bottles, made by west I think). I’ve had the epoxy crack on two boxes when hitting rocks on seperate occations. Not worth the hassle.