hey I was wonering how much is to much when it comes to kicking resin in cold climates. I’m working in an uninsulated room in canada, in november. I’ve been mixing a little above the manufacturers specs (25 ml per liter @ ten degrees C) and I’m still having really really long kicks, like 4 hours for my lams and my hot coat just ran off onto the floor exposing my weave. I’m wondering if I can kick it hotter or if that would be to risky. thanks a bunch, Simon.
If your resin is taking 4 hours to go off you need to add more catalyst. maybe add a 10-20ml extra.
Four Hours??? You poor soul… You could increase the catalyst but beware of the problems associated with extreme cold/arid climates and the ensuing brittleness weeks later. You could switch to UV resins given proper UV (black) lighting. Lastly, you could build a hot box like I had to with very good results. Obviously, you have electricity in the room, right? Go to a home improvement center and get some sheets of insulation foam board, it’s cheap. Make your “box” so it can just enclose the glass rack from the floor up over the board. Be sure the box has no contact with resin on your rack/board/floor as the resin could melt certain types of foam. Masking tape prtects the edges. Get a space heater that is an oil type. These look like an old wall radiator and they are filled with oil. The heating element is inside the sealed oil so there is a reduced ignition hazard. Have your “box” disassembled, set aside in sheets. After glassing, “build” the box around the board, taping it together, corner by corner and then put the lid on it. Place the heater at one end of the box (outside the “footprint” of the drippings) and set it on medium. You must stay around for safety. The warmed air rises inside the box to the board and within about thirty minutes you will be ready to flip the board. I can’t count how many boards I’ve had to do this way. All of them have come our fine; and quick. Use your modified catalyst ratios and be precise with the setting up of your hot box. Good Luck…
thanks for the input. I was thinking of switching to uv resins but so far have been unable to find it up here, and don’t want to have to pay the extra costs involved in shipping it across the border. But that box sounds just about perfect I think I’ll rpobably look into something like that today. thanks alot,Simon.
Simon I’ve made similar boxes for other projects and have found that bamboo or wooden BBQ skewers work very well for pinning the box together. HTH SevenTenths
how much do the uv boxes cost…seems liek a great idea…but im not made out of money
It really hot and you have to add some catalyst on it and beware for the circumstances to avoid danger.