Lam resin age?

General Discussion
1

So I found a five gallon can of laminating resin from a boat project my dad was working on about two years ago. I has been cool and in the shade the whole time and well sealed with the cap on. Is It gonna be okay to use? I know that it is not the ultra clear resin for surfboards, but what is the shelf life for resin anyway? How will I know if it has gone bad? can you save It by adding stryene?

2

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=207243;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

I am not an expert, as you can tell from the previous post. But I would definetely test the resin before you try it on a freshly shaped blank. Good luck!!

3

if it is Bondo resin do not use it - it will make your surfboard look ugly.

the resin is tinted caca brown

i made the mistaake of using this on my first baord and screwed up

4

First thing to check is if there are any little crystals in it: strain some through a painter’s sieve or whatever you call 'em. You may find that it’s okay…though I’d get new catalyst and try a test batch some to see. Catalyst of that age will definitely have gone south on ya. I have used two year old resin and it worked fine.

Chances are it’ll go off a brownish/reddish color, though again some boat resin goes off nice and clear. I find that if the resin has a kind of greenish tinge to it, almost emerald when ya look at light passing through it while pouring, it tends to be clear, but that’s just anecdotal evidence.

Again, try it with a test batch and see if it’s acceptable. Tinting or pigmenting it red is an amusing way to get away with brown or reddish resin without wailing on it with lots and lots of gray or white opaque pigment ( and the white goes beige or pink anyhow) . Kinda masks the blush of the resin itself. Or, as Pee Wee Herman said, “I meant to do that!”.

hope that’s of use

doc…

5

As doc said, strain it and definitely test it before you use it, but it’s probably still good 'cuz I have a drum with about 15 gallons in it that I got about 7 years ago and it’s still good (though a little discolored). If it’s been well sealed, as you say, then you probably don’t need to add styrene.

Good luck,

Gene