I could not get surfacing agent for my hot coats so I buyed wax and a bottle of styrene and made my own.
I readed many threads that explain proper ratios and how to prepare it.
I used it on two boards already. It worked.
BUT:
I keep on getting this little wax lumps that show up when the resin dryes as white craters/holes.
The stuff I made gets solid when I´m not using it.
I asked someone and told me It sholud be like cream soup (when I use it).
So when I need it, I put the bottle inside a can with hot water for five seconds, shake it , and try to get this state on the solution.
If I leave it longer inside the can, the wax will completely melt and what I see is just the styrene. Liquid.
It happened once and I had to wait for it to get colder and thicker.
I was wondering if maybe I should mix the S.A into the resin when it is at that stage, styrene-looking, no wax to be seen.
That would get rid of those little non melted flakes for sure.
But would the wax come to the surface being so diluted ?
Or do I just keep on using it thick and put it through some kind of filter before using it
embarrassing to ask
but i´m having a hard time sanding and, as I´m going to have to hot coat again…
As you see it separates when you don’t use it. Heat it up by sticking the container in hot water to dissolve the wax again. Then use it. Repeat as needed.
It sounds to me like you may actually have a bit too much wax / too little styrene in your mix.
It’s normal for the wax to solidify when it gets cool, but in my experience this floated on top with the styrene staying liquid underneath it. If your entire container is turning solid, it may actually need to increase the styrene content.
As mako said, simply warming the container will melt the solution. When you are actually using it (adding it to your lam resin) it should be completely liquid, not like cream soup.
I bought a quart a couple years ago from one supplier and it did go almost completely solid like the OP said. I blame that on it being packaged in a plastic container. I believe in plastic it evaporates some leaving more wax than styrene. I have not had that issue in metal or glass containers.
The only time you should see the wax is when it rises in a properly applied hotcoat. It will rise to the top of the bottle if it sits in cool weather for awhile. When that happens I just shake the bottle vigorously and it dissolves. The idea that it has to be thick or look like anything other than Styrene is whacky. Most of the time what is sold at supply houses is no more than five percent wax. If you use five percent wax and it is dissolved to the point that you can’t see it in the Styrene; your mix is right on.
…possible you put too much and did not grated it.
After you do it (do not forget to heat to dissolve) you put in the resin container. Do 5 liters. The container is better if is not translucent.