As cooler weather approaches I would like to know if the RR epoxy will still cure at cooler temperatures than 75F. What is the low temperature limit? Will it cure at 60F? 50F?, 40F?. I have looked at the RR website for temperature data but didn’t see any. As an at-home builder doing resin work in my garage, I am affected by ambient temperature. One thing I noticed is that Additive F seems to gel up or coagulate when in the 50’s.
Microwaving is your friend. Don’t be afraid to use the force. Just microwave the resin and not the hardener. You can overcome this global cooling I have been hearing about so much.
I like to keep the temperature above 60F just so my results are consistant. I’ve worked down to 50F but I ended up skipping those days after a while. The board should be kept bove 60 while curing as well. Otah’s right about using a microwave for laminating/htcoating … much easier. about 20 seconds does it.
Hey Greg - Was it just me, or does the micro tend to add bubbles??? I’ve not had a problem before, but on my “finish” coat, I tried the microwave @ 1.5 seconds per oz. 6oz res = seconds… flowed much better, didn’t look bubbly, but when I went back it had tiny bumps, and, like I mentioned, I haven’t had this problem in the past when I haven’t heated it up.
Glad GL came in to get this, sometimes I think this place is the RR Help Line. But it’s really cool (no pun
intended) that he fields these queries in a public forum, so that other users can benefit from the answers.
From what I know, warmer is better. If you can heat an area to avoid ambient temps lower than 70, do it.
You’ll get a stronger (better physicals from higher cure temp) and lighter (lower resin viscousity) lamination.
Hey…
Winter is starting to set in here.
Try a space heater / radiator to bring the room temp up to 70F or so. If the resin is cold and isn’t flowing, I pour out the amount of resin into a cup and stir it directly over the space heater to get it warmed up and flowing then add hardener.
The microwave thing is too unpredictable for me.
Old trick I use with poly that should work as well with RR is to measure out the amount you need for the job in a melt-proof container, and place it in a tub of hot water for about 1/2 hr. Of course, it helps if you don’t store your resin in the garage, but somewhere close to ‘room temp’.
There’s a ton of stuff in the archives, but most of it is contradictory and confusing. So, keep it simple and listen to Greg. He knows a thing or two about RR.
You can also try what I do: Keep your resin (and hardener, Add F and blank, if you can) in the house where it’s warm. There’s no smell, so it won’t bother anybody. Bring it all out to the shop when you go to work, and you’re good to go. That way, all you have to do is warm the air, which is quick and easy with a space heater… the materials are already at working temp. If you buy 5ers of resin, decant it into gallon jugs right away, and stash them in a warm inside closet for later use. That way, you can fit a gal of resin, a gal of hardener, Add F, and your X-55 right into a milk crate for easy handling. The Add F gets funky when cool because the wax solidifies. That’s why I keep it in the house. If I see it starting to gell, I’ll shake it hard, then pour it right out into my graduated cylinder. Usually works fine.
BTW… use the X-55 in cooler temps. It only helps if your fighting the climate.
Mikes right, warmer temps make lighter, stronger boards. Help line? Best thing about the internet for me is being able to help out and sways makes it easy … thanks to the other Mike.
I work in fairly cold temps, ofter well below 60. I found it helps to keep the blank/board and resin in the house in a warm room for a few hours(overnight) and then bring into the shop when you are ready to work. Having everything at the same temp makes the results more predictable.
And then I bring the board back in the house after laminaing it and place it in a closed room.