A while back I got a lady dental hygienist to pass me a couple plastic syringes, and started calculating my resin percentages. The benefits are significant - no too-hot batches, controlled kick time, confindence. Problem was, the catalyst ate the markings off the syringe, but by then I knew how much they held. Those two original syringes disappeared, and I recently bought a pair at Fiberglass Hawaii, their 10cc models. After a few boards, the black rubber plug at the end of the plunger pretty much disintegrated. When I squirted surfacing agent in this morning’s hot coat, the black plug shot out too, shitto on that batch. Soooo… that make of syringe (BD?) is off my list. I use about 3 to 7 cc of catalyst per batch so a 10 cc syringe is good, but is anyone using something else that works better? I’ve seen the cup type that mounts on top the catalyst bottle, but to me this is too coarse a measurement method. I want something accurate to within .25 cc, not that I necessarily measure that closely.
I’ve seen and used little cups that are measured in drams.Work well for small batches of paint.The ones I had came from a marine supply distributor.They are the size of a cough syrup cup.The lines are raised on the outside so you don’t have to worry about solvents eating the numbers.
Most glassers I know use a Measurmatic.Its a squeeze bottle with the cup on top.They are cheap and clean.You get them from the glass suppliers like Foameze and others.Look in the Swaylock resources links.
Ya know sometimes I read stuff on this forum and wonder why what I am doing works at all. I mean using a syringe to measure catalyst? Damn, I use a squeeze bottle with a built in measuring cup on the top. The same one I’ve had for years. I can’t read the marks on it anymore, but thats ok because I never paid much attention to them anyway. I measure catalyst like this: “hell, Its kind of cold in here today I’ll need about oh, this much.” Sometimes it goes more like, I’m going to need more time for this so I’ll need oh…about this much. When Its real hot well I use about oh…this much. It always seems to work out.
Measurematic. But don’t let it tip over! Those things love to leak.
…a med measuring cup 30cc or a 60cc no printed numbers.The #s are impressions.Herb
If you ever find more syringes of the original type, just take a Sharpie to them and mark off the important quantities on the outside.
7 -11 BIG GULP. I prefer the 64oz’er as opposed to your more common, garden variety 32oz’er.
You can also decant into pyrex glass “graduate cylinders”. come in different sizes for different volumes to be used. get them at photographic supply houses or scientific supply. very accurate. Careful with your catalyst…highly carcinogenic. Glass titration tube also good for safety and accuracy with chems.