Epoxy and Hand Lay up Questions?

[powerabout]

I gist i get from some custom builders is when you have a unique requirement the suppliers will custom make the hardener for you

[tunnels]

[QUOTE=powerabout;2948013]I gist i get from some custom builders is when you have a unique requirement the suppliers will custom make the hardener for you[/QUOTE

Where have you been hiding ?? Manufactures of Epoxy's I have known always have produces they don't advertise and a range of special hardeners and resins for special purposes all there for the asking ! .
Getting to know industrial chemists on a personal level opens huge doors for you if you are a manufacturer, during there normal work day during slack times they play with and perfect all kinds of things !
Most chemists I have had the privilege of knowing just love to talk to there customers !
In NZ at one big boat manufacture I managed we had one of there junior staff come and work with us for a week to get some on the job personal training and see first hand what and how there products got used !! A short time later the young guy and his boss From Oregon paints returned with some product they had been working on and needed some one to try it out . Oregon Paints were our gel coat manufactures and suppliers , the changes these guys had made were to the gel coat to suit the equipment we were using was awesome and the gel coat guy was astounded at the difference and how much easier it was to work with. Being on site and seeing the day to day routine and the equipment used they tailor made there gel coat specially for our needs !
The people at Adhesive Technologies in Auckland are the same ,we have know each other for as long as I've been in composites and if there's a inkling of any sort of a problem or something special is needed they are just a phone call away and on the door step before you know it . Vinylester and epoxies are there forte and they manufacture , sell and service what they sell !
The special epoxy adhesive used for the hull and deck joins on the Korean match racing yachts had a 6 to 8 hour working time and a 12 hour cure time. it was amazing stuff !

[W2F a V-King]

I measure by volume as recommended by the manufacturer and as per the manufacturer exact measurements are not as critical when mixing large quantities as small. What inspired my original question is this, taken from Raka's website. "I want to emphasize the importance of proper mixing. Epoxies strength and desirable properties comefrom the complete mating of the resin and hardener molecules in the correct ratio. Too little hardenerproduces brittleness, and too much hardener makes your epoxy softer with the accompanying loss ofstrength. If you make an error, you're safer to use a little less hardener, than too much. Generallyspeaking you can have a 20% error tolerance on the minus hardener side and 10% on the plus side andstill get an acceptable cure. Regardless, your cure will have less strength than its ultimate potential!" I see no harm in discussing things that are out of the box. How else can we understand how and why. Some things must be done by the book and many other things can be done in different ways with good results. Understanding which are which is wisdom. Some things are like expensive race car parts. They are designed in such a way that can be modified to work. As to product liability in the U.S., individuals have basically no rights when it comes to product liability on things such as this where the user determines suitability of a product and uses.

Agree with ALL of this

Which is Why I am asking questions about a resin I have never used, And performing many sample patterns...each one done a little different than the next.

Thank You!

[Timothy Hoffman]

i like this plan also ! love the socks and sand idea,

[tunnels]

i like this plan also ! love the socks and sand idea,

sand in your socks ! or socks in the sand !!