Thinning Epoxy

I've never been able to get an epoxy to soak in. What I used, which is thinner than most epoxies, is that stuff you get for crafting. I can't remember the name of it but it came in a large clear bottle with a smaller activator bottle. It poured out of the big bottle like mineral oil.

Anyway, I used that thin epoxy to do what you're wanting to do and it just didn't work. It never soaked in at all. If all you have is just a very thin layer you need to harden then epoxy might work. For my stuff, I usually have an inch or more thickness that I'm trying to save. I've used the commercial stuff like Minwax Wood Hardener and it's ok but nothing great for the price. If it's a fairly thin thickness I'm wanting to stabilize and I have the time for drying, I'll use a drying oil like BLO, Tung or Walnut. Less messy and if I'm going to finish the completed piece with it anyway then it's a natural fit.

For the larger thicknesses, I like to use a 1:1 ratio of glue and water especially if the punky area is dry. It really soaks the water up and the glue along with it. I usually give it several soakings and might turn some and then have to re-soak if I've gone beyond the inital soak depth.

- Andrew

I don't know if epoxy will penetrate to the level you desire, but to answer your question: denatured alcahol is the thinner for epoxy.

- Randy

It depends on the individual epoxy. You can either use trial-and-error, or simply ask the manufacturer.

It depends on the epoxy.

Take a read of this document:

As a summary, a 5% addition of lacquer thinner to West Systems epoxy(which is already quite thin) will give you a 60% reduction in viscosity -and a 35% reduction in strength. It also extends the curing time, buthere's the bad part: It tends to make the curing epoxy shrink, as thethinner must evaporate. Also, note this paragraph: " Applying thinned epoxy in large, confined areas (like consolidating a large pocket of rotted wood) is likely to trap some of the solvent. In thick applications, the epoxy cures very quickly and not all of the solvent has time to evaporate before the epoxy hardens. Over time, the solvent works its way out and as this happens, the cured epoxy shrinks and in many instances cracks. Shrinkage also causes print through. You may have a surface sanded smooth only to have the resin shrink. This shrinkage often reveals the texture of the substrate. Shrinkage can continue to be a problem until all the trapped solvent works its way out of the cured epoxy. "

However, like I said, West Systems, being designed for lamination, is much "thinner" than anything I've seen in a hardware or hobby store. To make it better, you can get extra-slow hardeners to allow for longer penetration. With their slowest hardener, it takes 20-24 hours for their epoxy to reach a solid state. That's quite a while!

Also, if you find a dealer for it that doesn't charge a huge price premium for the quart vs. the gallon size (i.e., the price for a quart is roughly 1/4th that of the gallon), it's a lot cheaper (per-volume) than buying epoxy in the smaller bottles.

steve

"Ken Moon" skrev i melding news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

I never did this myself, but my father prepared some goblets many years back, and he wanted the epoxi to soak in.

What he did was to use the slow-curing type (6-12 h. at roomtemperature) and he heated it up to 60 - 70 degr. Celcius at which temp. it floated like water.

What this did to curing time and strength I do not know exactly, but the goblets were good, and could be used for wine and spirits.

Bjarte

I've had luck thinning West Systems epoxy with acetone. Keep ventilated and don't smoke.

The previous post is correct. Acetone or even MEK are used to thin epoxy. Have done it hundreds of times.

Frank Havelock, NC

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is the correct thinner I believe.

Its real nasty stuff though, all round (Fumes and skin and eye contact)

Down here we use a wood preservative called "Everdure" which isa marine product used to stabilise and protect softer woods in the marine trade.

Hope this helps

Rex

Ken, Polyall 2000 is the answer to your problem. Well worth having around. Extremely thin, like alcohol, very fast acting, very strong. I've used it hundreds of times, including fixing a very badly rotted garage door.

Check at

You can order it from them there.

Herm.

snipped-for-privacy@sprynet.com (Ken Moon) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

The best thing Ive ever used to thin epoxy is Isopropanol from the local pharmacy. Be sure to get the 99% variety though and not the 70 % rubbing alcohol or it wont mix properly and youll find white residue forming.

I cut the epoxy 50% with the Isopropanol and it brushes on like water. You may be wondering what application I use this for well I build fibre glass cloth over foam core floats for 1/4 scale radio controlled float planes. Its a lot more user freindly than regular polyester glass resin and after several coats and sanding I can produce a perfect shiny finish