Couple of probs with Bee

[Chris Partridge]

I say chaps....
A couple of problems with Bee. The latest application of West system epoxy has not hardened after two days. This may be due to the level of epoxy in the tin dropping below the pumps. Should I just wait, or rip the bits apart with many swears and put in new, correctly mixed epoxy, or what?
Less urgently, I acquired a pair of square pattern rowlocks (technically 'swivels') at the Netley boat jumble today.
They are designed to bolt down more or less directly onto the gunwales. A latch holds the swivel in the socket. The latch is held in position by a leaf spring held in the latch, as you can see in the pic.
Unfortunately, the spring is broken on both sides (I suspect it was bronze and lasted about as long as the buyer took to get it home, but that is by the by).

The dealer had put a bit of foam in to simulate the spring, but it isn't robust enough to reliably hold the swivels in place. Any ideas? A folded leaf in steel? a coil spring? a better foam? a rubber band round the outside?
Just to show that the visit wasn't a complete waste of time, I also picked up these for hardly any money at all:

[Timmo]

Sorry Chris,

Think you may need to just remove the soft epoxy, clean off with acetone and go again.

Some reckon that if it has started to harden then a good dose of warmth and UV can get it to set but that could take just as long as replacing and I'd always wonder about the integrity of the join.

Others may have better ideas!

Tim.


On 13 May 2012, at 22:02, Chris Partridge [via UK HBBR Forum] wrote:

> I say chaps....
> A couple of problems with Bee. The latest application of West system epoxy has not hardened after two days. This may be due to the level of epoxy in the tin dropping below the pumps. Should I just wait, or rip the bits apart with many swears and put in new, correctly mixed epoxy, or what?

[Jeremy]

As Tim says, if it's not cured after 48 hours (and assuming you're using 205 hardener and not 206) then it probably wasn't mixed in the right ratio and won't ever cure properly.

If you don't want to use acetone, either isopropyl alcohol or vinegar will dissolve uncured epoxy and be less hazardous to your hands (I wash my hands with vinegar to get epoxy off, as it works well and doesn't wash all the natural oils out of your skin so much).

Has the resin been stored above 10 deg C?  If not, then the pumps won't dispense accurately, as the resin thickens and crystallises when it gets cold - often it seems to preferentially crystallise in the bottom of the resin pump.  Resin can be safely brought back to thin liquid from the crystallised state by putting the can in a bucket of hot water for an hour or so, or leaving the can on top of a radiator in the house for a few hours (best done when SWMBO is out, I find....).

The rowlocks can be fixed easily enough, I'm sure.  All that's probably needed are a couple of new phosphor bronze springs.  I could have a look at them for you if you wish, as I'm sure I could probably make a couple of new springs without much bother.

[Chris Partridge]

That's very generous of you Jeremy. I've forgotten where you are located...could you drop me a line at [e-mail]?

[james gilchrist]

Hi All

I keep my epoxy outside but on a homebrew heater pad that is permeantly on.  It consumes very little power 30 watts per hour but avoids problems with crystals.

James

[Paul H (admin)]

james gilchrist wrote

I keep my epoxy outside but on a homebrew heater pad that is permeantly on.  It consumes very little power 30 watts per hour but avoids problems with crystals.

James,

Just a friendly bit of info....... but 30 Watts of continuous power is 262 KWh per year, adding £32 to your electricity bill!  That buys a lot of beer/epoxy/wood

That heater uses 12% of our house's yearly electricity - can you turn down the wick a little?  I could help you with a thermostat that would dramatically reduce consumption.


Keeping the resin indoors at a constant temperature can prevent resin crystallisation, the nasty toxic hardener can stay outside. Also a bowl full of hot water in the spring is as cheap as chips.

cheers
Paul

[Jeremy]

Exactly my thoughts, Paul!  

My new passive house will only need around three times that much energy to provide the whole year's heating...................

According to the lady at Wessex Resins, the hardener can crystallise too if it gets cold enough.  She also confirmed that heating up either to dissolve the crystals had no ill effect at all on the resin.  I've never seen hardener crystallise, but have had the resin do so a few times, when I've accidentally left it out in the workshop in cold weather.

[james gilchrist]

Hi

Sorry should of been clear it has a thermostat so only comes on when the ambient is under 10 degrees.  

I confess to being proflegate over power in the workshop.  

I build the boat at the inlaws farm where the electircity company pay us over a year thanks to the green energy projects we have done.  Now if only I could go from farming to wood production I would have a sustainable boat shop!

James