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Tips and Techniques => Construction Techniques => Topic started by: Gearup on January 05, 2024, 06:57:53 AM

Title: EPOXY - accurate and no waste when mixing small amounts by weight.
Post by: Gearup on January 05, 2024, 06:57:53 AM
Epoxy...Strong, expensive and somewhat wasteful or poorly mixed when prepared in small amounts. Here is a way to mix very small amounts of epoxy accurately and without wasting it in mixing cups, coating spatulas  or just mixing too much.

The scale is accurate to 0.01 grams. A single drop of water from a pipette is 0.05 grams. If a fan is on near the scale it will register the force of the air moving across it. Cool.

Note: The "epoxy" used in the pictures was carpenters glue for illustration. After you have weighed out the epoxy, you can add thickeners such as micro-balloons or colloidal silica before sealing the bag. A bit of experimentation is in order here.

Tools and materials.
micro scale - MAXUS Precision Pocket Scale 200g x 0.01g Available from Amazon 15 dollars!
small plastic craft ziplock bags - aprox 6x8 cm, dollar store
popsicle craft sticks -dollar store
small elastic bands - dollar store
one ounce plastic condiment container - comes with fries or from the dollar store
wax paper
epoxy - the two part example is G-2 by System Three. Mixing by weight ratio is used.
sharp knife

Calculation: 0.57g resin x .44 = 0.25g hardener. It takes way longer to read this article than to actually mix up the epoxy...

Fraser
Title: Re: EPOXY - accurate and no waste when mixing small amounts by weight.
Post by: Gearup on January 05, 2024, 06:59:15 AM
more pictures. Order is a bit screwed up ... Read the post below for the beginning.
Title: Re: EPOXY - accurate and no waste when mixing small amounts by weight.
Post by: Boomerang on January 09, 2024, 08:23:37 PM
Excellent "how to" presentation.

 Thank you Fraser

Gordon
Title: Re: EPOXY - accurate and no waste when mixing small amounts by weight.
Post by: Gearup on January 11, 2024, 01:27:46 AM
Epoxied a test piece with a "wing" butt joined to a "fuselage" to see how it was for strength.

The spruce "fuselage" section was held in a vice with the 1" wide x 8" long x 1/8" thick "wing" horizontal. It was marked in 1" increments from the root to 5 inches.

I suspended a 16.5 oz weight (467 gram) at the one inch mark and it was fine. I moved it outboard an inch at a time until it failed at five inches. That's 82.5 in/oz of torque  or about 0.58 nm. I was quite surprised by the strength and should hold the wings on with normal handling.