[Public-list] Hot Epoxy in the bilge

[Rod Symmes]

Hi David;
    Here are my thoughts on your epoxy in the bilge questions.
Because I am sure you intend to spread the epoxy as a  thin coating over the surface of the bilge, I don't believe heat will be an issue in the bilge because the thin coating will have a large surface area to get rid of the heat of reaction.
HOWEVER..........if you will be mixing up a quart or two of epoxy in a pot of some sort,  heat will become a very serious problem.  The surface area of the pot will not be large enough to get rid of the heat created by the chemical reaction.  What's more, the rising temperature will cause the chemical reaction to speed up which will in turn create even higher temperatures...........I think you can see where this is going.  You will very quickly have a pot of goop that is too hot to hold and will set up so fast you will not likely be able to spread it.  One technique to buy more time before setup of a large quantity of epoxy is to mix it in a pot but as soon as you feel it is properly blended,  pour it out into a shallow tray to give it a greater surface area.  Even so, I would prefer to make several smaller batches.  Even if you manage to keep the mixture at 70 to 80 degrees F., your pot life could be as short as 10 minutes - it depends which hardener you choose.
    My experience with just a few  fl.oz.'s in one of those single serving yoghurt containers ( my favourite mixing pot for a small quantity ) the heat of my hand will speed up the reaction and in a couple of minutes it will feel quite warm.
    Another tip - my instructor had a wall clock in his shop and he insisted we stir the epoxy mix for 5 minutes "BY THE CLOCK" to ensure that it was properly blended. 
    Sorry to be so long winded.   Good luck with your project.

Cheers,    Rod

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