Resin Research Quik Kick???

PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
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I use condiment squeeze bottles that I buy at the dollar store to pour resins for small batches.

I measure by the gram into a (cheap) unmarked drinking cup ($4/50) sitting on a cheap digital kitchen scale ($20) and I do the math. Set the scale on grams instead of ounces. Set the empty cup on the scale and then zero it so that all you're measuring is the resin. Pour the B side then multiply by 1.45 to get the total, which you then meet by adding the A side. It works every single time. No guesswork or eyeballing involved.

I can do accurate epoxy mixes in any volume from ding sized batches and up. I've never once had a problem with my epoxy since I started measuring by weight. I typically reuse cups (after the previous batch has set up) so I don't even waste cups. I only mix what I think I will use, and my waste is down to maybe 4 oz per board.

The savings in waste and not having to use or clean the marked cups for measuring will pay for the costs of the scale in maybe just a couple boards. The most eco-friendly resin is the resin you save by not mixing more than you're using.

P.S. Use vinegar to clean up epoxy. Shelf life of epoxy is supposedly 6 months, (store in a cabinet or closed box to keep the sun off the container). If you are storing epoxy then crack the lid and vent the container every month or so. If it starts to coagulate at the bottom then stick the open container out in the sun to warm it up a bit and swoosh it around a little in the container to restore the viscosity.

View attachment 98512
Can you write out an example? I don't fully get it. Are you multiplying by 1.45 to get the total by WEIGHT which you then meet with the A side? Does the data sheet of your resin give the ratios by WEIGHT and VOLUME?

This, btw, is the best method I've seen. :jamon:
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
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Can you write out an example? I don't fully get it. Are you multiplying by 1.45 to get the total by WEIGHT which you then meet with the A side? Does the data sheet of your resin give the ratios by WEIGHT and VOLUME?

This, btw, is the best method I've seen. :jamon:
:foreheadslap:
I thought regardless of weight/volume its 2:1 ratio part A to part B so for small rail ding etc mix .50 fl oz B. To 100 fl oz A and mix. What I am more interested in data sheet info is pot time.
 

PRCD

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Feb 25, 2020
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:foreheadslap:
I thought regardless of weight/volume its 2:1 ratio part A to part B so for small rail ding etc mix .50 fl oz B. To 100 fl oz A and mix. What I am more interested in data sheet info is pot time.
You usually have to convert the ratios from volume to weight. West System is 5:1 by volume and 3.5:1 by weight.

Pot time depends on the volume because the reaction is exothermic. If you have a larger volume, don't dilly-dally with the mix in the pot or pour part of it out into separate pots. Pot time also depends on ambient temperature.
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
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You usually have to convert the ratios from volume to weight. West System is 5:1 by volume and 3.5:1 by weight.

Pot time depends on the volume because the reaction is exothermic. If you have a larger volume, don't dilly-dally with the mix in the pot or pour part of it out into separate pots. Pot time also depends on ambient temperature.
Yes west system get it now larger amounts then I deal with I keep it simple and its just for my boards and projects I buy pints not gallon(s).
 
I use a lot of Resin Research epoxy... In addition to my wood boards, I fiberglass wood skinned glamping trailers (www.homegrowntrailers.com) their wood shower panels and wood fenders... Have laminated, fill coated, sanded and final coated over 20,000 SF in the past four years... We work closely with Fiberglass Supply to perfect the process...

When it comes to dispensing, measuring and mixing, it comes down to a few simple steps... We weigh the resin on a digital scale then add hardener... We multiply the resin weight x 1.44 to get the total mixed resin wight, then add the hardener to get to that total weight... Having a resin weight chart eliminated the need to punch the calculator for every batch... We pour, not pump...Pumps will get stuck and are messy... If you don't hit the hardener weight exactly it is better to have a little less hardener than more... It cures better that way...

Mixing is routine, stir well for three minutes, two minutes is recommended, but we do three.. The next VERY IMPORTANT step is to let the freshly stirred resin sit in the cup for five minutes before applying... This gives the resin time to start the chemical reaction process that reduces the chance of humidity induced curing issues...

Follow those steps and you're good... Have fun...!!!...
 

Why_was_I_banned

Billy Hamilton status
Sep 5, 2020
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I use a lot of Resin Research epoxy... In addition to my wood boards, I fiberglass wood skinned glamping trailers (www.homegrowntrailers.com) their wood shower panels and wood fenders... Have laminated, fill coated, sanded and final coated over 20,000 SF in the past four years... We work closely with Fiberglass Supply to perfect the process...

When it comes to dispensing, measuring and mixing, it comes down to a few simple steps... We weigh the resin on a digital scale then add hardener... We multiply the resin weight x 1.44 to get the total mixed resin wight, then add the hardener to get to that total weight... Having a resin weight chart eliminated the need to punch the calculator for every batch... We pour, not pump...Pumps will get stuck and are messy... If you don't hit the hardener weight exactly it is better to have a little less hardener than more... It cures better that way...

Mixing is routine, stir well for three minutes, two minutes is recommended, but we do three.. The next VERY IMPORTANT step is to let the freshly stirred resin sit in the cup for five minutes before applying... This gives the resin time to start the chemical reaction process that reduces the chance of humidity induced curing issues...

Follow those steps and you're good... Have fun...!!!...
Ho Lee Fook! I LOVE what you are doing!!!
 
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rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
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I use a lot of Resin Research epoxy... In addition to my wood boards, I fiberglass wood skinned glamping trailers (www.homegrowntrailers.com) their wood shower panels and wood fenders... Have laminated, fill coated, sanded and final coated over 20,000 SF in the past four years... We work closely with Fiberglass Supply to perfect the process...

When it comes to dispensing, measuring and mixing, it comes down to a few simple steps... We weigh the resin on a digital scale then add hardener... We multiply the resin weight x 1.44 to get the total mixed resin wight, then add the hardener to get to that total weight... Having a resin weight chart eliminated the need to punch the calculator for every batch... We pour, not pump...Pumps will get stuck and are messy... If you don't hit the hardener weight exactly it is better to have a little less hardener than more... It cures better that way...

Mixing is routine, stir well for three minutes, two minutes is recommended, but we do three.. The next VERY IMPORTANT step is to let the freshly stirred resin sit in the cup for five minutes before applying... This gives the resin time to start the chemical reaction process that reduces the chance of humidity induced curing issues...

Follow those steps and you're good... Have fun...!!!...
Great info on resin research and just bought my quick kick from fiberglass supply solid company great supply. Do you leave quick kick in cup for 5 minutes? Also what do use to weight on digital scale grams or oz etc? Thanks in advance great work.
 
Great info on resin research and just bought my quick kick from fiberglass supply solid company great supply. Do you leave quick kick in cup for 5 minutes? Also what do use to weight on digital scale grams or oz etc? Thanks in advance great work.
Five minutes in the cup... Kind of like pulling the pin on a hand grenade and waiting, waiting, waiting to throw it... With QK you have about 12 minutes for it to start going off once out of the cup... Eight minutes in the cup (based on 20oz cups)...

For air temperatures over 80 F, we sometimes ignore the five minute rule... If we consistently had warm air temperature it might make sense to use the slow hardener...

We use a ray gun thermometer to keep an eye on the mixed resin temperature... Once it hits 85 it's game on...

We use grams... Metric is easier for math...
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
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Five minutes in the cup... Kind of like pulling the pin on a hand grenade and waiting, waiting, waiting to throw it... With QK you have about 12 minutes for it to start going off once out of the cup... Eight minutes in the cup (based on 20oz cups)...

For air temperatures over 80 F, we sometimes ignore the five minute rule... If we consistently had warm air temperature it might make sense to use the slow hardener...

We use a ray gun thermometer to keep an eye on the mixed resin temperature... Once it hits 85 it's game on...

We use grams... Metric is easier for math...
Thanks and I am using 5 minutes for now on nothing to lose I am small time fixing my own dings or laminating wood home projects.
 
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PRCD

Tom Curren status
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Great info on resin research and just bought my quick kick from fiberglass supply solid company great supply. Do you leave quick kick in cup for 5 minutes? Also what do use to weight on digital scale grams or oz etc? Thanks in advance great work.
If you mix the epoxy the right way, you shouldn't have a problem. Use these:

Watch this:

Make sure you scrape the corners of the inside of the pot and mix thoroughly. If you do that and mix in the right ratios, I've never had a problem and I used slow hardener for my entire boat. Amine blush can be a problem depending on temperature but you can wash that off.

You can use hanging workshop lights and a tarp to heat whatever's curing if you want to speed things up.
 
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PRCD

Tom Curren status
Feb 25, 2020
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You reminded me of something else. When you're glassing large surfaces, you want to mix a lot of epoxy at once or you'll be spending all your time mixing. I went to glass my 12' dinghy at 8 pm and didn't finish until 2 AM because I kept mixing batches that were too small. If you're mixing big batches and you're not a pro, you're better off with slow hardener or the whole pot kicks off (exotherms and hardens) too quickly.

You want to minimize the time spent mixing too.
 
You reminded me of something else. When you're glassing large surfaces, you want to mix a lot of epoxy at once or you'll be spending all your time mixing. I went to glass my 12' dinghy at 8 pm and didn't finish until 2 AM because I kept mixing batches that were too small. If you're mixing big batches and you're not a pro, you're better off with slow hardener or the whole pot kicks off (exotherms and hardens) too quickly.

You want to minimize the time spent mixing too.
In production you have two guys... One guy mixing continually, the other rolling and brushing... 256 sq. ft. in an hour... B
 

GDaddy

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Jan 17, 2006
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I use a lot of Resin Research epoxy... In addition to my wood boards, I fiberglass wood skinned glamping trailers (www.homegrowntrailers.com) their wood shower panels and wood fenders... Have laminated, fill coated, sanded and final coated over 20,000 SF in the past four years... We work closely with Fiberglass Supply to perfect the process...

When it comes to dispensing, measuring and mixing, it comes down to a few simple steps... We weigh the resin on a digital scale then add hardener... We multiply the resin weight x 1.44 to get the total mixed resin wight, then add the hardener to get to that total weight... Having a resin weight chart eliminated the need to punch the calculator for every batch... We pour, not pump...Pumps will get stuck and are messy... If you don't hit the hardener weight exactly it is better to have a little less hardener than more... It cures better that way...

Mixing is routine, stir well for three minutes, two minutes is recommended, but we do three.. The next VERY IMPORTANT step is to let the freshly stirred resin sit in the cup for five minutes before applying... This gives the resin time to start the chemical reaction process that reduces the chance of humidity induced curing issues...

Follow those steps and you're good... Have fun...!!!...
I do all that except for letting the resin sit. I only do that when it's cold out. Then again, I'm not doing this everyday for a living and I'm not doing large volumes. You didn't mention this about mixing but I know you do it and it bears mention here because people who are accustomed to mixing PE resins might not realize it: the way to mix epoxy is S-L-O-W and deliberate and frequently scraping the sides so as to avoid frothing and bubbles. You're going 3 min in order to get the complete mix. (I do it by counting 300 strokes, same thing).
 
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