Mistakes were made

[Roger Long]

The PO of my boat crudely cut a couple of slots in the boom about 4 feet from the gooseneck end so he could bring the reefing lines out through the sides. I have no idea why because the it would have been a lot easier to modifiy the Kenyon gooseneck as I did.

Anyway, I decided that I would fill them in prior to painting strictly for cosmetic reasons. They are large enough that I didn't think I could just fill them with epoxy so I proved today that it is possible to apply fiberglass patches with sticks inside a 5" x 3 1/2" boom although I now have a little pile of curing fiberglass patches in the trash can next to the boom. I'm fortunate that no one was walking their dog past the house at certain moments or I might have been interruped by 911 responders.

One of the patches is now kicking veeery slowly despite being a System Three fast hardener mix. All I can think of is that I proved that you can't apply fiberglass patches at the end of sticks without getting so worked up that you get the mix wrong.

Question: Will miss mixed epoxy eventually cure (Bearing in mind that this isn't structural) or am I apt to have a perpetually sticky mess inside?

Another question, after watching the evening news, shouldn't I be getting a bonus of some sort?

 

[catsailor]

I'm sure someone more experienced will reply, but in the interests of time...

Either get some heat on it (moderate - 80F) or get it off. I have worked with West System, and given that you are in Maine, you must be on the cool side. If it takes too long to cure (days) moisture can effect the final product. It should be cured in the right temperature range.

If you really think you blew the mix, get it off.

If you are ever working a large project, a smart thing to do is to save some of the epoxy (less than an ounce) in a cup to see if that goes off inside. You will know if it was the mix or the temperature. Do you still have bits in the trash from the same batch? Bring them indoors.

 

[Bob V]

I used to have that problem

before I started measuring the 2 parts with a small digital scale instead of volume. It is a whole lot more accurate especially with small batches and it always sets up the same each time.

 

[Roger Long]

given that you are in Maine, you must be on the cool side./quote]

I've been working working all winter with epoxy in the unheated shed using plastic and duct tape tents with a ceramic disk heater and fast hardener so I'm familiar with the temperature effect.

The boom was in the warm basement however. The first patch was almost hard by the time I started the second and the second was sticky and runny 3 hours later.

 

[Ross]

Now you know why I avoid epoxy whenever I can. Ester resins stick pretty well and if I get some catalyst into the resin it will cure. But mis-mixed epoxy can be a mess.

 

[catsailor]

given that you are in Maine, you must be on the cool side./quote]

I've been working working all winter with epoxy in the unheated shed using plastic and duct tape tents with a ceramic disk heater and fast hardener so I'm familiar with the temperature effect.

Wow. Dedicated.

Just a senior moment mixing, I guess. Frustration will do that to the best of us.

Clean-up time? Ouch.

 

[John]

Another question, after watching the evening news, shouldn't I be getting a bonus of some sort?

Why don't you try heating up the boom with a gasoline fire, burning up the boat, the house and the entire neighborhood. This might merit a bonus, although only a very small one. You'd need to burn the entire town down to merit any bonus worth talking about.

 

[Roger Long]

Next morning

It kicked. Both patches appear equally strong and hard. I wonder if I just picked up the bottle of slow hardener by accident.

 

[Dan]

Whew!

It kicked. Both patches appear equally strong and hard. I wonder if I just picked up the bottle of slow hardener by accident.

Crisis averted. Our long national nightmare has ended.