See full version: What do you do when fiberglass resin won t Harden
Subsequently, question is, how do you make fiberglass resin dry faster? Use a hot air gun, heat lamp, or other heat sources to warm the resin and hardener before mixing or after the epoxy is applied. At room temperature, supplemental heat is useful when a quicker cure is desired. more
Can I put Bondo on fiberglass? [links]
If your resin hasn't cured properly, this means that the chemical reaction between the resin and hardener was not able to take place. Sticky resin is typically caused by inaccurate measuring or under mixing. Try moving your piece to a warmer spot: if it doesn't dry, re-pour with a fresh coat of resin. [links]
The hardening process begins immediately, so only add catalyst to a working quantity. Once catalysed the resin gradually cures, taking on a jelly-like consistency in about 10-20 minutes before becoming hard in about 30-40 minutes at room temperature (about 20ºC). The curing process generates heat within the resin.
Furthermore, how much resin do I need for fiberglass? General Formula for coverage of Epoxy resin to fiberglass cloth. A general formula is to plan a ratio of 1:2.5 resin. This means for every ounce of cloth, you use 2.5 ounces of resin in a total of about 3 coats. more
Is fiberglass resin strong? [links]
You may be tempted to use resin without some kind of backing like matting or fiberglass cloth. DON'T USE JUST RESIN! You will definitely want to use at the very least matting (easy, thicker matrix, soaks up resin fast!) [links]
Lay mat on or in your form, and spread the resin mixture over it with a disposable paint brush. The mat (or cloth) will seem to melt into the resin as you spread it, and you can use the brush and additional coats of resin to build up the layer of fiberglass to a thickness of up to 1 ⁄4 inch (0.6 cm).
Floats great, and its a perfect place for my missus to read a book, while I catch lunch. [links]
Yes, it definitely has a distinct smell when it starts to over heat, the same thing can happen if you wet out too many layers of glass in one hit. That smell comes in handy as you can tell that there is something wrong and you can track it down by following the smell if you can't see it. Not so much of a worry when you are working on your own as you know where you left the excess, but in large factories where a lot of guys don't care or know better. Had one joker try to do it deliberately to see if he could get it to catch a container on fire as it was cool, he didn't realize that the air in most fiberglass places is full of styrene and acetone. It's a bit like lighting up a smoke in a paint spraying area, not advisable. more
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Resin when it reacts, builds up heat, that is why you should never leave a thick quantity in a container, if you do mix up a large quantity then you need to spread it out quick so the heat doesn't build up, when fiber glassing boats I used to mix up about 3 liters at a time by myself but I made sure I had enough time to spread it out and roll it in before it gelled. Fires have been started by leaving excess catalysed resin in containers. more
I've never actually paid attention to fiberglass resin as it cures.. I mean i know it gets warm but today a friend of mine was over making the fiberglass mess in my garage, ugh I mean spending quality time at my place, when we decided to check the temp of the resin as it was curing. I busted out the infrared temp gauge and was shocked to see it was close to 200 degrees. Crazy stuff. In the picture below the laser is pointing to the leftover resin from the paint cup it was mixed in. The highest temp we had observed was 199 degrees.
Yes, it can make a huge difference! Ideally, the temperature of the room that you’re doing resin crafts in should be about 70 to 75 degrees F. Below that and your resin may not cure, above that and your resin may cure too quickly. here
You also need to make sure your resin work area stays at this temperature the entire time the resin is curing. Otherwise, it may cure soft or take longer than expected to cure.
If you are looking for some ideas on how to warm resin and hardener before use, our cold weather resin casting tips will help. more
*Close off a smaller area, like a closet or bathroom and heat/cool that area with a space heater or air conditioner. [links]
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