How To Use Epoxies

Epoxies are the most commonly used structural adhesives because of their strength and their ability to resist weather, chemicals and solvents, and extreme temperatures. Here are some tips in using epoxies.

Surface Prep

Always clean your surfaces! For best results, chemically clean the surfaces with acetone, MEK or isopropyl alcohol, depending on the substrate. Also, for most materials--especially metals--chemical or physical abrading might be necessary. See the surface preparation guide.

Safety and General Use

• Wear rubber gloves, protective eye wear, and use adequate ventilation.
• Use epoxies when ambient air temperature and the surfaces are over 50°F. Low temperature use will affect adhesion.
• Read all instructions carefully before use. If you have any questions, call us at 1-888-458-3762.
• Dispose of all excess material properly.

Cartridges

If possible, we always recommend using our mixing cartridges for the following reasons:

• easy to use - simple as using a caulking gun (all our 250ml cartridges work in standard caulking guns)
• easy to apply - just shoot beads of adhesive along the edge line
• no mixing required - the mixing nozzle does a better job than hand mixing
• no mess clean up - just properly dispose of the cartridge and mixing nozzle when finished

When using a cartridge, make sure you do the following:

1. Before attaching the mixing nozzle, dispense and discard a small amount of adhesive to verify the two components are flowing freely and in even amounts. If not, remove any obstructions that might be in the opening.
2. Attach mixing nozzle tightly. Then dispense and discard a small amount of adhesive to make sure both components are mixing properly in the nozzle.
3. Dispense adhesive on one or both surfaces and then join surfaces and secure in place until adhesive sets. Dispensing on both surfaces creates stronger bond.

Mixing

1. Always use clean equipment. This means clean buckets, clean pails, and clean mixing instruments. Foreign matter and chemical residue can contaminate the epoxy.
2. Always mix a small amount of epoxy at a time. The more you mix, the greater the mass, the more heat generated by the chemical reaction, and the faster it starts to cure (from the inside first). General rule: only mix the amount of epoxy you can use in 1/2 the worklife.
3. Mix Part B (hardener) into Part A (resin).
4. Mix thoroughly until uniform color throughout. Then mix it some more. Epoxies need to be mixed very well and epoxy that is not mixed well is the #1 cause of failure when using epoxies.
5. Apply epoxy adhesive before it starts to get hot. Once hot, the epoxy is past its worklife and should not be used.

Storage

Keep the two components (Part A - resin and Part B - hardener) separate at all times.

Store in cool, dry place away from sunlight. Warm temperatures will reduce shelf life.