Brrr, it's cold

[Kingfish6221]

Ok fella's, I've been lurking and learning for a while now. I am a first time builder working on a JEM Touring Pirogue and have a question about epoxy. It's winter here in Illinois and it's COLD. I have space screened off in my garage and with the woodburner I am able to heat to about 55 degrees. Should I wait until spring to fillet and epoxy? I can keep the area in the 50's by stoking the stove every 2 hours. May be able to raise the level a little with an electric heater, but that costs a lot more than wood. How long do I have to maintain higher temps and would freezing within the first 24 hours be determental?


"all I want for Christmas is a real nice tan"

 

[oldsparkey]

If you are using acetone as a cleaner ..... DON'T DO IT. A open flame is courting disaster in the highest degree. The stuff is more flammable then gasoline.

Not sure about using epoxy around a open flame , might want to check on that before having to call the Fire Department.

Working with either of them it is better to have plenty of ventilation , just to be on the safe side.

Chuck.

 

[Jimmy W]

I really don't know the answer, you might be better off waiting until spring. The Raka epoxy that I used said that it could be used down to 60 degrees. I used it with temps in the 50's, but it would still be tacky after 24 hours. After 48 hours it would be hard. Freezing might not hurt it, but would pretty much stop it from curing until it warmed back up. I know that they sometimes ship prepregs (cloth pre-saturated with resin) packed with dry ice and warm them back up to use them, but I don't know how that resin differs from what we use.

 

[Kingfish6221]

Thanks guys, Chuck don't worry after 20 years of spending 3-4 months in the wood stove heated garage, all precautions are adhered to, strictly. I am covering the floor with Red Rosin construction paper and plan to cover all work surfaces with 3 mil plastic. No Acetone allowed. I'm just about finished with sanding and drilling and really wanted to epoxy. Since the epoxy is my major $$$ investment, I'll wait until spring.
Maybe I should just order the Laker plans and have a production line waiting for coating come April-May.
Again, thanks for the replies, gotta go shovel more of that *^#@! snow!

 

[JEM]

Truth be told, I miss shoveling the snow. But my brain may be shutting off the memory of 6 months of winter from growing up in WI. Been 19 years since I lived there.

Anyway, you can apply the fillets in 55 degrees. Here's what you do:

Put your unmixed epoxy in the house for a few hours to warm it to room temp. Hide it from your wife.

If possible, get the wood warmed up as much as possible. Now don't take a heat gun to it, but if you can get it to 55 in your work area for about an hour, that should be fine.

When you're ready to go, bring the epoxy jugs out, mix, and apply tack welds and/or fillets.

If you can keep the garage to 55 for the first 2-4 hours, the epoxy will set up enough to where it won't sag. After that, it'll take longer to finish curing than if it were like 70 all the time. If you can keep to 55 overnight, that's great. But if it's cooler, you'll just have to be more patient waitng or things to cure.

Put the epoxy jugs back in the house. Keep out of the laundry room unless you tell the wife what it is. Yes...it can happen. I got an email from a guy whose wife used the hardener thinking it was liquid laundry detergent.

 

[oldsparkey]

Put the epoxy jugs back in the house. Keep out of the laundry room unless you tell the wife what it is. Yes...it can happen. I got an email from a guy whose wife used the hardener thinking it was liquid laundry detergent.

I bet she did not need any starch in those clothes. :lol: Especially if she used the resin and a fabric softner. :roll:

Chuck.

HEY! This is supposed to be SERIOUS here. Jack stepping in

 

[seedtick]

does the label have any information on temp vs. cure time?

if not, call the manufacturer or visit their website

West Systems tells you the temp constraints on the can

 

[Kayak Jack]

If a trouble lamp is properly rigged so it isn't resting on flammable material, it will provide some heat. Placing one under a boat and putting a blanket over the top could hold some heat into the work area.

 

[Kingfish6221]

Merry Christmas all!
Got online to look p Emeril's French Toast recipe and the dark side pulled me here. KJ, I have decided to use a method similar to your advice. I will heat the area with the stove. I am making a frame of pvc to tent the boat. I will run an ol filled electric heater underneath to bring the wood surfaces temp up. After appling the fillet material I will return the electric heater and tent for at least 8 hours (overnight).
I have researched Raka and think I can make a mix using slow and fast hardeners and get the results I want. I plan on talking to them before doing any epoxy applications. I plan on putting graphite on the bottom and if the epoxy finish isn't to my liking we'll put a camo paint pattern on her. Gotta go, snipers looking over my shoulder mumblin somethin bout french toast?
Merry Christmas Y'all

Steve

 

[oldsparkey]

All I ever use is the slow and fast hardeners ( mixed 50 -50 ) when I make a boat. Equals out to a medium hardener which I am use to working with.

Even worked for me when we had a cold snap and the epoxy did not want to flow. I took the jugs and placed them in the sunlight , covered with a black garbage bag and let the sun warm everything up.

Chuck.

 

[Nockatee]

Patince Grasshopper

Ooohh it's hard to be patient.
Put my first application on joining panels today.
Basement sits at 58 pretty consistently, but with medium hardener it will take 24-36 hrs from what I can tell.
Baby steps........

 

[Kayak Jack]

Even baby steps can move you in a right direction. That's better than standing still, ehh?