On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 07:19:38 -0700, tsgtesting wrote:

So I'm working away happily on my Stevenson's MiniCup.

I've just prepared two boards to joint them to make a piece of stock
wide enough to cut out the rudder blade.
They're from a nice piece of hardwood spotted sticking out of a skip
(dumpster?), and just the right length and width to get the rudder out
of (2 boards at 30" x 6" x 1", to get a rudder at 29" x 9" x 7/8").

Done a lovely job preparing the mating edges to be straight and even.
Set up a heavy work surface (off-cut of a kitchen counter), covered in
non-stick plastic sheeting, clamps ready etc.
First go with my new set of West Epoxy and screw on pumps.
Check the ratio with this hardener, 5-1, gloves on, good to go.

Prime the resin pump, add five squirts to mixing cup.
Prime the hardener pump, add one squirt to the mixing cup.

Mix, pre-coat with unthickened epoxy.
Add filler, mix, coat one side, put boards on work surface, clamp
together gently, then harder down onto surface.
Clean up squeeze out, use up remainder of thickend epoxy on a few odds
and ends.
I check the two boards are still aligned, clean up ,take of gloves, and
head off to bed, satified with a job well done...

...until I remember that the West pumps are calibrated at 5-1 already,
so 1 squirt resin + 1 squirt harderer = 5 to 1 ratio. Very convenient,
unless you forget, in which case you mix at 25 to 1, which is exactly
what I've just done, and then applied it with great care and neatness
to two beautifully prepared boards.

I't's no one's fault but my own, it's in the manual clear as day.
I'd even read and understood about the calibration of the pumps in the
manual a few weeks ago.
I just forgot at the critical moment, and _assumed_ (in so far as I was
thinking at all) that it would be the same as pump from other brands
I'd used before.
I'd wondered why the mix seemed to begiving off so little heat - sort
of makes sense now :-(
I want to cry.

However, live and learn... I won't make that mistake again (famous last
words anyone?)

I know it'll never set up right (tell me I'm wrong. Please? Anyone??),
but what I am likely to have to do to clean up the boards for another
go?
Should I leave it alone for a few days in the hope that it'll go
rubbery and be easier to remove, or should I have at it with the
scraper this evening?

Any advice appreciated.
Any comiserations really appreciated.

I do know how you feel. ;-)

Any "I've done the same thing..." type anecdotes greatly appreicated.

I've never done this exact thing, but I have made lots of other mistakes.
Solder the wire to the connector, then realize that the heat-shrink tubing
is missing. That sort of thing. ;-)

Any abuse not particulary appreicated, but probably inevitable...

I think you pretty much headed off anyone who was thinking of abusing you. ;-)

bookieb

Clean it up tonight as best you can. Tomorrow, cut off a little bit of
each board on the resin-soaked side, and start over.

From everything I've read, the epoxy will definitely not ever develop the
kind of properties you normally expect from cured epoxy.

--Mac