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.
Any "I've done the same thing..." type anecdotes greatly appreicated.
Any abuse not particulary appreicated, but probably inevitable...

bookieb

That sounds like a minor problem since you have plenty of width in the
piece. I would saw out the bad joint and start over. Sam

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

Just scrape off as much as you can just scrape off as much as you can and
wash down a couple of times with acetone. You didn't say what kind of wood
you are working with. Unless it is extremely open pored the acetone will
draw out most of the uncured resin. If you are worried about the bond
planing off just a hair will get the rest. It would probably be a good idea
to wrap the shaped rudder with some 2 oz glass.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

On 22 Jun 2005 07:19:38 -0700, 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.
Any "I've done the same thing..." type anecdotes greatly appreicated.
Any abuse not particulary appreicated, but probably inevitable...

bookieb


yep, dunnit meself. Not quite like that, but a bad mix along one strip
lenght of a 34 foot hull. Bummer, but it will go like chewing gum;
just prise them apart, scrape them off and clean the wood with
acetone, maybe plane it as well and start again.

just one thing, I wouldn't use just two boards to make a rudder, you'd
be better off cutting the boards into several strips of say 2",
reverse the grain and lay them up. Lot more work I know, but less
chance of warp.
I'm speaking generally here, as I don't know what size or shape of
rudder you're building, nor the species of wood; but it is standard
practice to do just that.

BookieB,
I've used vinegar to clean up uncured epoxy many times. Works great! But I
would use it sparingly so as not to soak the wood you are wanting to join.
Let it dry for a couple of days before regluing.
Charles

wrote in message
oups.com...
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.
Any "I've done the same thing..." type anecdotes greatly appreicated.
Any abuse not particulary appreicated, but probably inevitable...

bookieb

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

snip

Thanks to all for the advice and sympathy.

Cleaned up as best as possible, planned off a little each side,
rebonded last night, all well this morning.

I was just venting at myself really.

Back to working away hapily.

bookieb

I always uses a digitale scale to check the amount of resin and harner,
even if I use calibrated pumps.

One doesn't need a digital scale to detect a 25x error. The crude,
inaccurate marks on the side of the mixing cup are good enough for that kind
of error check.

When I worry is when the pump sucks air and emits bubbles after the jug is
refilled. Then it's a SWAG.

Roger

http://home.earthlink.net/~derbyrm

"Oddgeir Kvien" wrote in message
...
I always uses a digitale scale to check the amount of resin and harner,
even if I use calibrated pumps.

Being a pathological experimenter, I have mixed some weird things with
epoxy and even mixed it with very bad ratios. I bet your epoxy sets,
albeit slowly. You might try putting the whole thing in the oven and
warming it. I have made very similar mistakes and the ONLY time my
epoxy failed to cure was when I mixed TOO MUCH hardener.
Good luck with the MiniCups, they are fun. I built two of them. I
NEVER measure well cuz I think that if it takes that much care I dont
want to use it. Maybe all my SWAGs are right but I doubt it.
Now, what other weird thing mixed with epoxy do you want to know about,
copper dust, sevin dust, paint dust, rain, lead .................?