I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini pumps

NE Sailboat wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini pumps


Tried them once and went back to syringes.
Much more accurate mix in small quantities.

I have a set of 10cc and 60cc.
That pretty well covers my needs.

Richard

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavel...rit.htm#spirit

On Feb 19, 2:41 am, Charlie Morgan wrote:
On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 16:50:51 GMT, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

I don't think this is covered in the printed "Directions"...

I have had the West pumps for a decade. It is not uncommon for them to
work intermittently or not at all after a Winter in my barn in
Vermont. I have found that some resin seems to crystallize and block
the one-way valves, which are metal balls with a weak spring.

I take them apart as far as possible, flush with acetone and bang on
them a little, and they work fine again for another season...

Those are my suggested directions....

Regards, Terry King ...On The Mediterranean in Carthage

Use hot soapy water to flush the hardener pump. Wear gloves.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Feb 19, 2:41 am, Charlie Morgan wrote:
On Sun, 18 Feb 2007 16:50:51 GMT, "NE Sailboat"
wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

I don't think this is covered in the printed "Directions"...

I have had the West pumps for a decade. It is not uncommon for them to
work intermittently or not at all after a Winter in my barn in
Vermont. I have found that some resin seems to crystallize and block
the one-way valves, which are metal balls with a weak spring.

I take them apart as far as possible, flush with acetone and bang on
them a little, and they work fine again for another season...

Those are my suggested directions....

Regards, Terry King ...On The Mediterranean in Carthage

On Feb 18, 10:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini pumps

I've had to poke a vent hole in the containers to get the pumps to
work.

I sometimes find that they seem to have air caught in them. Pump down.
- cover the nozzle tip with finger then slowly release the pump
plunger - repeat if necessary - usually work in 1 to 2 tries and pumps
normally after that.
I find that the need this treatement after sitting around for a long
time

T



On Feb 18, 11:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini pumps

I find that 'burping' epoxy pumps are related to the resin being too cold.

"surftom" wrote in message
ups.com...
I sometimes find that they seem to have air caught in them. Pump down.
- cover the nozzle tip with finger then slowly release the pump
plunger - repeat if necessary - usually work in 1 to 2 tries and pumps
normally after that.
I find that the need this treatement after sitting around for a long
time

T



On Feb 18, 11:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini
pumps

Could be - I keep the epoxy in my basement and it's cool (but not
COLD) down there

On Feb 20, 6:53 pm, "Jim Conlin" wrote:
I find that 'burping' epoxy pumps are related to the resin being too cold.

"surftom" wrote in message

ups.com...

I sometimes find that they seem to have air caught in them. Pump down.
- cover the nozzle tip with finger then slowly release the pump
plunger - repeat if necessary - usually work in 1 to 2 tries and pumps
normally after that.
I find that the need this treatement after sitting around for a long
time

T

On Feb 18, 11:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini
pumps

I try to keep my epoxy jugs at 70 degrees or better. The warmer it is, the
easier it is to mix and the more quickly it wets out glass.
A heat lamp does the trick.

"surftom" wrote in message
oups.com...
Could be - I keep the epoxy in my basement and it's cool (but not
COLD) down there

On Feb 20, 6:53 pm, "Jim Conlin" wrote:
I find that 'burping' epoxy pumps are related to the resin being too
cold.

"surftom" wrote in message

ups.com...

I sometimes find that they seem to have air caught in them. Pump down.
- cover the nozzle tip with finger then slowly release the pump
plunger - repeat if necessary - usually work in 1 to 2 tries and pumps
normally after that.
I find that the need this treatement after sitting around for a long
time

T

On Feb 18, 11:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini
pumps

I just made an epoxy warming box. It maintains 78 degF in my unheated
hallway (0 at night 15 in the day). Dim's: 2'H x 1'W x 4'L; the walls are
1/4" ply w/ 1"x2" pieces at the corners, put together with short drywall
screws. I insulated the insides with 1" foil faced foam. There is a single
centered inside shelf (1' off the floor). I cut (2) 4" x 8" holes of the
shelf, one near each end. I mounted a 50W bulb under the shelf hole at the
left end, and isolated the bulb into its own little "room" by a mounting a
divider extending from the underside of the shelf downward, leaving a 4"
opening at the bottom for air flow. Natural convection circulates the
warmed air.

-Bill

"Jim Conlin" wrote in message
...
I try to keep my epoxy jugs at 70 degrees or better. The warmer it is, the
easier it is to mix and the more quickly it wets out glass.
A heat lamp does the trick.

"surftom" wrote in message
oups.com...
Could be - I keep the epoxy in my basement and it's cool (but not
COLD) down there

On Feb 20, 6:53 pm, "Jim Conlin" wrote:
I find that 'burping' epoxy pumps are related to the resin being too
cold.

"surftom" wrote in message

ups.com...

I sometimes find that they seem to have air caught in them. Pump
down.
- cover the nozzle tip with finger then slowly release the pump
plunger - repeat if necessary - usually work in 1 to 2 tries and
pumps
normally after that.
I find that the need this treatement after sitting around for a long
time

T

On Feb 18, 11:50 am, "NE Sailboat" wrote:
I bought West System mini pump at West Marine last spring. Now ??

Can't get them to pump.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have problems with these overpriced mini
pumps