i know you need to wear a respirator when mixing and applying epoxy, but i wonder how safe it is to let your plugs dry in the cellar.

Seems there is more problems with skin contact, but with a 2 part chemical reaction there has to be vapors coming off the plugs.

Any thoughts?

Think i came up with my own solution. :smash: I'ts like when i can't find something and just as i ask my wife, "have you seen", at that moment i see it. :D

Placed my dryer on 2x2s and blocked the back with a piece of wood in the bed of my truck.Put a heating pad in the bottom, closed the top and turned on the ceramic heater. The blocks allowed the heat to get underneath and was blocked by the piece of wood in the back.


When i started it was 35 deg in the garage. Within a 1/2 hour the temp in the dryer was upto 70 deg. I think on a 50 deg day 75-80 deg would be no problem.
Heating pad alone only raised it to 40 deg.
Garage has got to be a better place.

Dave, THAT CONTRAPTION IS PROBABLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN JUST DRYING IN THE OPEN CELLAR! You have heat distortion on the plastic tub showing and a heating pad is notorius for shorting and going up in flames never mind putting it in a bin wherte the epoxy is off gassing. I don't know if I would do that.

Sometime we make this whole thing way too technical in my opinion, they are just plugs for fishing not national defence integrated technologies devices. Take it easy and relax, it isn't that important.:wave:

most epoxies don't have much of a solvent off-gasing at all.
I don't worry about it at all myself.

To speed up dry time try blowing on them ... don't worry about dizziness thats natural .. You'll probably get yourself arrested as a terrorist that device you built there ..

I think I am super sensitive or just super paranoid, but I swear my eyes are irritated whenever I get the epoxy out and I don't do it often. I am building a large tub spray booth that is vented outside and I was going to just sit 1 or 2 plugs a time in there and run the blower on a lower speed and just slowly vent the whole thing outside. It will be in my basement. I turn and do most of the dirty work in the garage, but I wanted to be able to at least paint non toxic stuff in the basement with a spraybooth during the cold months I can get a few done. I've got a plan to section off a piece of my garage and heat it, so I can work on a car or build plugs, but It may take a while.

Dave, THAT CONTRAPTION IS PROBABLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN JUST DRYING IN THE OPEN CELLAR!

Sometime we make this whole thing way too technical in my opinion, they are just plugs for fishing not national defence integrated technologies devices. Take it easy and relax, it isn't that important.:wave:

Dam Flap, i thought i nailed it. :rotf2:

Slip you of all the safety conscious people, i thought i could trade you one for plugs. :rotf3:

Tagger, what can i tell ya, the tears are still rollin down my face. :btu:

Okzz, back to the drawing boards. :hihi: :rotf3: After re-lookin at it and readin the comments i musta already inhaled too many fumes. :hihi:

Gotta luvs u guys. :D

many years of doing dumb things :alien:

Karl, now that i look back on it, i kinda remind myself of that crazy guy in "Back To The Future". :D

I think I am super sensitive or just super paranoid, but I swear my eyes are irritated whenever I get the epoxy out and I don't do it often. .

Eyes ARE sensitive, it's not just you.

superglue fumes , if you hover over while glueing lots of stuff can put you in the hospital, nasty stuff :eek:


JPI, anytime.

you never mentioned(at least that I saw) what kind of epoxy you are using.....

I used varnish for years, spray painted with rattle cans..

Leaving the trucks outside while I painted and varnished in the cold garage, wasn't any fun (didnt win any favors with the wife either)

I made the switch in 2004, Using water colors and Envirotex lite, has made life alot eaiser, I still do a few the old way, just to remind myself how miserable the process was...

The E-tex is oderless, and IMHO does a pretty good job if reasonable care is taken in it's appication.

here's the heated spinner I built for curing the epoxy,maybe it can give you an Idea, it makes a great "house" to warm plugs for painting and to keep them dust free, it also warms the plugs and the e-tex to aid in its application.

The motor originaly drove a oil skimmer( the actualy RPM is lost to me), the drive gear was pirated from a junked copy machine (those components can all be bought at grainger or Mcmaster carr) S links,giant barrel swivels (from a tuna hand line) and assorted lengths of jack chain provide the connections, the adjustment comes in the form of 6" lenghts of 3/8-16 threaded rod, run through stand plates available at Home depot, lowes or your local plumbing supply.

the main frame was constructed from 3/4 X 12 pine(scrap I had hanging around) and the back was made from leftover MDM, the doors are plexi glass and the strap hinges seal the deal..

heat and light are provided by a pair of 40 watt light bulbs,the bottom one comes on with the motor, the other has it's own switch, once the unit is warmed up and I dont need the additional light, I can shut it off, temp inside stays around 80, and humidity is never a factor.....

Now that is a Great idea, RF9. :hihi: Beautiful work, Thanks for posting it.:btu:

With some wood, and a few modifications, i think i could convert my spinner to something similar,

and prolly meet the local fire codes too :D

Light bulbs are they way to go.

I found a little better picture of the inside and how i rig it for work.

Have to hear back from mirror coat, but Smith's cotains toluene and xylene, nasty stuff, and their tech said it does give off gases while curing as does environtex until dry according to their tech.

Don't know what the health affects are from the gases, if any, but my main cocern is for my Grankids.

Being RF9's set up is enclosed ,and dust is not a problem, you could prolly add a low volume exhaust fan and vent outside.

Thats what makes this such a great hobby, ya just keep learnin.:hihi: