Envirotex Lite drying temps...Options?
 

It's going on a week and the finish is still soft. I'm guessing they mean what they say about 72 hours @ 70 degrees. I don't keep my shop heated when I'm not in there, it's around 50 degrees usually.

Has anyone used other finishing options that don't require a plug to be on the turner for 24 hours? I know it looks great when it's done but this stuff is a real P.I.T.A! How does Afterhours do a big run of plugs w/this stuff? (It LOOKS like etex on the AH needle I'm holding!)....

I know it tends to yellow, but anyone ever try spar varnish? Any other product recommendations?

Any trade secrets would be appreciated Salty, Tattoo or JHabs if you're reading this! Thanks , Ake.

Are you sure you used the proper ratio and mixed it well?

-spence

Not mixed right for sure. Mix another batch and be sure to have an exact 50/50 ratio and recoat

Is this a clear coat? I am wondering if anyone is useing west system to seal and protect their plugs? You can get a type that is made for clear finishing and it is rock hard. I am totally new to plugs but have been thinking about making some.

I know as soon as I started keeping the temp. above 72 that most of my problems vanished. 50 is too cold IMO.

Too thick to seal, if you really want to use epoxy as a sealer, use the MAS low viscosity and vaccum bag em.

OR mix epoxy then cut 50/50 with denatured alcohol. Dip, then let cure. Awsome sealer. Heck I even use it as a top coat...

Yes, I followed the directions exactly Re: ratio and mixing time.

If the ETex is still tacky, can plug be re-coated w/o trashing the finish? JFig,are you saying that ETex can be thinned-out and used this way as a top coat?

Likwid, What is MAS?

You do know you can thin west system right?. I have used mas on boats and it wasn't anywhere near as strong as West system, we ended up trashing the whole console we where building. But I think is was due to the "professional" not mixing it properly becaseu I heard form others it is pretty good.

Yup, this is what I have done plenty of times, and it works great as a top coat, shines forever:D

Yup, it works GREAT as a sealer and as I top coat. Probably not quite as durable top coat as full strength epoxy... but tough enough. After sealing with it i am never going back to oil based sealers.

Oil base sealers don;t last. With the west epoxy you do it once and it is done for good.

Measurments have to be exact with E-tex, use Flex Coat syringes to get exact measures and make sure to mix thoroughly for the full 2min like they say. Also keep your temp above 70, cure time doubles for every 18 degree drop in temp! Dont try to weigh the parts either, the hardener is more dense than the resin and will give you a mix that is about 30% off.

Time your mix to your watch. You will be surprised how little you mixed it when you time it.

It may sound a little excessive, but I have a kitchen timer I use, knight is right on the money!!:uhuh:

If you don't want to or can't heat your whole shop, try getting a heat lamp and reflector from a hardware store and place it in front of your curing station. Those things work really well in heating a small space, but don't put it too close to the plug as it will burn the epoxy (I found out the hard way). This does cut down on the cure time, though I have cured several batches in a 50 degree basement (it just takes longer).

It does sound like yours was a bad mix or out of proportion. One of the sponsors here sells graduated mixing cups. Easy to use and disposable and not much$. Another alternative is to use 30 minute epoxy in the dual syringe container. It distributes even amounts of resin and hardener so you don't have to worry about proportions, and it cures faster.

If you don't mix Envirotex Lite correctly it will never harden. I turned some nice Mackeral painted Polaris style poppers and envirotexed them 3 years ago and they still are soft! If you top coat the unhardened finish you are just putting a hard top coat over a soft finish and the base coat still will not harden and the finish will not be durable. Sometimes the hardened topcoat will peel off. I have experienced that as well. In spite of these issues I continued with Envirotex figuring the issue was technique. It ws inexpensive and readily available. And other plugmakers were having great success with it.

I have been using graduated mixing cups for a long time and was still mixing wrong proportions untill I measured the two parts in separate mixing cups side by side.This way you can be sure that you have exactly the same amount of resin and hardener. Mix them together and stir for 2 minutes. It can be cold and the Envirotex will still eventually harden (my shop gets down in the 40s but the finish hardened after 36 hours). Exact proportion is very critical with Envirotex (and other finishes such as Flexcoat as well). All finishes need careful mixing. If you are exact in your proportions and mix thoroughly you should find all your Envirotex curing issues resolved. I did. It's been almost 2 years since I've mixed a batch that didn't cure completely.

Does anyone know the conversion ratio used to mix Envirotex lite by weight?

Nope but if you have the capability to weigh it, just weigh the full bottles and you should be able to figure it. The container weight might skew it a little.