Epoxy Question

shappa

shappa

Joined
Oct 15, 1998
Messages
3,556
What is the use life of epoxy that has been opened? Is there a shelf life of unopened epoxy?
I don't want to buy a large amount of epoxy only to have it fail down the road.
Thanks

------------------
~~TOM~~
 
As noted, if this is a two part epoxy, there should be no problem. I use Conap two part epoxy. If I take too long to empty the tubes (up to a year??) they start to crystallize. However, Conap leaves instructions to heat the tube (in water) to redissolve the crystals.

Dan
Hannon Bearpaw Knives http://www.freeweb.pdq.net/dhannon/hannon.htm
 
More to the point, what is the life of epoxy after it's inside your knife? I guess when the epoxy lets go some day, you just throw the knife away, right?
 
Nikk- NO!!!! Or at least throw them knives in my garbage! Grinding knives is tough, but grinding handles isn't that bad. When the handles break or pop off, you can easily make new ones. I have heard of handle scales popping off handles when 5 minute epoxy was used. That said though, there are many knives out there that have 5 minute epoxy holding them together and they are old. Plus, there are tricks you can do, like peening handle pins, drilling little divot holes in the handle and the handle side of the handle material to form little glue plugs, etc. Or to be sure, you can buy a tougher epoxy. Brownell's Acraglas is top notch (so I hear) and I have others praise something called shafting epoxy. Whatever it is called, it is an epoxy used by golf club makers/fixer-uppers to glue shafts to heads. I'm sure that stuff will hold up!

------------------
"Come What May..."
 
Hello Folks,

There are several kinds of epoxy out there.
Theoretical, they are two different chemicals which make and excellent non-oxidizing glue when mixed. But in real life, no-one can mix them right till up a molecular level. So both compounts are (very bad) glues in itself. The better your epoxy, the slower both compount get harder when not mixed. The biggest advantage of epoxy is that it does not need oxidgen to get hard. And that it does not react on temprature nor chemicals when it is hard. In reality, oxidgen speeds up the hardening proces, as you are not dealing with pure epoxy. Also theoretical, the two chemicals that are mixed need a hardening out time of about 4 days. Most epoxies are a lot faster.

That is what a fellow student who does chemistry said when I asked him.

I use ARAL-DITE, takes about 3 hours to get hard, and I haven't seen one handle come of yet. Mix 'm in the right proportions, mix 'm as good as it gets and you will be O.K.
 
Nick, As Crayola noted, the epoxies used on knives are pretty good stuff. I use the Conap epoxy. Happens to be the same epoxy for cutom golf clubs. Just think of the stress on the club to shaft fit each time the ball is hit. There are no pins or other mechanical means to the joint. I've seen a club or two come apart, but have to say it's probalby a poor assembly job, not the epoxy.

As for temperature sesitivity, it will take roughly 430 F to crack the hardened epoxy. Then it turns to dust. Hope you won't be using the blades up to the 400's???

Dan
Hannon Bearpaw Knives http://www.freeweb.pdq.net/dhannon/hannon.htm
 
Ask the manufacturer what the expiration date is for the epoxy. The stuff that they use to glue airliners together is always date coded. To extend the shelf life of the epoxy, keep it sealed in a tightly fitting container (like a plastic bag with the air squeezed out) and refrigerate it. The reason for the tightly fitting container is to avoid condesation when you bring it out of the cooler. Bring to room temperature before using. Typically the slower curing epoxys last longer.
 
Crayola-
That's my point exactly. Why use glue? I rivet the handles on my knives and they will never fall off.
 
This is only my opinion but I use epoxy regardless even if I use bolts or rivets simply to keep moisture out between the scales and the tang. Rust or corrosion WILL occur if left unsealed.

C Wilkins
 
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