epoxy question

[J.McDonald Knives]

i have some flex coat that is designed for fly tying and rod building and on lures. its about 7 years old if not a little older. i was wondering if it would work for applying scales.

 

[Alarion]

Uhm... Epoxy, if not mixed, sealed, kept in a cool, dark place, should last indefinitely.
I just wonder if it's not too flexible for such a use.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Epoxy and most resins, even if kept cold, have a definite shelf life.Even at very low temperatures they will slowly polymerize. I would discard any 7 year old stuff.
Stacy

 

[indian george]

I agree with Stacy. But your first few knives are going to be beaters anyway, so what the HELL. I would use it but, once you get to the point that they are keepers get some new glue. You could get some JB Weld which is cheap and works very well.

 

[Alarion]

Yes, but you easily spot that because the resin has gone solid. No way to use it. I had this two tubes of two components epoxy that was perhaps 10 years old and worked pretty well on the repairs of a model I did.
Anyway, sure, for the cost of Epoxy compared to the labor for a knife, go for fresh stuff. You'd feel pretty dumb to have a knife come apart because you tried to scavenge a few bucks of old epoxy.