G Flex Epoxy

carbonsteel928

carbonsteel928

Joined
Feb 15, 2010
Messages
696
I'm picking up more epoxy and am wondering which would be best, multiple small bottles (8 oz) or one large set (32 oz)? How is the shelf life on it? I've used the smaller bottles but they don't last me long enough to really test their longevity. A larger bottle would probably be around the shop about 6 months or so. Any ideas? Thanks fellas.

Regards,
Mike
 
West System epoxies have a good shelf life.....several years without worry. If you are getting it from a supplier that has a good turn around, 6 months is nothing to worry about.
 
I keep my large bottles in the fridge and use them to refill small bottles that I keep on the shelf. As you know, they flow much better when warm.
 
I've had cans of West last for several years on the shelf. Sometimes the hardener will darken slightly, but it still works like a charm...

TedP
 
Very true Jason, but I keep my G-Flex in the fridge out in the shop. I keep the large bottles stored upside down in a solo cup so the epoxy is at the tip and I don't have to wait for it to flow down.

When gluing up scales with refrigerated epoxy it oozes out much slower when you're pressing everything together. If it's warm or room temp you end up with epoxy oozing out one side while you're wiping excess off of the other. When it's cold and thick you have more time to turn the knife over in your hand and catch the excess before it drops all over the workbench! :)
 
I have a question about the G-flex epoxy. I like to measure small batches of epoxy on a jeweler's scale. Does it mix 1:1 by weight, as well as volume? I read somewhere you should use 1.2:1, resin to hardener by weight, but I can't corroborate. Might be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I've had incorrectly measured epoxy not harden as well as it might. Thanks!
 
reskite said:
I have a question about the G-flex epoxy. I like to measure small batches of epoxy on a jeweler's scale. Does it mix 1:1 by weight, as well as volume? I read somewhere you should use 1.2:1, resin to hardener by weight, but I can't corroborate. Might be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but I've had incorrectly measured epoxy not harden as well as it might. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have always mixed 1:1 by volume with no issues.
As far as shelf life, I have had my current 32 oz bottle of gflex for a year with no issues.
 
I use mostly West System epoxy rather than G-Flex. West does provide both volume and weight mix ratios for the 105 epoxy (3:1 by volume and 3.5:1 by weight, for instance using the 207/209 hardener).

G-Flex has always been a 1:1 volume mixture as I understand it. I looked at their data sheets, but it doesn't say whether the G-Flex is weight or volume...

TedP
 
When G/flex dries it is amber in color.

Mixing G/flex:
By Volume - 1:1
By Weight - 1.2 parts resin to 1.0 part hardener

We got this information directly from Ben Gougeon. We worked extensively with Ben when we were destructive testing G/flex.
 
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The hardener will darken after a while, but the shelf life on West is supposed to be in the 10 year range.
phillipsted said:
I've had cans of West last for several years on the shelf. Sometimes the hardener will darken slightly, but it still works like a charm...

TedP
Click to expand...
 
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