OUCH !!!! What happend

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Feb 2, 2013
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I was glueing up a handle and the epoxy ( devcon 2 ton ). By the time i had gotten one side done the glue was so hot it burned my finger and was setting up in the little plastic cup. I couldnt even do the second half. It was probably 100° in my shed but ive never had it happen before.
 
It was a double syringe and they were equal, dont think it was out of date only one place on the island has it and i buy it regularly and used some 10-12 days ago and everything was fine. Wondering if it being hot out did it, it has me baffled
 
Thats called curing. It gets hotter the more you have. Had you never used the little cup before?
 
5 minute or 1 minute epoxy generates heat when it cures, and it cures faster in warm environments. I'm betting it was the combo of the fast cure epoxy and the 100 degree temperature.
 
Yup use the lil plastic cups all the time, but i did use about a third of it, and thats more than i usually use. It was the regular 2 ton epoxy not the fast drying. But the combo of the amount and heat probably did it thanks guys.
 
Yes, and the larger amount in the small cup will cause it to "kick" even faster. Epoxy does that - as it gets hot, it cures faster causing even more heat. Winds up being a run-away reaction.

Ken H>
 
One word of advice. Don't get it on your fingers. Epoxy allergies can be severe. You can become sensitive over time. Use in a well ventilated area and use gloves.
 
In working with cured resins, you have a mix cup and a work pot. You mix the two parts in any standard cup, and then pour it out into a wider container so it is shallow. This slows down the heat build up and thus delays the setting. If left in a deeper cup, it will get quite hot and set up too fast. If working a very small batch it is fine to use one cup, because it is not deep enough to matter.

The main problem in your case is using fast set resins.
The slower....the stronger. One hour resins are the fastest you should use on gluing up a knife handle. 24 hour resins are by far the best. An additional bonus is that the slower set resins have much longer shelf life. The fast set "syringe" resins are often out of date when you buy them. They are great for gluing a chair leg back together, but terrible for gluing up a knife handle ( actually, they are poor at the chair task, too.)

It is hard to beat the tried and true standards:
West System - G-flex
System Three T-88
Acraglass
K&G twenty-four hour knifemakers epoxy.
 
Advice taken and i always wear latex gloves. Thanks for all the info its a huge help.
 
That is called "sensitization". It is an allergic reaction. Different people have different thresholds. Some are allergic almost from birth while others can be exposed to it for years before developing a sensitivity. It is cumulative the best research shows. If you are exposed to it, you will become sensitized over time. There are two types of sensitivity. Inhalation and skin with inhalation being the most common. Best prevention is to wear proper PPE When dealing with the uncurred epoxies. Once cured, they are quite safe. Don't allow skin contact and wear an organic vapor respirator, especially once it is over 80 degrees F. Not just a dust mask but a real respirator.

How do I know, you ask? I make the stuff. Lol.
 
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