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Main Boards => The Bowyer's Bench => Topic started by: oldfartfarmer on September 25, 2019, 12:18:54 PM
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What are all you using to dip into
or
pour into from the Cans of EA-40 to the cat food container to mix in ?
or how are you guys mixing up small amounts?
thanks
John
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Hah! Bingham and their cat food and tuna can! :)
It's not an ideal mixing vessel. Better to use something flat that allows thorough mixing. Those cans make it difficult to get a good mix. I think Bingham suggests it as a way to control quantity.
I use a glossy paper plate but there are probably better solutions.
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plastic spoons, one for A and one for B
I mix on a piece of plywood.
You have time to mix more if you need it.
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I use a paper cup and a flat end mixing stick to scrape the bottom and sides and I weigh it out... Always 5-7 grams more of part A for gluing up a bow..
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I use a paper cup and a flat end mixing stick to scrape the bottom and sides and I weigh it out... Always 5-7 grams more of part A for gluing up a bow..
5-7 grams more part A for how much B.... :knothead:........... :bigsmyl:
Some people do more on part A, but 50/50 by volume is good too
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I use the red neck micro red Dixie cups there shot glasses I mix 50/50 & I use a disposable plastic container ,I mix it real good for longer then is necessary using a wood shim & a putty knife to spread the lams !
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50/50 by volume in a plastic cup with plastic spoon
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I'm in the 50/50 crowd, measured in bathroom cups (easily obtainable lol) and a plastic container.
You can spread it with anything. I lay the lams on butcher paper on edge of bench and use big tongue depressors to spread glue. Shop made of course...:)
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I use that butcher paper to I get a big roll & cut it down to aprox 1' x 72" and lay them on top of each other that way when one gets to much EA-40 on it peal it away to the next sheet it keeps every thing less messy !
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Ive been saving snapple ice teat tops for years, and we had 7 cats, so i saved the cans, got piles of them
I use then for my truoil when I finish my stocks,
mostly wondering how you guys are pulling it out of the cans, to mix,
likeing the plastic spoon idea,
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mostly wondering how you guys are pulling it out of the cans, to mix,
Yup, good ole cheap throw away plastic spoons, a different spoon for each can.
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3 oz. bathroom paper cups to measure. Stick one inside the other and cut equal length for 50-50 or cut one shorter for different mix. Styrofoam bowls for mixing in. Thin scraps of Aboo to get glue out and mix and spread with.
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I use a paper cup and a flat end mixing stick to scrape the bottom and sides and I weigh it out... Always 5-7 grams more of part A for gluing up a bow..
5-7 grams more part A for how much B.... :knothead:........... :bigsmyl:
Some people do more on part A, but 50/50 by volume is good too
I said for gluing up a bow... which is about 110 to 120 grams total... So another wards always add a little extra 'A' than half... Better to err on the positive side than on the negative side...
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Stic... That sounds like a pain in the arse... Just weigh the chit in one cup... :thumbsup:
I need to have a talk with Mr. Smooth-On... He needs to put the stuff into caulking tubes...
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Weigh it, you will never have to wonder if you got the ratio correct or not. Makes it easy to mix a few grams for risers or overlays, etc.
I'm with Shredd, weight it in one cup. Less waste, less time fussing around.
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Yinzs glue sniffers anyway:)
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Well I have cut a lot of cups and I kinda know where to cut for a particular limb or bow besides that it dont have to be perfect.
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Thats why I like the redneck dixie shot glasses I can judge how much I need with a 3 to 6 lam glue up ! Some guys warm there glue up but I have always done mine at room temp !
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Dang. Some of you guys get way to technical on your glue mixing for me. Smooth on can be mixed anywhere from 50/50 to 2A/1B.
So I just measure out roughly 50/50 in small containers then add just enough to the A side to see a visible difference. Combine in a plastic cup and mix the crap out of it.
And I use plastic knives (one for each side, and one to mix)to get it outa the cans and to mix it. The ones at Wendy’s are stout enough and priced right :goldtooth:
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I agree... Weighing it out may be way too technical for you guys... :laughing:
Sometimes getting something across is like :deadhorse:
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I use the bvas method.
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You must eat out a lot at Wendys?:)
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For you guys using butcher paper I am betting Masking paper from Menards is cheaper. 3 foot roll and saw it in half.
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for you guys who sniff it,
what's it smell like--or do you remember?
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OK, I'll be the first to admit I like the smell of epoxy. It's has a nutty aroma. I also like the smell of polymer modified thinset.
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the hardener has a smell. Not like any nuts I know of. I was thinking ammonia smell to me.
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Just gonna behave here:)
:laughing:
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You must eat out a lot at Wendys?:)
More than I care to admit. But it beats the hell outa McDonald’s and gas station food.
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When cooking it smells like corn chips . If you weigh out equal a and b you will have to much part b and have no heat resistance . Part b weighs less than a . I measure mine out in 8 oz solo cups and mix with hobby sticks .
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When cooking it smells like corn chips .
Exactly! I have always thought of corn nuts
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Ya betcha have...
:wavey:
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When cooking it smells like corn chips . If you weigh out equal a and b you will have to much part b and have no heat resistance . Part b weighs less than a . I measure mine out in 8 oz solo cups and mix with hobby sticks .
Yup my understanding is that each part has a different density. I never found out the right ratio to mix by weight but I know it’s not 50/50.
At some point my wife bought some little condiment cups. They came in something like a 1000 pack for a few bucks. But one full one of each part and a little extra part a for good measure bvas style is enough for a longbow with lots of layers.
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https://www.smooth-on.com/tb/files/EA40.pdf
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I stand corrected...
:knothead:
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Flem it also says.
Mix ratio is 1:1 by volume. When mixed by 2A:1B by volume, EA-40® will achieve
greater heat resistance and improved physical properties
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Flem it also says.
Mix ratio is 1:1 by volume. When mixed by 2A:1B by volume, EA-40® will achieve
greater heat resistance and improved physical properties
You are right there, Mark. Unfortunately they don't give the respective performance data for the different mix ratios. Would be nice to know if one ratio is more applicable for bow making than the other. I'm not willing or compelled to cook my bows at 250deg for a 217deg heat distortion temp.
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I am surprised that no one has done a strength or adhesion test at different curing temps and torture tests at different temps... I would or may do it but I always have my hands full with experiments already... I would bet curing at 100-120 degrees and curing at 180 -250 degrees is not gonna be a big difference in adhesion qualities... I remember doing a quick test on EA40 when I first started making bows... I don't remember at what temp I cured the stuff but I remember pulling lams apart and the wood was ripping... It was probably at room temp because I don't think I had an oven yet... If the wood is giving before the epoxy bond is, it's good enough for me...
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I've done strength & adhesion tests at different curing temps and torture tests at different temps, Shreddy....
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I've done strength & adhesion tests at different curing temps and torture tests at different temps, Shreddy....
Cool... What were the results??? Or did you post it on here?? In which case what is the title of the thread... Thanks...
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Didn't see a darn bit of difference between lower and higher curing temps.
Glue joints all held intact and the wood separated.
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Knew it... Thanks Buddy...
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You guys are over thinking things...
Ea40 is probably the most forgiving epoxy out there it’s really hard to screw it up. I know bowyers that do everything from 50/50 by weight , 50/50 by volume, 2-1 by volume, and 2-1 by weight and just about everything in between. And every one of them are successful bowyers with astounding reputations!
I personally do 2-1by weight and have never had a glue de-lamination. I do 2-1 just for a higher HDT..
the biggest mistake people make IMO is not mixing properly or using old glue. I designed a tool that I chuck in a drill to mix with. I then place it in a container of acetone until the next glue up. I also transfer to a clean cup after mixing to ensure I don’t have any unmixed glue somewhere. Just in case!!
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I put a lot of effort into over thinking things. Not interested in complacency.
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For a flat laid longbow style I have always used 72 grams of part A to 58 grams of part B.For curves with less laminations I reduce amount by percentage of total surface area to be covered as in less laminations. Mix with popcicle sticks in well cleaned table spread container. Wipe lams with pure alcohol prior, and keep them in hotbox until close to glue up time.Humidity is nearly always a problem here.
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I've been accused of a lot of things..
But over thinking was never one of em:)
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lol Roy