jb86

My Feedback: (8)

ive always used NHP epoxy - 30, 12, 5 min. i like the consistency and seems more flexible than others.
doesnt seem to be available anymore. i heard its the same as bob smith.
ive got 2 sets of 30 min on hand thats 3 years old, never opened. the hardener looks a little yellowed.
byut i mixed it up and seems to hold well.
does epoxy go bad?
also. i have 2 sets of z poxy - 30 and 5. the 30 minute was never opened - 3 years old. the resin is hard as a rock.
should i buy new epoxy, or still use the 3 year old NHP?
jon

flyinwalenda

My Feedback: (5)

It spoils....eventually. I believe as it gets older it tends to set-up quicker than when it was fresh. Of course once you open them the air plays a big part in speeding up the spoiling.
I have some industrial 5min that I bought at a show several years ago and the expiration date was one year before  I bought them. I keep them in the fridge and they still  mix and hold well . Only a few tubes left so I don't think I'll be throwing any away.

Rodney

I have had some of the old "Hobby Poxy" (still have some) that is 20 years old and still mixes and performs as if new. I have had other brands that were over 5 years old before being used up and they did not deteriorate. If they are a good brand and you keep the unused parts well sealed, there should be no problem in using old epoxy. Perhaps one of the manufacturers will comment here with their recommendations.

eddieC

My Feedback: (2)

If it's hardened, put it in a pan of hot water (but don't cook it!). Will soften up an should still work.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I can't recall ever having any epoxy harden up. I have had CA harden but only once and once I had it start to you a bit yellow. I do keep CA in my freezer and it will stay for years but I have never tried to store epoxy in the freezer so I haven't a clue if that works or not. I have heard of people warming up the epoxy as Eddie mentioned to soften it up when it starts to gel a bit.
I store my CA and Epoxy in front of a window too and that should have effected it but other then a bit of CA starting to go yellow on me I haven't had a problem. When the CA started to go yellow a little I did notice the cure time became longer.

JPMacG

My Feedback: (2)

I've had it form crystals - sort of like a jar of honey will form sugar crystals. If you heat it in the microwave or a pan of hot water the crystals will go away. Other than that, epoxy seems to last a very long time.

You need to be careful to never cross contaminate the hardner and resin. If you accidentally swap the little caps the epoxy will go bad after a few months. It only takes a very little amount to mess things up.

bikerbc

I have had just the one bottle turn to crystals and as has been posted if you heat it in hot water ( takes about 15 mins ) it will liquify and be okay but if you mix up the caps it can set the bottle off and ruin it..It can not be recovered from that state...

Charlee Smith

The Z-Poxy should not have gone bad. It has a good shelf life, along with BSI and Devcon, which is over five years. Epoxy can absorb moisture over time, so that is what you want to isolate it from. It is not necessary to refrigerate or freeze epoxy. We don't recommend it. Heating the epoxy can eliminate any water that it has accumulated. Putting it in hot water will work, but we feel 15 seconds in a microwave with the tops off is a better method. I have used epoxy that is over ten years old with no problem.
CA bottles should not be stored in a window. Direct sunshine will cause the CA to get warm, which will greatly reduce their shelf life.

Charlee Smith
Bob Smith Industries

bikerbc

Thanks Charlee I wondered about storing epoxy in the refrigerator...I use more Newton SupplyCo. 's Epo-Grip Epoxy because it is so easy to work with and it works so good....Once I started using this stuff I dont want to use anything else...

WhiteRook

My Feedback: (38)

its heat sensitive , a refrig will ruin it .