Gluing mistake!
#1
Thread Starter

<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-size: 9pt">I was attaching the two halves of the wing using 30 minute epoxy to give me time to center the halves properly at leisure before the glue sets. I made the epoxy mix and applied it to the two surfaces and started to fine tune the centering when I started to feel that the glued joint was actually getting harder to handle very quickly. I knew something was wrong and adjusted the two halves as best as I could and held themtogether for several minutes .Well, it turned out that by mistake I have used 30 minute epoxy resin witha 5 minute epoxy hardener! The joint seems very solid but do you think it will deteriorate with timeor would it be any less strong than a joint glued with the proper mix?</span></div>
#2
Senior Member
My Feedback: (2)
i always wondered what would happen if you did that. maybe you could test your 30min-5min expoy mix on something else to see if it was solid. i wonder if the resin for 30 min is the same for 5 min. only the hardener is different? </p>
i used 5min epoxy to join wing half's before. they havnt failed me yet. </p>
i wouldnt rip the plane apart to reglue it with 30-30 if thats what your asking</p>
#3
ORIGINAL: jimmyjames213
i always wondered what would happen if you did that. maybe you could test your 30min-5min expoy mix on something else to see if it was solid. i wonder if the resin for 30 min is the same for 5 min. only the hardener is different?</p>
i always wondered what would happen if you did that. maybe you could test your 30min-5min expoy mix on something else to see if it was solid. i wonder if the resin for 30 min is the same for 5 min. only the hardener is different?</p>
#6
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From: Lake County,
CA
Riadh,
I always buy my epoxy from the hardware store.
I always get the type that comes in two syringe type tubes attached to each other.
This helps me get the same amount out of each tube.
It also prevents me from making the same mistake you made.
Hope this helps,
KW_Counter
I always buy my epoxy from the hardware store.
I always get the type that comes in two syringe type tubes attached to each other.
This helps me get the same amount out of each tube.
It also prevents me from making the same mistake you made.
Hope this helps,
KW_Counter
#8
Senior Member
I may be wrong...but.I think that the major difference between 5 and 30 minute epoxy IS the HARDENER. When I was fooling around with boats a lot, I remember some guy who built boats by using epoxy saying that the major cost was in the hardener.
The resin was far cheaper, ounce for ounce. ???? Don't know for sure.....Rich
The resin was far cheaper, ounce for ounce. ???? Don't know for sure.....Rich
#9
Rich is right. The resin is all the same. The speed the epoxy sets up is all in the speed of the hardner. There is no such thing as 5 min, or 30 min resin, it's all the same. If you use 5 min hardner with any other resin you will have 5 min epoxy, and it will be fine. I also build boats.
Lm

Lm
#10
Thread Starter

<span style="font-size: 9pt">That’s good news .Thank you all for your responses. The glued joint certainly feels very strong. I poked the hardened glue which slightly over flown from thejoint with the tip of a hobby knife and it is indeed very hard.However, I must admit that it looks a bit dull, not as shiny or glassy as that of the 30: 30 hardened mix</span>
#11

My Feedback: (8)
Yes, the only difference between 5/6, 15, 30 & 45 minute epoxy is the catalist hardener, this is why west system and MAS epoxy resins sell the resin and different rate hardeners, there is a difference between construction epoxy and finishing epoxy, but that is just the viscocity of the resin, other than that, the two use the same hardeners. A slow cure epoxy makes a stronger, harder epoxy joint, where as the faster setting epoxy is a weaker joint, but lets look at it this way, the force to break that 5 minute epoxy joint is far more than the wing panels can sustain, go ahead and fly, you'll be OK.
#13
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From: hingham, MA
if you are in the least bit worried about the joint you could always glass the joint. that is if you were absolutely paranoid then you could fire bb at it and the joint wouldn't break
#14
Thread Starter

<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">No, I am not worried anymore. I amnowsurethat the wing willstay in one piece, Cheers and thank you all </span></span>



, and they still held, in disbelief through hard snap rolls.
