I find that I mix small amounts of epoxy during my kit building.So to save money and the need to look for some place to mix the stuff I use index cards.The 3x5 cards that are used for receipes and such.I mix the amount of epoxy right on a card and dispose of it when done.The come in packs of 3-5 hundred,should last quite awhile for most and cost under a dollar.[&:]

I use the plastic tops from quart size sherbet containers. You can make several small batches on each side. Once it's cured if you bend the top a bit, the epoxy peels right off. You can also use both sides.

I buy 1&2oz condiment cups, and craft sticks by the bag & box. I also use single tube coffee stirrers for aileron torque tubes and for wire pushrod tubes...

I use the paper bowls you get at fast food restaurants for your ketchup and mix using sticks made from scrap balsa.
If I need to mix more than that (not very often) then the plastic lids on spray paint cans work. Once the leftover epoxy has cured you can squeeze the lid and the epoxy peels right out.

....I use the bottom of soda pop cans to mix epoxy most of the time.

FBD.

I use old note pads that have been used up for writing. POST-IT note pads work great too. Just tear it off and throw away when done.

Rod

The index cards will also teach you something.

Mix some 5-minute on the top card of the stack. When it's cured, peel it off. Didn't penetrate enough to stick did it.

Now mix some 15-minute. Won't peel off will it.

Now mix some 30-minute. Sticks the top card to the next one.

BTW, a box of toothpicks sits next to the stack of cards. They work for over half the epoxy jobs.
Also, a stack of 2-ounce "drug" cups from the Drug Store costs a couple of dollars. They're marked like measuring cups. Great for doing Epoxy Surfacing Resin mixes. The last sleeve of them I bought a couple of years ago still has a few left in it.

I use an old 3"x3"ceramic tile (dont know what you call them in the States) for mixing epoxy Good hard surface for mixing on and then you just wipe it clean after use Last forever

I use the insert cards that are in all magazines. These inserts ar printed on a heavy weight paper (70#/ream if memory serves me right ). They also work well for small templates. No cost , and you will never run out as each magazine you buy will supply you with several. Joe

Hey, how about my system. I use an unwanted, glossy type of magazine.
I mix right on to the page. I get several mixes per page. When one page is used up I just tear it off and go to the next.
Works great for me.
bear57

This is what I do as well. However, I don't worry about it being a "glossy" type. I use an old TV Guide which is mostly newsprint. Doesn't seem to make any difference. Get a few and you will probably be set for life.

Mike

Try using Waxed Paper. Its cheap for a roll at the grocery store, and one roll will probably last a lifetime. You can choose the size you want for the amount you're mixing, it stays flat so it doesn't heat up, and you can also use it to smooth over microballoon and epoxy fillers.

Brad

I have accumulated 1000's of business cards throughout my career. The companies I worked for would always provide a 1000 at a clip and I never used them all, so I just took them with me when I moved on and now they come in handy when mixing small amounts of epoxy. Also, they are thick enough not to worry about "soak through". For larger volumes, I use the plastic mixing cups.

Steve

It is amazing what modelers will use to acomplish a task. We are indeed a innovative group of people.....LOL....Nothing goes to waste!

Rod

A true Scotsman

My system beats the lot!

I use the lids of 4 litre ice cream containers. To ensure a good supply I have to eat the ice cream. It's tough, but it has to be done!


Terry

Same goes for all the popsicles I have to eat to keep an adequate supply for mixing!

Mike

....I use old business cards. At work we have some staff turnover as well as the odd promotion, which means all the unused business cards become obsolete. At the moment I have 4000+ available for epoxy mixing.

Another method I use is a plastic card that a tool came strapped to. I don't know what type of plastic it is but once the epoxy has dried I can easily flex the plastic card and the epoxy breaks off cleanly.

I use the artist's pallettes that have disposable waxed sheets on them. The ones I use are about the size of an 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper. You can mix epoxy many, many times on one sheet. When that sheet has no more room, tear it off and start using a new sheet. Each pallette lasts a very long time.

I use the plastic lids of ice cream containers. Cured epoxy just peels off. I stir them with those wooden sticks you get for stirring coffee in supermarkets (Tesco), and coffe shops. I must have a ccumulated well over 100 of them by now.

400th Post! Hooray!

How about the plastic cups that contain snack food like Apple Sauce and Snack Pack Pudding. I have one at lunch almost every day. The empties get washed out and stacked on my work bench for mixing epoxy and paint. Probably have 200 of them (and my waist line is starting to show it). West Systems epoxy is pretty "runny" but in these cups it's not a problem.

We call them 3 x 3 ceramic tiles!

[]Thanks for that Bill.Although we all speak English I never realised till i started reading this forum that there is a lot of things we have different names for i.e. Gas (petrol) Diepers (Nappies) Get the drift
All the best
Styk

I used to subscribe to a professional magazine that send out packages of return post cards for information requests. I still use those for small batches.