…with acetone ???!!!
i was just at my surf supplies guy’s place , and it came up in conversation
so…
has anyone here done this ?
if so, can people please share their EXPERIENCES [no opinions , please] of this ? [because i have a few more questions , depending on people’s input…]
cheers !
ben
Ben!
Howya goin' mate? Done dilution with acetone, seems to inhibit the cure a bit especially when the resin layer is thinner. Been quite successful adding styrene (most resin is about 1/3 styrene, but it evaporates out when allowed to sit) and also using heat, letting the resin pail get up around 100F (38C) for about an hour. Safe way to pre-heat resin is to immerse the resin pail (usually 1 gallon container) in hot water.
I think, but will have to check, that acetone will break the molecular bonds and may also weaken the cured resin...
Best Regards,
George
I don’t think it’s adviseable to add acetone to resin…after all it is a solvent used for cleaning purposes…Styrene is the usual ‘thiner’, some guys like to add it so the resin works easyer but my resin manufacture told me that adding styrene, unless the resin is thick from evaporated styrene or cold weather…ie winter…it weakens the resin…
Hey Ben, I can only back up what these guys have already said. Maybe if you want flexy fins then use some acetone!
If it's epoxy use Toluene, but it's toxic shit so be careful.
acetone is a bad idea in more ways than one …
under no circumstances get acetone on your bare skin… and remember that latex gloves will NOT protect you.
Acetone will leech chemicals straight into your bloodvessels opening you up to a world of trouble, potentially leading to sensitisation of things like latex, or in use with epoxy, the dreaded epoxy rashes…
Surgical nitrile or vynil may be more protective but still…
use styrene for thinning polyester its the better way… and then use a good vapour mask…
safety first…
Acetone goes through latex?
most manufacturers have a “permeation” guide for their products but afaik most latex gloves are rated to permeate within about 15 or 20 minutes with acetone.
when shopping for safety equipment contact the manufacturer or sales reps for their information.
Hi Ben,
In answer to your question re: acetone…,
I have only encountered one area in which I have used acetone to breakdown resin, and it was when I worked for a brief stint at Hobie Cats in Capistrano.in 70’s.
We used to thin out Gelcoat resin with acetone when repairing some damaged moulded hulls… so that it could be thin enough to be sprayed through a nozzle. Once the job was down, the acetone would evaporate back out of the resin leaving just the gelcoat finish to smoothen itself out. This is a completely different use than styrene…chris
Things that are a cleaner for something become our candidates for thinners and vice a versa.
Of course, most things wont make the grade. Paint thinner works both ways.
Clear thinking tip.
thanks for your feedback , guys !
cb- …great to hear from you again , thanks !!
yep, one application i thought of was , as you say Greg ,
laying up fin panels …to use the acetone to bleach out areas of colour , giving either a ‘rag-rolled’ finish , or maybe a batik / tie-dyed type effect ?
anyone here done this ?
cheers !
ben
Rubbing Alcohol…
There’s more than one way to skin a cat, but this wont damage your artwork and alcohol evaporates after the resin cures.
for info on gloves and permeation check this out: http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/units/labsfty/labrsc/lsglove.htm
I think the most important thing to get from this link is: There is no universal glove that protects you from all chemicals. To choose the correct glove go to a Glove Reference Chart.
The links at the bottom show a few versions of glove selection charts. Im sure you can get a similar charts from just about any glove manufacture.
hi nickyarnes
what is "rubbing alcohol" , exactly ?
is it the same as "mineral turps" , or "methylated spirits" , i wonder ?
cheers
ben
Ben,
Rubbing Alcohol = Isopropyl Alcohol
You can get it at the hardware store or the chemist's
George
thanks steve !
[ it’s ALWAYS good to hear from another wozzie ! }
cheers
ben
i’ll give the acetone or …er… maybe the “rubbing alcohol” [thanks , george …and …?nicky? !] a try for a rag-rolling type effect on some fin panels soon , all going well …
Polyester resin in all ( as far as i know)sold in drum or pail form (220kg/22kg) is normally broken down using stryene monomer at the ratio of approx; 40/60 % depending on product,brand etc;etc.This is to make the original unsable material usable.That is flowable.
Irrespective of all the pros and cons of the use of styrene monomer,it was(to my knowledge) developed for the control of the viscosity (flowiness,dud word) of polyester resins.I'm just a worker in the industry.Acetone was developed as a solvent to thin and breakdown the resin matrix.That is íts a cleaner.They are not the same.They should not be used (IMHO) for the same proce
yours in surfing
steve rice
Styrene is the proper thinner. Acetone CAN be used to thin, but leaves the resin brittle, and more prone to cracking. So, while it can be used to thin, it's not a good idea for glassing applications. Perhaps thinning pigmented resin for pinstripes, (old school) and then very little is needed. There are some SECRET techniques using acetone, but they must remain secret. Sneaky stuff, for special cosmetic repairs. Sometimes a practical answer trumps the ideal. Absent the ideal, do what you have to, to get the job done.
hey Ben, do you mean polyester or epoxy?
i would love some tips for thinning epoxy!
hi wouter
only using polyester resin , yep …
(sorry , it took a few years to see this post eh ?! :)
xylene - epoxy