i tried the suggestion i got a while ago to mix baby talk into my epoxy and it seemed to work pretty well. i did not mix it up for the boat but after i got done fixing a door jam in my house with it, i had so much left over i went out in the back yard and played "fill the screw holes" untill i ran out.
for what i was doing i wanted it thick and did not figure it needed to be particularly strong as epoxy goes so i mixed it to an almost bread dough consistancy. it was just wet enough that i had to use tape on the door jam to keep it from moving. i was working on a vertical serface. it looks it is probably harder than the back of my head now.
if i am gluing a high stress area, i wonder if i should refrain from using so much talk? i forget if glass beads are stronger. or micro baloons. easy sanding is what i am after as i hate, hate sanding wood flower/epoxy. 8)
Baby "talk" should be avoided, as the little buggers get pissy about the goo in their mouths and the wife might frown on future episodes with your innovative concoction.
Baby talc on the other hand can be useful. It's a thickening agent and typically is used with other reinforcements, like silica, milled fibers, etc. to help make a smooth, creamy mixture.
It shouldn't be used under the LWL as it can absorb moisture. If sealed over with "neat" epoxy, then painted, it should be fine on your door jam and screw holes.
As a general rule, the harder the cured mixture is to sand, the better it will be as a structural adhesive/filler. Yep, this sucks, especially come time to sand it, which is why most learn to generate really clean and neat fillets or other surfacing applications with the denser reinforcements. You can get to a point where your fillets or divot repairs require a light toothing before finishing, which can save much elbow grease and cursing.
So, microballons, QCells, etc. are specifically for fairing only and shouldn't be relied on to support things. They have very low density, which makes them easy to sand, but have little strength. The dense stuff like wood flour, silica, milled fibers, etc. are the structural reinforcements and naturally are much harder to sand when cured.
Catching the structural repairs, before the goo has fully cured is another option. A "cheese grater" can knock down these thing pretty easily when the epoxy is still "green", but are a real pain in the butt when fully hardened. Scrapers are another tool that's very handy for the hard stuff. Running a gloved finger over the fillet or repair at the right time, maybe with a little solvent to keep it from sticking can also help smooth out these harder fillers.
Ahhh, I like a little ga ga when I'm mixing my goo goo.
 ;D
Having personally tried mixing epoxy with my mouth, I can honestly say I found it faster and more efficient. I didn't have to scrape the sides of the pot and the molar action is much quicker then a mixing stick. The taste wasn't much of an issue, though I did have difficulty with the texture, which not surprisingly enough, was much like baby food. Could this be the likely reason Aaron is using his baby to do the deed for him?
my aperint inibilite to spel and comunikate proper hass mad me a lafing stok eh?
It's ok Aaron, it seems to be going around.
I'd strongly caution against using any kind of jam on a boat as the insect problem would be difficult to tackle. Especially on door jambs...
Aaron -
I have never had a problem understanding a thing you've written - Who knows why these peeps are makin' fun of ya. The way I figure it - If I know what you're talking about, it doesn't matter that much if you can spell or not. English is a problematic language for a number of reasons.
What these guys don't know is that you are rather well spoken. This is something that doesn't come through when you post on the board. I can verify that Aaron has a complex vocabulary and is a delightful conversationalist. So - he can't spell...but it doesn't really get in the way of understanding what he is trying to say.Â
Just for fun I am posting this link
http://www.say-it-in-english.com/SpellHome.html
I like Aaron's spelling versions - and as long as I get his meaning - spelling doesn't matter.
a.
J/K Aaron, but in all seriousness (hehe) I would suggest incorporating some peanut butter into the matrix for easier sanding as long as it's not too warm in your shop.
Ok, I'm done...Personally, I was pointing out that you're not the only one...
BTW, talc is also great if you're using carpenter's chalk to tint epoxy - it lightens it up but makes the color 'denser' at the same time if that makes sense (more opaque I guess ?).
that's a great idea brian! i think i will find something to try it on. i have wanted to color epoxy for a while but have not gotten around to it.
i was raised in a multi lingual family and i am told that i spell spanish much better than english. i could never figure out the german language though.
thanx for the defense a. yur makn mee bluch ;D
Well yer 1 up on Me Aaron I cant spell nuttin Korektly I wuz hooked on fonix wen i wuz a kid.
And i definetly did not mean any harm to you Aaron at all matey i just saw a good one liner and had to use it or i was gonna bust.
But honestly i am just a plain old unedjukated slob so i ainta pointin' no fingahs,
I mean honestly look at my very first posts i ever made they are horrid.
Brian.