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Use a plastic applicator or a putty knife. If you use a brush, you'll make a career applying goo to the staves. A really fast, but wasteful method is a foam roller. This is how I usually do it unless the staves are very small. I usually try to have a piece of plywood handy that also happens to need a coat so I can get the most out of the roller.

Mix by hand for clear coating stuff or bubbles can be an issue.

Using a brush for the unthickened epoxy for priming is not the problem. I think I will need to move the goo out of the cup to be able to use a wider knife to be more efficient.

I have been wondering if it would be possible to put the goo into something where it could be pressed out like the glue cartridges. A nice bar of epoxy in the groove would be so much nicer  ;D

Timo,

Try putting the thickened epoxy in a zip lock baggie and snipping off a small piece of the corner of the bag.  Then use it like a pastry chef does to apply icing on a cake.  For even thicker batches of epoxy you can buy the actual tips they use on the pastry bags for a couple of dollars.  the corner of a cut off plastic bag tends to stretch with thicker applications of epoxy giving you a larger bead of epoxy than desired.  Large syringes work well also.

Use a very slow hardener as well,  as the epoxy kept in a bag like that will tend to kick off quite quickly, but you'll know that by how warm your hands are getting holding the piping bag.

Ken

I never leave epoxy in a mixing cup, it's just for mixing. Once mixed the best thing you can do it pour it into a very shallow pan so it can spread out, which reduces it' s endothermic abilities. This allows the epoxy to stay workable longer.

The pastry bag technique is fine for thickened epoxy (it's not a technique I use), but worthless for neat epoxy or slightly thickened mixtures.

Rollers, applicators, squeegees and putty knives are the best methods of applying goo quickly, but more importantly, evenly and accurately. The first time you hit a surface with a plastic applicator, squeegee or putty knife and move epoxy around fast and in even coats, you'll never want to use anything else. A roller can be handy and sometimes a brush is all that you can use in tight locations, but the 'broad blade" is the preferred way to go.

When you put epoxy into a container, like a pastry bag or cup, it will build up heat very quickly, which forces the goo to kick off prematurely. It's best if it's spread out in a very thin sheet, where there's plenty of surface area to dissipate heat build up.

I use small paper cereal bowls for much of my epoxy work.  The current batch of bowls have Dora the Explorer in the bottom.  I got the the idea to use them when buying my kid some bowls for school.  They come in floral patterns if cartoon characters seem to Mickey Mouse.  The bowls are about 6" in diameter and allow the use of a small or medium small putty knife.  I mix the epoxy in the bowls and then either cup the bowl in my hand as I walk around applying it or hold the bowl by an edge.  When finished I toss the bowl.

If the area to glass is large I use a tupperware type plastic bowl or pan.  That allows the use of 3" and 6" rollers or a bit larger edge type spreader.  I try not to have an excess of epoxy but if I do I scrape it out then after the remaining flim cures I twist the pan a bit and the cured epoxy left in it pops out.  I also have a 16' square piece of 1/4" ply with a finger/thumb hole on one corner.  I use it when fairing because it lets me use a 12" blade sheet rock applicator.

I usually reuse the blade type applicators.  I scrape off as much excess epoxy as I can then wipe them down with a paper towel soaked in vinegar.

(06-06-2010, 03:00 PM)Paul Riccelli PE,NA link Wrote: [ -> ]... but worthless for neat epoxy ...

Greetings Paul,

I've never heard straight-up epoxy referenced as neat.

It sounds like you just ordered a Martini.


Cheers,
Tom

Only a true purveyor of fine epoxy would use these terms Tom. I like mine straight up, no ice.

Continued messing with the goo tonight. Not exactly a success but I managed to glue the two halves of the bowsprit together. I had severe problems estimating the amount of goo needed, had to make two extra batches. Maybe I should stop worrying about the leftovers and start being more generous originally 

Anyway, the bowsprit is now curing and I am glad I am back to speed again after having the project stalled for a while 

Estimating the amount of epoxy you need is difficult and only comes with experience. As you'd imagine, estimating on the too little side is more economical then the other way. Unfortunately, you need the working time to error on the too little side.

Timo,  No photos since the 7th!  We are beginning to twitch out here.....   8) 8) 8)