Epoxy Question

[WdyCoachmen 0]

Hello everyone,

I had a question or two about epoxy on poppers. I'm using the generic white Styrofoam popper heads and using sharpies to color on the Styrofoam, then living eyes and trying to seal them with epoxy. Well, everything has gone great right up to the epoxy. I got some 5 minute epoxy from my local tackle store. I applied it on after mixing it up. Meaning, I bought two clear syringe like containers joined together, push them both out to each parts, mix together and Shazam! But, that has not worked out. I mixed both solutions up then put in on my popper. Yeah, that did not work out too well. Later, after I applied the epoxy mix, I noticed the mixture was getting warmer and warmer. Did I apply the solutions too early?

 

Also, my wife suggested I try clear nail polish, did work either and I think I lost some man points going through the check out line with it.

So, I am looking for a specific epoxy solution that will work. Again, I am using white popper heads, sharpies for color and living eyes and trying to seal them up.

 

Thanks for you time and help on this for me,

Wdy

[mikechell 0]

You don't say WHY your epoxy didn't work. Did it not set up completely? Did it cause the paint to smear? Did it melt the Styrofoam?

Epoxy does get warm, even hot, as it cures, but that doesn't usually cause any problems.

Any type of sealant/paint has some solvent in it to keep it flowing. As the sealant or paint cures, the solvents evaporate. Many times, this will cause some bleeding of the paint colors.

Most of us use fingernail polish. I have bought many bottles of it, and I still have full possession of my "man card".

[tidewaterfly 0]

The chemical reaction of the two parts of epoxy to set & harden does produce some heat. 5 minute epoxy is not the best choice, as it's got limited working time & often yellows after awhile. I've been using Devcon 2 ton for many years & prefer the 30 minute or longer set times. I'll also thin it with a drop or two of ethyl alcohol (camp stove fuel). Since it's being used as a coating, the thinning doesn't appreciably affect the strength & makes it a bit easier to apply. I use cheap plastic bristle hobby brushes to apply it. It does need to be rotated until it sets however, or the epoxy will sag or drip.

 

What issues were you having with the epoxy?

 

You do have to be careful with some coatings such as nail polish on those foam bodies as the solvents aren't always compatible & may damage them. I've never had that problem with epoxy.

 

I don't need any damn card!

 

Besides, I'm too old to care!

[WdyCoachmen 0]

Well, the reason I say it failed is I followed a Youtube video and my creation was no where near what turned out in the video. The result with my epoxy is my fly had a tacky, slighty milky white film on it, and well just not clear finish on my popper that was in the video. The video used the same white body popper, and sharpie combo so, there is little difficulty in following that. I applied the epoxy about 2 weeks ago to the fly, and it is still tacky so......The nail polish on an another fly did cause a little color to run, which was small enough I could live with. That one is still drying so, I do not have a final verdict on that. I will get a couple pictures taken of the poppers and post them in this thread.

 

Thank you for your time on this helping me,

[phg 0]

If the epoxy is still tacky (long after the prescribed set time), you didn't get the mixture correct. Often, as the viscosity of the 2 tube is slightly different, it is necessary to warm the tubes before dispensing. I do this by letting the tubes soak in hot water for a few minutes before dispensing. Dry the tubes with a paper towel, and then measure carefully.

 

Also, a thorough mix is required. This is the second most common point of failure. I use a flat stirrer to turn the edges into the center, and work my way around the blob of material for about 30 seconds.

 

If, after you've done all that, if it still stays tacky, wipe the popper down with isopropol alcohol (or DNA) and then coat with clear nail polish.

[tidewaterfly 0]

As phg has said, you likely didn't get the two parts in equal portions or not completely mixed. The milky white appearance could be a different issue. In the past, It's been said that there may be a release agent used on the molds for the popper bodies that might be a problem. I've sometimes had paint that didn't seem to want to adhere to the bodies and wasn't quite sure why. I've added color sometimes with markers too & never had this issue, but that doesn't mean the release agent is not present. Could be the marker solvent is more compatible.

 

Next time, wipe the popper bodies well with alcohol first & let dry thoroughly before applying any color or epoxy, and of course be careful to mix the epoxy correctly. The point is to start with a clean popper body. I even started washing my hands good before making poppers just to be sure I wasn't transferring anything to the body surface.

 

It's also possible that milky white appearance could be from humidity or even sweat on your hands. Water of any amount can turn epoxy a milky white color. This may not be the case for your issue, but it's possible. I know when mixing alcohol into epoxy for thinning, sometimes it will turn that color, which is from the water in it, but upon setting dries clear. That's one reason I like the fuel grade ethyl alcohol for thinning, as it's water content is rather low. Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) will also thin epoxy, but often has a higher water content.

 

Also, as phg has said, nail polish over epoxy that doesn't dry hard is the best way to "fix" that issue, without re-coating with epoxy.

[rockworm 0]

One other possibility is that the epoxy is old. Old epoxy produces tacky and yellowish results.

[BattenkillBum 0]

Another reason to use UV. Brush on for this application is what I would go with.

[FlaFly 0]

I'm unclear what you mean by "generic Styrofoam bodies". I use the preformed bodies from Cabelas, but I don't think they're Styrofoam. If you really did use Styrofoam, it might have melted and coalesced with the epoxy. Styrofoam is very heat sensitive. Just touch a let match to a chunk and watch what happens.

I got liquid epoxy (two separate jars) from Michaels, and using a pipet, I can mix the two parts exactly. I've never had any problem with it (but my heads come already colored and with a glossy finish).

[tidewaterfly 0]

He's likely using something like the Wapsi Perfect Poppers, the hard foam version. Cabelas are the same thing, just with their name on them. Not sure what the material is, but it does have somewhat the appearance of styrofoam. It's much denser however.

 

I use the same bodies & epoxy doesn't affect them.

 

Don't use lacquer paints on those bodies however! I made that mistake once!

[Stevester 0]

FlaFly, I have spent a fair amount of time wandering around Michaels but have never seen the epoxy you refer to. Do you remember which dept. it was in? Also, what kind of pipettes are used to dispense something fairly viscous like epoxy?

 

Steve

[FlaFly 0]

It was in the beading department, however I'm not surprised if you don't find it. I've looked in several Michaels' stores for it and the clerks have no clue. On top of which Michaels' web site is not much use finding things. Here's a link but it isn't the same size containers I found, plus it says out of stock online. http://www.michaels.com/bead-landing-epoxy-resin-jewelry-ket-small/10225207.html#q=epoxy&start=11

 

Lots of luck. Maybe JoAnn has it.

[flytire 0]

I use lacquer on the wapsi perfect poppers with no problems at all

 

 

 

 

[Dave G. 0]

The ultimate answer ? UV resin, cure it with a UV light. it's clear, made for the job and water proof.

 

Most nail polish is lacquer based, works well on wood and thread, metal etc, some foams and some plastices but not all. Test before you go crazy with it.. but it will do a good job if you can apply it and not melt the foam. Enamel generally won't eat foam though.

 

5 minute epoxy in my experience tends to be less water proof than some other set times and yellows sooner.

 

Again UV resin.

[BuzFly 0]

I still go through many bottles do Devcon 30 minute epoxy every year I my tying. The problem is most likely you did not mix it well and or your mix ratio was way off. Old epoxy is only a problem if it crystallizes. I have used 5 year old epoxy with no problems. If you are using the epoxy out of the double syringe, cut the piece of plastic that joins the tubes so both sides move independently. It's the black oval that joins the tubes. Will make dispensing to easy and more consistent. Heat is normal like mentioned above. Also a very thin coat is all you need. I just us my bodkin or disposable makeup brushes.

 

Devcon works on all popper bodies that are available on the market today from hard body to soft foam to cork or balsa. There are also other coating like high gloss water based floor finish that work.

 

Light Cured Acrylics are not a good choice for poppers as I found out in my production environment. It costs about 10xs the amount of epoxy, is not as durable, does not give you a bright glossy glass like finish, does not give you a uniform coat like a slow rotated popper in a wheel does. It is slower to use because you have to make sure it is perfect before you zap it as opposed to get it close and let the wheel balance it out as it dries. For me epoxy is 2-3 time faster per head including the mixing time. The other problem Light Cured Acrylic has is that they can have problems with some markers or Copic. They smear some marker, some colors change colors and some colors will fade or disappear over time. Some are not compatable with certain brands. Some don't play will with Copic. It is a chemistry problem. Not all Light Cures Acrylices use the same chemistry nore do markers/paint.

 

Next time you mix your epoxy use equal amounts, mix is slowly and throughly and don't beat it like eggs. Apply it in a thin coat and let it dry on a wheel. I save the post it notes I mix my epoxy on. If you want to know if the epoxy is dry, just touch the post it note not your popper.