Can anyone tell me the differences of epoxies? I want to coat a seed
to strengthen it. what characteristics do I look for? thx, brenda
There are lots of epoxy resins with differing overall
charcteristics. For your purpose I wouldconsider the uncured
viscosity to be the property that is to the forefront. You can thin
down epoxy resins with acetone. they take a long time to cure then
but you will then get some capillary penetration into your seed and a
thin coating on the exterior. About equal parts acetone to resin is a
good starting point. Many of the low viscosity epoxies are expensive
so this allows you to buy an easily available product like “Devcon 2
Ton” and then use it for other things. Mix in a small foil cake cup
and dip the seed into the mix for a few minutes and then leave on a
piece of baking fouil to cure.
Nick Royall
Clear. 330 works pretty good for me.
Dave Leininger
For epoxies, I find I get the best results with quick setting Devcon
2 part epoxy. Stays clear, does not yellow, sets up quickly after 5
minutes and overall, the best epoxy I’ve found. Loctite yellows quite
quickly and unless you mix exact parts, does not always set up right
or hardens. I refuse to work with Loctite, and recommend Devcon. I do
a lot ofepoxying for I join plastic to metal for flatware, and
reinforce delicate cabs with epoxy. If I have a bezel setting with a
stone I am uncertain about it, I will use epoxy in the bezel setting,
set the stone and burnish. The epoxy provides support for the stone.
If I have delicate gems or they are too thin or prone to cracking, I
will put epoxy on the back for reinforcement. I find it helps to keep
the gems from breaking.
Joy
Hxtal NYL-1 is the only epoxy that will not yellow over time that I
am awareof. Apparently, the iron molecules in epoxies causes the
yellowing over time, and the company that makes Hxtal takes
considerable pains so that the number of iron atoms are minimal.
There are a couple of independent studies that you can find to
support this, if you search it on the web.
Having said that, Hxtal dries slowly, and is quite expensive. I find
myself using Devcon or other low-cost epoxies as well for some of my
jobs, particularly if the epoxy is not visible or will not become
visible. But I am aware that they will yellow over time. For highest
quality work, or when the epoxy is visible, as with clear items, I
do use the Hxtal. Lately, I have been organizing my work so that I
do have the time to allow the better quality Hxtal epoxy to set. I
just feel better about using it.
Joris