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> I live where it is cold 40f-55f) and foggy during the winter. I have some
> time off so I decided to glass the deck to my double. I saturated the deck
> and now am waiting for the epoxy to cure. I have been waiting almost 3
> days since the initial application. I am wondering if it will ever cure!
> Right now the deck is tacky and I do not want to attempt the glass job
> because the glass sticks and is hard to smooth out. Do I have to worry
> about amine blush because it has been 3 days or does the stuff only form
> after the tackiness is gone? If I do need to worry about the blush, can it
> be removed with a damp cloth as opposed to also sanding? Will the cure be
> affected because of the length of time? Lot's of questions but I know
> someone can help. Happy New Year.
> Tom
Hi Tom, using sys3 in 45 degree weather will take a longer cure, (up to five days) but it that in itself will not affect the cure strength. Any contaminates that get into the mix may, so take care with any solvents that you use around it while its curing, even in an evaporative state, some solvents can degrade the epoxy if they get into it. As for amine blush, it won't generally form until after the tack free state, although there are some exceptions. If you do find the surface has gotten a bit of a waxy feel to it, some HOT water and paper towels (most detergents that we wash old t-shirts/new rags with contain slicones to make the cloths soft, bad news for subsequent layers of epoxy)will remove the blush. You might have to do this a few times to remove all traces of it, then wipe it down with some cleaner solvent and go at it. At this point it becomes a mechanical bond though, not quite as strong as a chemical bond like when epoxy is worked green, but still one of the strongest bonds around. Shouldn't have to sand it unless you got some bad surface contaminats. Hope it helps. TomP
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Guillemot Kayak - High
Performance Wooden Sea Kayak Designs
