Epoxy Mixing Pail Tip

Don't go out and buy the mid size paint mixing pails for your epoxy stirring and bog mixing.

Go to Wal-Mart and get the cheapest Zip Lock containers you can find with extremely thin walls. They work much better. I bought a set to try and they are going strong with ovet a dozen clean outs.

Because they flex so easily, hardened bog or epoxy comes out easily and completely. You get way more uses and a cleaner mixing pail.

Oh yeah. They also cost less!

 

I need some pictures of them Cat, learning is much easer with pictures. Rick

 

I use also the cheapest kind of ziplocks..

 

I use cake holder containers. They are large, have a smooth, flat bottom, without ridges or bumps and have large radius corners so mixing and cleaning is easy. They come in several sizes, but I get the 12x18's.

 

All good stuff.

Here are your pictures, Rick. These are what I've been using. Same as Teddy, I think. I buy the cheapest, thinnest ones that seem like they'll never make it, but I found that's the secret. Because they are so flimsy and epoxy is so stiff, the container folds right over and the entire batch of leftover epoxy or bog pops right out, mostly in one piece.

 

I like broad and flat containers like the cake containers mentioned by PAR the epoxy seems to kick less quickly in them during hot conditions. I've also found those small single serve yoghurt containers just great, if you want to make a small batch of resin they are quite accurate you can clean them but I dont worry. If I want a really small batch I'll zero my scales and make a batch in a single yoghurt cup. I've found it particularly useful for cold molding if I just want to glue a small number of veneers.

 

Yep, that's why I use the big cake containers, I mix and add filler and can take the goo to the work, spread out real thin within the same container. I usually don't have left over goo, so I clean the container before it kicks off.

 

I do kind of the same thing with the Zip Locks. They aren't as low profile as the cake dishes would be, but I just slide the bog around inside, sticking to the walls of the container, spreading it out to all available surface area.

 

Another thing I've found handy when I'm using a very thick non slumping epoxy mix is to use a plasterers hawk which is just a flat sheet of metal with a handle underneath. I stick a thick plastic bag over the top and hold the bag and the handle together underneath really good if you have to apply thickened mix over a reasonable area. When your finished just turf the plastic bag put a new one on and your ready for the next batch.

 

I use pre-made hawks, which are nothing more then 1/4" plywood pieces, that have been previously epoxy coated and smoothed. I have several of different sizes and take these to the work as well, particularly if I have a lot of stiff goo to apply.

 

I don't mix epoxy in the quantities you guys do, so for small mixes I save the blister pack fronts from merchandise packaging if they are flat in front.

 

Good pictures Cat , I,ve already bought a large selection of the cup,s with the big red slash. I take it I need to stock up on the one,s with the green check, or the cake holder ( picture not shown). Working five 12,s and an eight suck , three days off spent couped up in the house watching it rain. Anyway I know what kind of cups not to buy, the kind I already bought.

 

While I,m posting I would like to ask which forum to ask questions about things like hatch,es, portlights, whinch,s, fit out items ? I bid on a tent sight unseen and was high bidder so I,ll have it picked up this week. My build site will move about 1.5 miles away from my planed launch site but I cant see paying rent and only being able to work on the boat 4 days a mounth. I going to start on my boat in the next few weeks hell or high water. rick

 

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BINGO!! I'm in that same camp, Hoyt. But do you realize you've been "going green" since before it had that name?

Roger

 

Actually we of Scottish extraction have been green for centuries, by necessity. The operative word is thrifty.

Not to mention the algae.