simple question. has anyone had experience reducing epoxy. specifically finish epoxy.

heres what i already know. epoxy is a 2 part chemical compound that when mixed together becomes a single chemical. Epoxy becomes a new chemical that is solid, through a thermo-catalytic reaction which occurs at a molecular level. the heat that is produced because of the catalyst reacting to the polymers contained in the primary. the heat which occurs at a molecular level bonds polymers and thus the new compound is born.

i am aware that there is a specific ratio of catalyst to primary which must be present to achieve complete solidification. and that these ratios must be maintained. i have found that acetone is the recommended dilute. and will experiment with it personally.

just wondering if anyone else out there has given this a go.

thnx

Yes - with both acetone and denatured alcohol (drops/2cc each) However that was quite some time back. I stopped because there are more than enough "thin" finishes on the market today that thinning isn't really necessary.

Me 2. If I want a thinner epoxy I would just buy a thinner epoxy. Heard too many horror stories about what solvents can do to an epoxy down the road.

Daniel,
Generally NOT a good idea. A thinner, solvent, or diluent, tends to change the overall chemistry of the epoxy resin. As a result it is not normally recommended to thin finishes with any type epoxy 2-part finish.

If, however, you do decide to use something to thin a 2-part resin mix - test the thinning material for finish compatibility. Also look up the recommended uses on the container or the specification sheets for the material that you intend to use.

A quick and easy test for thinner compatibility with the finish is to take a fresh mix of the 2-part material, dip a brush into the material and then dip the loaded brush into the material that you intend to use as a thinner.

If, when you dip the brush into the 2-part epoxy and then into the material that you intend to use as a thinner and find that after dipping the brush into the thinner, that the brush can be easily wiped 100% clean with a paper towel. You likely have a candidate for a solvent or thinner. However, if after doing the finish dip and the thinner dip with the brush that you find that the material tends to clump up or stay sticky on the brush, you have a material that is NOT compatible with epoxy finish.

For example -
A couple of materials that ARE not suitable for epoxy thinners.
Alcohol - it does a great job for some things, but it does not mix well at all with resin and really is NOT on the recommended list to mix with epoxy.
Lacquer Thinner - the same thing goes here. Not compatible with epoxy.
Mineral Spirits - the same thing goes here. Not compatible with epoxy.

However, there are a couple of items:
Xylene - Xylene is very compatible with epoxy and is often used by the manufacturers to thin resins and hardeners to the right consistency. If you look on the side of a Xylene container, you will find that a recommended use for Xylene is to clean and or thin 2-part epoxy paints etc.

Acetone - although not quite as suitable as Xylene due to its faster evaporation rate, it can also be used as a solvent for 2-part epoxy resins and finishes.

NOTE: Both Xylene and Acetone have fumes that are highly Toxic. If you do decide to use such chemicals be sure to use them in very well vented areas to protect your body from the harmful effects of their fumes.

But, as others have posted - if you want a thinner finish - buy a manufacturers prepared thinner mix from the beginning. Then, there is no issue about anything and you will have excellent results.

Be safe and be well vented when using dangerous chemicals.

Roger

p.s.
Data sheets for Xylene:

[www.sciencelab.com]

[en.wikipedia.org]

A few comments about the effects of "thinning epoxy" with solvents:
[www.epoxyproducts.com]

Roger

Flexcoat recommends acetone or epoxy thinner (tip #12) see link

[www.flexcoat.com]

David Dosser
Coshocton, OH

Yes I do and have had - no - problems with it I use mid-temp lacquer thinner

Bill - willierods.com

thank you very much EVERYONE.

i will definitely keep you all posted on this. my hope is to achieve a 2 part resin with extremely low viscosity. i intend to use it as the first coat (soak coat) for dec wraps and high thread volume designs. will keep you posted.

I have successfully thinned Threadmaster with DNA to a water like consistency for applying to Gossamer silk thread to make it entirely transparent with no trapped air. I always let it hen cure for at least 72 hours before applying the top coat. Results have been very good with no side effects.