I only have a couple full builds plus a number of repairs under my belt. I never had trouble with the epoxy reacting properly (though my application technique is a different story, but its improving!). The thing is, I am a chemist and pretty used to measuring out liquids using a syringe, and generally being careful with the stirring and paying attention to the little details.
That said, I've wondered myself about mixing small amounts of epoxy - particularly for small repair jobs (replacing a single guide). I don't do this enough to warrant experimenting or to warrant stockpiling enough epoxy, but has anyone considered getting small syringes for the job?
The 1 mL, 2 mL, and 5 mL sizes in particular would be very useful - not only for measuring out smaller batches but the finer volume markings would allow increased precision for the 50:50 mixtures you need to make, compared to the 12+ mL syringes that you get from the epoxy supplier.
I've used these syringes in countless organic chemistry reactions in the lab, and that is essentially what the 2-part epoxy is all about. I have used them with air-sensitive and moisture-sensitive chemicals, as well as a wide range of different organic solvents. These syringes do not have the silicone coating, nor do they have the rubber plunger. If you consider these, you'll need the luer-slip version. The "point" of the luer-slip is the same as what you find on the bigger syringes everyone is using. That means it should be able to join with the various connections some people have on their epoxy bottles.
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www.thomassci.com]
The only fault of going this route is the total volume of the mix could play an issue (for example, ProKote's instructions state a minimum 3 mL from each component). Those recommendations could arise from the precision of the normal syringes, or they could arise from the heat of the reaction at different scales. Also a smaller mix may have greater overall exposure to air/moisture, which could potentially affect the reaction.
Jason
