On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 06:50:10 GMT, "Ed Huntress"
wrote:


There are a few other points: The epoxy you want for this job is not the
laminating or repair epoxies made for boats. You don't need their adhesion
quality and you don't want their high exothermic rates. I don't have a
source to send you to but look for *industrial* sources of casting epoxies,
not laminating epoxies such as WEST System or System 3. You'll save a bunch
of money, besides.

Gougeon Bros says WEST System can be cast (I've done it myself) and
mentions a Formula SAE car built with a carbon fiber intake that was
formed using the lost wax process (using WEST Sysytem epoxy, natch).
Gougeon Bros sells slow hardners to keep the curing temps from getting
out of hand.
But it ain't cheap.

Another point: commercial polymer bases
are built on shake tables. I've never handled a stone-filled epoxy mix
myself but it sounds like you have to shake it pretty good, more than you'd
want to try shaking regular concrete, to get good wetting.

Epoxy already has good wetting- I'll bet they shake the mix to remove
any air bubbles.

-Carl