I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
--
 GW Ross 

 It was a book to kill time for those 
 who liked it better dead. 

"G. Ross" wrote in message

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.

Lacquer thinner

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

On 12/27/14, 7:58 AM, G. Ross wrote:
I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing ?
I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more stringy
but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness after curing
is. Thanks.

From the horses mouth:

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/thinnin...-system-epoxy/

-BR


--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

"G. Ross" wrote in news:Y_2dnbiTFtB-VQPJnZ2dnUU7-
:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.

Thinning epoxy is rarely required in boat building - it's
more likely to need to be thickened.

That said, I do recall Gougeon Brothers recommended heating
to thin epoxy. They have an article on the subject he

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/thinnin...-system-epoxy/

Other folk seem to favor cyanoacrylate for filling hairline
cracks.

John

"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew

Lew Hodgett wrote:
"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew



Thanks!

--
 GW Ross 

 It was a book to kill time for those 
 who liked it better dead. 

On Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:25:00 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew


I would heat BEFORE adding the epoxy. The exoxy will thin on contact,
and the epoxy will cool the substrate, causing the air to shrink,
drawing the epoxy in before it cures.

On 12/27/2014 8:58 AM, G. Ross wrote:
I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing ?
I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more stringy
but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness after curing
is. Thanks.

GetRot, another epoxy product available from West Marine, is what you
want. It is formulated to be lower viscosity.

Or? Captain Toleys Creeping Crack Cure (Also at West Marine)
Good stuff. Not a two part mix, but sinks in well and waterproof when dry.

Richard wrote in
:

GetRot, another epoxy product available from West Marine,

Just for clarity, West Marine is not the same company
as West System (aka Gougeon Brothers).

Almost everything West Marine sells is available cheaper
from Jamestown Distributors or Hamilton Marine. I only
shop at West Marine when I need something _now_ (because
they're just across town), otherwise I mail order.

John

On 12/27/2014 12:25 PM, Lew Hodgett wrote:
"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew




I would use the slower finish epoxy, which is runny and will run into
the crack. It takes 24 hours to cure well, and about a week to really
harden.

But like Lew said, heat. either a heat gun (overkill) or a hair dryer.

--
Jeff

On 12/27/2014 2:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:25:00 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew


I would heat BEFORE adding the epoxy. The exoxy will thin on contact,
and the epoxy will cool the substrate, causing the air to shrink,
drawing the epoxy in before it cures.


Good point, heating the wood may cause air bubbles to form.

--
Jeff

On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:55:46 -0500, woodchucker
wrote:

On 12/27/2014 2:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:25:00 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew


I would heat BEFORE adding the epoxy. The exoxy will thin on contact,
and the epoxy will cool the substrate, causing the air to shrink,
drawing the epoxy in before it cures.


Good point, heating the wood may cause air bubbles to form.
Virtually guaranteed if you heat it after applying the epoxy.

On 28/12/2014 1:17 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:55:46 -0500, woodchucker
wrote:

On 12/27/2014 2:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:25:00 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew


I would heat BEFORE adding the epoxy. The exoxy will thin on contact,
and the epoxy will cool the substrate, causing the air to shrink,
drawing the epoxy in before it cures.


Good point, heating the wood may cause air bubbles to form.
Virtually guaranteed if you heat it after applying the epoxy.

Heating the wood before using 5 minute epoxy might turn it into 3 minute!
Graham

On Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:59:03 -0700, graham wrote:

On 28/12/2014 1:17 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 28 Dec 2014 11:55:46 -0500, woodchucker
wrote:

On 12/27/2014 2:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 27 Dec 2014 09:25:00 -0800, "Lew Hodgett"
wrote:


"G. Ross" wrote:

I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------
You could use denatured alcohol up to about 5% by weight; however,
for what you are trying to do, think I would hit the crack with a heat
gun
after applying the epoxy.

I have zip experience with 5 min epoxy but they have already played
with the formulation to get the 5 min time.

Lew


I would heat BEFORE adding the epoxy. The exoxy will thin on contact,
and the epoxy will cool the substrate, causing the air to shrink,
drawing the epoxy in before it cures.


Good point, heating the wood may cause air bubbles to form.
Virtually guaranteed if you heat it after applying the epoxy.

Heating the wood before using 5 minute epoxy might turn it into 3 minute!
Graham
That's fine if the 5 minute epoxy is thinned by the heat and drawn
into the crack by contraction of the air in the crack by cooling in 2
1/2 minutes.

On Saturday, December 27, 2014 8:57:42 AM UTC-6, G. Ross wrote:
I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
--
 GW Ross 

 It was a book to kill time for those 
 who liked it better dead.

Fast cure epoxies have no place in my basket of tricks. When I need lower viscosity I add a bit of benzyl alcohol, or still better, take advantage of the epoxy's natural sensitivity to microwaving. Fortunately, almost everyone can find a nice big used microwave oven for little or no $$ that can accommodate some fairly large turning pieces. MEK is probably the best cleanup solvent, acetone second best, as both are used industrially in epoxy bonding to aluminum. SmoothOn has a lot of technical data on their epoxy offerings, which takes the mystery out of what works with what.

Joe

Joe wrote:
On Saturday, December 27, 2014 8:57:42 AM UTC-6, G. Ross wrote:
I use West 5 min. epoxy to fill hairline cracks in bowls. Is there a
common solvent that will thin it a bit (either before or after mixing
? I have noticed that a dab of alcohol based dye will make it more
stringy but not thinner. Strength is not important, but hardness
after curing is. Thanks.
--
 GW Ross 

 It was a book to kill time for those 
 who liked it better dead.

Fast cure epoxies have no place in my basket of tricks. When I need lower viscosity I add a bit of benzyl alcohol, or still better, take advantage of the epoxy's natural sensitivity to microwaving. Fortunately, almost everyone can find a nice big used microwave oven for little or no $$ that can accommodate some fairly large turning pieces. MEK is probably the best cleanup solvent, acetone second best, as both are used industrially in epoxy bonding to aluminum. SmoothOn has a lot of technical data on their epoxy offerings, which takes the mystery out of what works with what.

Joe

Thanks Joe.

--
 GW Ross 

 'Criminal Lawyer', a redundancy