5 min epoxy

[xboxteen01]

i modded my sprinkler valve with a 1/4 npt barb and had a small air leak. so i picked up some 5 min epoxy from home depot for like 2 bucks and put it on the area. I also sealed off my solenoid valve port with the stuff. I realize it sets in 5 min and cures after like 24 hrs but i did this yesterday at like 3 PM and today at 6PM it still hadnt dried. some of it got on my cement floor and its been liquid since then. The amount i used to seal the valve has just begun to harden up today around 4 oclock. any tips for using the epoxy?

[bigbob12345]

how cold is it were you left it to dry because if its below frezzing it has a real hard time drying

[mopherman]

It sounds like you didnt have the correct epoxy/hardener ratio. Just wait untill it dries and mix it in a 1/1 ratio next time.

[OuchProgramme]

It sounds like you didnt have the correct epoxy/hardener ratio. Just wait untill it dries and mix it in a 1/1 ratio next time.

Yep. Sometimes the glue section of the epoxy has a lower ratio because the leftovers from previous gluing sessions dried in the nozzle.

[xboxteen01]

yea i think that is what happened, the rations were off and prob not fully mixed. thanks again for the help

[BigGrib]

Yes your ratio is off. What kind of 5 min epoxy did you use?? I prefer Loctite 5 min because the whole assembly is in a dual tube syringe style setup and it is pretty hard to get the ratio off, even though it still happens every once in a while.

[xboxteen01]

i also use locktite, and thats why i was unsure of how the ratio could be off, but i just patched up something ,like 20 min ago, and it is already hardened up, so i dont know, the first one mustve been a fluke

[Maniac]

but did you mix the loctite enough i do that from time to time. The ratio might be perfect but not mixed well enough.

[xboxteen01]

im not sure on the mixing. i mixed it till it was blended, but i sort of rushed it cause i took the 5 min thing abit to seriously lol, so i may have under mixed it

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

correct ratios, mix it well, room temperature and leave it enough time to cure and you'll be ok.

[pyrogeek]

I have used a couple tubes of epoxy meant for use on plastics that just never set up. I mixed it in the correct ratio and mixed it very well, but it never hardened even the least bit.

[xboxteen01]

@ pyrogeek: how did you fix that?

[frogy]

I also use Loctite 5 minute epoxy... All the time...

If you push the syringes in unevenly, you will mess up the 1:1 ratio of hardener to resin... The bad thing about this means that you've messed up the whole tube...

To fix this you will have to squirt out the extra resin\hardener until the syringes are equal...

Simply get a piece of paper (what your supposed to mix it on anyway) and evenly depress the plungers of the epoxy syringe until you have the yellow and clear liquids coming out at an even rate... Rip off the uneven part and then mix the 1:1 ratio... It should set in about 5 minutes... Be usable in 8, and fully cured in 24.