Question 1

what is the working time?

Accepted Answer

That will depend on which catalyst (hardeners) you're using and the ambient temperature.  MAS calls these "hardeners" but I've always called them "kickers" because that's what they do - they kick the resin into drying. MAS makes basically three hardeners. They are simply slow, medium and fast. The higher the ambient temperature, the faster the resin/catalyst mixture will kick. This means if you were to use the fast hardener on a 90 degree day, you might have about 10 minutes. Yikes! The last time I did a boat, the shop's temps were hovering around 85 degrees fahrenheit and I was using a slow kicker. I had about four hours of working time. If you have never used any epoxy products, I would highly recommend going with a slow kicker at first simply so that you have plenty of time to play around and fix things. If your temps are down in the fifties or low sixties, go with the medium hardener. If you've never used epoxy before, use slow hardeners at 72 F and above. That will just give you lots and lots of time to fix booboos.

Also, here is a very important and nifty trick to measure your working time and I will speak in terms of boat building where the object is to completely encapsulate a wooden boat hull. Fiberglass cloth will be laid over the wood and then be saturated with the epoxy. The first coat never completely immerses the fiberglass cloth. You do not want to wait for the epoxy to completely cure before you apply the next coat. If it cures completely before you apply the second coat, the second coat will not adhere unless you sand it to give it some "tooth." You won't be able to sand any "tooth" into the first coat without messing up the fiberglass cloth. You want the first coat to still be tacky so that the second coat can bite. Get some cotton balls. After you've applied the first coat, wait a couple of hours and find an inconspicuous place on your project. Rub that place with the cotton ball. If the epoxy smears around, it's still too wet and needs more time. If the cotton ball slides off of it easily without leaving any strands behind, you've waited too long and you get to sand, sand, sand. You want the cotton ball to just touch the epoxy and have the epoxy pull away just a few strands of cotton when you pull the cotton ball back. Now, it's time to apply the next coat of epoxy. Keep repeating this procedure until the fiberglass cloth is completely buried and this may mean two or three coats depending on the weight of the glass cloth. I did one boat that had a rather severe hook in the hull and I filled in the imperfection with some heavy glass cloth. But I had to give the repair four coats of epoxy before I got the cloth completely buried. If you're not building a boat or your project doesn't require glass cloth, then you're good to go with one or two coats. Then you simply need enough so that you don't sand back through when you're preparing for paint or varnish.

Give the entire project at least 24 hours minimum before you begin to sand and maybe more depending again, on temps. Use the cotton ball trick to know what it's time to sand. Now the cotton should slide around on it without having any strands whatsoever pull off. Once you start to sand, if your sandpaper balls up, stop immediately and give the epoxy more time to completely cure.

I hope this helps.

Question 2

How thin is the mas low viscosity epoxy resin?

Accepted Answer

This is advertised as "low viscosity"... and it isn't.  The mixed viscosity of this stuff is over 1000 cps, and a true low viscosity resin is HALF that at around 500.  Be careful of advertising hype trying to hook in the unaware.

Question 3

Can this be used for casting pen blanks?

Accepted Answer

Yes.

Question 4

Does this item have everything that i need to cover a canoe with fiberglass? or do i need anything extra other than more epoxy.  does this include the

Accepted Answer

Well... you need the fiberglass cloth. Other than that, this is what you need.

Brand	Mas
Specific Uses For Product	Fabric, Craft, Repair
Material	Resin
Compatible Material	Fabric
Item Form	Liquid
Special Feature	Superior Moisture Exclusion, Adverse Condition Use, Low Viscosity for Easy Application
Color	Clear
Item Package Quantity	1
Package Information	Can
Item Volume	1 Quarts
Viscosity	600 cps
Water Resistance Level	Water Resistant
Unit Count	32.0 Fluid Ounces
UPC	810395000017
Global Trade Identification Number	00810395000017
Manufacturer	Acr Electronics
Item Package Dimensions L x W x H	7 x 5 x 2 inches
Package Weight	2 Pounds
Item Weight	2.5 Pounds
Brand Name	Mas
Part Number	30001
Size	Quart

Mas Low Viscosity Epoxy Resin (Quart)

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