olivia_webb•2mo agoProlific Poster

Tried a new underwater epoxy on a hull patch job last week

It was one of those new fast-cure types, supposed to set in 15 minutes even at 45 degrees. The rep swore by it, said it would cut our surface interval time in half. We mixed it up on the barge, I went down to apply it on a steel plate patch. The stuff went off like a rocket, got maybe half of it on before it turned into a hot, rubbery brick in my glove. Had to surface and waste a whole new kit. Learned that 'fast' in a catalog doesn't account for the cold shock of Puget Sound water on the mixing tub. Now I stick to the old reliable stuff for anything below 60 feet. Anyone else have a product that just didn't work like they said it would in real conditions?

3 comments

3 Comments

stella3072mo ago

But sometimes you need that speed, and the new stuff works fine if you keep the mixing tub warm.

sage2862mo ago

My old kitchen in Chicago had the same problem. Keeping that tub warm was the only way to get anything done before a deadline.

tara_palmer1mo ago

Haven't tried keeping the mixing tub warm myself, does that actually help that much? I mean, I've always just microwaved my resin for like 10 seconds before mixing, but idk, maybe it's just me. But yeah, I've been in that cold kitchen struggle too, where the stuff gets all thick and won't pour right. I've found that using a cheap seedling heat mat under the mixing containers works pretty well too, keeps things consistent without having to babysit the tub. Just got to watch the temp so it doesn't cook the resin.