Given we live in a rural area, it can be a challenge trying to find the right air and oil filter for our Simplicity Broadmor 16 Hydro tractor. It has a Kohler engine and the air and oil filters are readily available on Amazon. It makes life way easier to just order them. Sometimes I’ll get a deal on several and have one for the following year.
So, just to make things easy for you, here are links if you need to order them:
I only change the oil filter once a year. If there’s a real good deal, I might buy a two pack. You can search and double check prices.
For the air filter, I definitely use the model with the pre-cleaner. The foam pre-cleaner catches a ton of dust. Each year I have to clean and re-oil the pre-cleaner several times due to all the dust.
I change these each season plus I grease the oil fittings. When we got the tractor I asked the mechanic who delivered it what would be the one thing he’d recommend to get long life from the tractor. Of course he pointed out the oil and air filters but then he added to make sure to keep the tractor greased using the Zerk fittings and I have ever since.
I hope this helps you out some as well.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
We bought this Simplicity Broadmor 16HP lawn tractor back around 1999-ish and it has served us well. In the years since, I’ve had to replace a few parts and figure things out as the dealer went out of business. Luckily, finding parts is pretty straight forward given the WWW and Amazon.
At some point last summer, the tractor began to develop intermittent problems with starting when it was hot. It didn’t happen all the time and was a bear to try and find – sometimes you’d turn the starter switch and nothing would happen. Well, I just assumed it was the solenoid given similar problems with cars over the years. I did some digging and bought both a solenoid and starter off of Amazon. In the Simplicity, and many tractors for that matter, they are two separate parts mounted away from each other. The solenoid is up under the dash held in place by two screws and the starter is held in place by two screws and a collar.
Well, I thought I was set but the problem got worse. In a ways, that was a good thing. Because when the problem happens readily, you can sort out what is wrong.
This spring, when we got the tractor out, every time it would get hot it would not re-start. I put my multimeter on the starter power cable and it was dead. I did not hear any clicking from the solenoid either. If I wiggled the switch then it might start but not always so the switch made me suspicious. If I used jumper cables and went right to the starter, it would start and run no problem with the key one. Okay, time to replace the switch.
I did some digging and the replacement switch was a Briggs and Stratton 1686734SM unit. I got that on order from Amazon and waited for it to show up.
Now there is just a bit of a twist here that I want to share with folks to save you some time. It turns out the tractor was built using an all plastic switch (groan) part number 1718305 that requires you to change the wiring in the connector.
Note the letters next to the male spades – this is how you confirm it is the 1718305 switch – the layout of the pins:
It just so happens that to use the replacement 1686734SM unit, you need to diagonally swap the four lower wires – upper left to lower right and upper right to lower left. They recommend you label the wires before you do the swap – I just jotted down the color codes.
The following photo is from the instruction sheet that came with the switch — it’s actually well done and helped me figure this out:
Figure 2 shows the identifying marks for the plastic 1718305 switch and exactly matched what I had.
Figure 3 shows the pin out of the original connector
Figure 4 shows the new lay out.
In case you lose track of the wires for whatever reason, here are the color codes that are in my Broadmor by labeled connector pin:
A. Red / White (meaning primarily red with a white stripe)
B. Red — this is from the battery so make sure your battery is disconnected
G. Black
L. Red/Black
M. Purple/White
S. Blue/White
First, disconnect the negative cable from the battery or you risk some fireworks when you change the red/hot wire.
To change the wires around, I moved them a pair at a time – just the lower four are changing — I ran a small blade screw driver in and loosened the female spade fitting inside the connector and pulled it back out gently with a pair of needle nose pliers. I then swapped the location and pushed each connector into the new location.
To seal the connections, I applied a layer of silicone grease on the female connector openings so that when the male spades pushed in, they would be coated with the grease. I have a jar of Mission Automotive brand Silicone grease that I use all the time.
I then confirmed the layout one last time, sat on the tractor, made sure the engine was clear and started it. Everything worked on the first try – a good sign.
The switch fit nicely inside the OEM hole. It comes with extra parts for mounting and I just did what Simplicity did – I installed the switch, used the supplied hex nut to secure it on the front and pressed on the switch cover. I then tested again just to be safe.
By the way, here are photos of the back of the installed switch:
I then mowed part of the lawn for 10-15 minutes and when the tractor was good and hot, I turned it off and back on several times. I then let the tractor idle for about 10-15 minutes and again could turn it off and on with no problem.
I think the problem is solved as the tractor is still working just fine. I wanted to post this in case you needed to know what to get from Amazon or see the wire colors and hope it helps you out.
7/20/19 Update: I did the above in June 2018 and the tractor is still running just fine. All of the above have held up without any problems.
5/23/20 Update: Still holding up just fine. I’ve mowed the yard two times this year. No problems.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Well folks, I recently needed to install some molding at my mother in law’s and realized I no longer have a small compressor to run my air nailers at a remote site. So, I recalled an article I had read that spoke well of the Ryobi Airstrike 18ga brad nailer.
The interesting twist on this nailer is that it uses an 18 volt One+ battery to operate and you don’t need a compressor or air lines. I have a ton of Ryobi tools and decided to pick up just the tool for $129.99.
I read the manual and the tool has both an air pressure adjustment and a depth adjustment. In the next photo, the silver dial on the top adjusts the air pressure and depth is down towards the nose. You’ll notice I have one of the slim low-profile lithium batteries on it.
It came with 200 1-1/4″ brads and they look just like the ones I use in my air brad nailer so I have plenty for the future. They load in the magazine just like other nailers.
Now, I definitely would recommend practicing some with this. The balance is fairly good but what is really different is the way it cycles when you pull the trigger. There is a split second delay as it builds up pressure and then it fires the hammer driving the brad forward. For me, the delay took some getting used to. We’re not talking very long at all but I’m used to bang-bang-bang-bang with an air nailer as fast as you can pull the trigger. Here there is just enough pause to throw you off. I found myself pulling the trigger and lifting to fast so I needed to make my self slow down, pull the trigger, let it cycle and then pull.
What I was installing was some of that cheap paper/fiber molding so it was very easy for the nailer to drive the brads in. I really should have dialed the pressure back a bit and/or reduced the depth. That will take further experimenting for me to learn the right combo.
All in all after driving about 30 brads, I am happy and would recommend the unit to someone who is interested in going cordless.
Note, I would consider a bigger nailer if I needed it down the road but most of the time I am close enough to my shop that I can run an airline to my big compressor. The reviews are mixed on the big nailer as it uses a relatively oddball sized nail and I’m hoping they change that.
If you are thinking of buying one of the brad nailers, they are on Amazon but you will pay a premium. Either get them at your local Home Depot store or buy them online:
Update 10/4/2018: I used this while remodeling my mother-in-law’s house and did not have one problem. I was driving between 1″ to 1-1/4″ 18ga nails through paneling, baseboards and door moldings. Not one jam, misfire, light strike, etc. I’m very pleased with the tool. Like many things, I just had to get used to it.
2/27/20 Update: Used this to tack up some wood. This thing is so handy when you don’t have a compressor handy.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
I use a ton of epoxy as part of my work plus fixing all kinds of stuff at home, on cars, guns, knives and more. I’d like to take a few minutes share some lessons learned with you to bear in mind on your next project that involves epoxy:
Buy quality epoxy – not cheap junk. Epoxy is a generic term and a lot of the no-name blister pack retail stuff is crap. Go for brand names. If they list real specs about the formulation then it is probably legit.
I recommend industrial epoxies and not the consumer stuff. My hands down favorite epoxy is Brownell’s Acra Glas liquid. It is strong and resists breaking down from repeated impacts very well. It’s one down side is that it takes a long time to set up so it may not be your best bet if you need something to be fixed and back in service quickly.
Know your application and match the formula to your need – there is no magical formula that does everything. You may need a putty, a fast cure, a short pot life, higher heat resistance, improved impact resistance, shear strength, etc. Figure out what you need and then look for the epoxy that will work best for you. At any given time I probably have 3-4 different formulations on hand.
The longer it takes an epoxy to cure the stronger it is. All things being equal, an epoxy that cures in 24 hours will be stronger than one that claims to do so in 5, 10 or 30 minutes.
Read the package – setting up vs. curing and reaching full strength are two very different things.
If you want to get epoxy to flow into wood or difficult areas, heat it up. The liquid thins as it warms up but note this will also speed up how fast it sets up and cures.
As epoxy gets colder, it takes longer and longer to cure. If you are working outside, use a space heater, flood light or other heat source to keep the epoxy and the work piece area being repaired at least 70F. I shoot for 80-90F.
Epoxy can get really thick as it gets cold and not want to come out of the containers. Either keep it inside where it is warm or at least warm it up before you use it,
Epoxy resin can sugar with age just like honey. What I mean is that will develop a solid mass in the resin bottle – it’s not really sugar! If you heat up a container of water, take the resin container’s lid off and then set it the container in the water, the resin will warm up and the solid will dissolve back into liquid. I buy 28oz or larger bottles of Acra-Glas that I don’t always use right away so when it sugars, I do this.
As mentioned above, I buy my epoxy in bulk. Acra-Glas can be measured by volume and it has a ratio of 1 hardener to 4 resin. The way I deal with this is very simple – I use 10cc syringes without needles. I have on syringe in a cup that I use for hardener and one syringe stored in a cup that I use for hardener. The reason I do this is that the two parts do not react to the air very fast. I may be able to use one syringe for a several weeks/months before it stops working so I set the syringe in its dedicated cup when done to be used again. I do not use fresh syringes every time. A 100 count syringe pack will last me at least a year.
You can definitely color epoxy. You can buy purpose-made dyes such as So-Strong or add in powdered tempra paint.
You can add fillers for strength or looks. When filling gaps, I mix 1/32″ milled glass fibers with the epoxy. The ratio depends on the epoxy you are using, how thick/pasty you want the result to be or how much you want it to still flow into place.
To get rid of bubbles you either need to draw a vacuum, apply pressure or at least use a heat gun to thin the epoxy once it is applied and this allows the trapped air to escape.
When I am gluing big objects together, such as wood panels, forms, or other construction I will use a cartridge based epoxy. My favorite is Hysol E-20HP. To use a cartridge, you need the dispensing gun and also the correct mixing tip. This allows you to squeeze the trigger and properly mixed epoxy comes out of the tip. When you are done, you just let the tip harden in place sealing the epoxy. When you are ready to use the gun again, you simply remove the plugged tip with a new one. This allows for you to deploy a bead of epoxy very quickly but the con is that you throw away a tip every time you stop. You also can’t color the epoxy first but it is fast and convenient on larger projects.
The surface must be clean for epoxy to work best. Remove dust, dirt, oil, etc.
A rough surface is always better than a smooth surface. I always recommend sanding, brushing or blasting a surface to improve adhesion. Not only do you increase the surface area but you also are creating a texture where the epoxy can get under the base material in thousands of tiny places to really grab hold.
Wear disposable gloves to avoid making a mess. I buy boxes of the Harbor Freight 5 mil nitrile gloves when they go on sale for $5.99/box of 100. They really are a good value for a medium-light duty disposable glove.
If you need to clamp parts together, wrap the assemble with wax paper to avoid gluing your clamps to the work piece – yeah, I’ve done that.
Whenever possible, I prefer to clamp work together to get this best bond.
Check, double-check and come back in again later and check your work again to make sure nothing has shifted.
I hope these tips help you with your next project.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
My dad raised honey bees when I was growing up so we had a lot of wax. One year, my mom and dad bought some molds and we cast candles. For wicks, we used heavy cotton string. When you put string in hot liquid wax, capillary action occurs and the wax is “wicked” into the string. The candle then cools and away you go. Now I had pretty much forgotten about this for about 20 years until I saw our growing collection of almost empty candles or candles in glass bottles that had burned the way around wick but left a ton of wax on the jar walls. It was one of those “Gee, I bet I can fix that” moments.
Here are some supplies and tools to gather up: #36 cotton twine (it has to be cotton and not a synthetic), a washer to serve as weight, gloves to handle the hot containers, needlenose piers, a screw driver, cutters and a piece of cardboard to protect the table in case I spilled wax.
Also, your work area should be near the microwave. The counter I used was about eight feet away. Make sure there are no trip/fall hazards between the microwave and work area and that you have a drop cloth, piece of card board, newspaper or something to deal with spatters and spills. You do not need to be in a rush – indeed, take your time!! It takes wax a while to cool off. I just want the work center close by to reduce the chances of dropping the hot wax.
So, step by step if you just want to melt the wax down into the bottom and add a new wick:
Use a cloth to firmly rub the glass rim and remove any waxy soot (the black junk on the glass). It will come off.
If the current metal weight/anchor is exposed, remove it with your needlenose pliers. If you don’t, you’ll see arching in your microwave and potentially hurt the microwave. Seriously, this is not a joke – you can ruin your microwave my putting exposed metal in it.
Microwave the candle in the glass jar until it all melts. The time to melt will depend on the formulation of the wax, how strong your microwave is and how much wax there is. On one candle it took about 5-6 minutes and on another it was much longer. Go for a minute, check, go for a minute, check, over and over – don’t try and do it all at once. You don’t want molten wax bubbling all over inside your microwave as it will be a HUGE mess to clean. Have you ever heated water too much in a microwave and had it bubble over everywhere? This is the same thing but when the wax cools it is a bear to get off. So, be careful and go slow. Don’t heat it any more than you need to.
Tie a weight to the end of the string so it will sink to the bottom – I used an old washer I had laying on my bench
Take the candle out wearing gloves. The glass can be very hot so you don’t want to get burned or drop the molten wax as it will be a bear to clean up. Just be careful and have a good grip. I wear lined work gloves. You only need to hold the container long enough to get it from the microwave to your work area that should be close by.
If you haven’t done so already, use your pliers and remove the old wick.
lower the weighted end of the string into the center of the candle. When the string bends, it has reached the bottom so lift up slightly until the string is straight
Lay your screw driver or something else across the mouth of the jar and make sure the string is still centered. Put something on the ball of string / extra string so it stays in position. I found I could move the ball around and the weight of the ball was usually enough. Another time I put a pair of pliers across the string so the weight of the pliers would hold the string in place.
Now if you want to consolidate candles, do the above to the first candle, let it cool (if you want), and then heat the next candle and poor it into the first one. Don’t forget to remove the old wick and weight. Take your time, be safe, the wax will not cool fast. So here is the second candle. The wick weight is buried under the wax so I will remove it once the wax is molten. If it were exposed or close to the surface, I would dig it out.
Here is is after I melted it, removed the anchor and poured it into the first candle.
After a little over an hour, the candle has cooled enough that I could cut the wick. The wick will burn down to whatever height the wax can reach and burn so don’t worry about it being too long. You do need to be patient and let it cool or you will make a big mess while trying to cut it (I made that mistake with another candle where it looked solid but was still way too soft and I made a mess). You just need to be patient and let it cool all the way is the bottom line.
That’s it. I like this kind of stuff. It’s a great distraction from the normal work. You can combine waxes, try different thicknesses of cotton string, etc. Have fun!
Note, go to Ace or your local hardware store for the cotton string. It should be $4-6 for a ball that will last you a long time considering you are using maybe 6″ at a time.
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
Folks, I work a lot with epoxy and reply on it as a structural adhesive to both fill gaps and bond parts together. I’ve done everything from fixing car parts, wood furniture, tools, rifle bedding, scope mount bedding, custom knife handles and much more with epoxy. It is incredibly versatile but you need to do some planning to really get what you want out of it predictably.
In case you didn’t know it, “epoxy” is a general term for a wide range of cured polyepoxide resins glues with different physical characteristics such as how long they cure, strength, temperature resistance and so forth (click here if you want to learn more about the chemistry). There are a ton of options out there as quality manufacturers experiment with different resin and hardener formulations. In short, not all epoxies are the same and for people concerned with the quality of what they are building, they need to think things through. For quite some time I’ve wanted to write down a series of tips for folks to get strong reliable results so here they are:
Buy a quality brand epoxy to begin with
What I have found over the years is that not all epoxies are created equal so spend the money and buy quality epoxy. There can be a huge difference in how well the epoxy will last over time and/or how strong it really is. Do not buy the bargain basement junk. In general, if the maker lists all the physical properties then it is a well thought out and executed formula. I have three epoxies that I use the most in order are Brownell’s AcraGlas liquid (not the gel), Locite E-120HP, JB KwikWeld and ITW Devcon Plastic Steel. Once in a while if I need a fast cure epoxy, I will get a retail blister pack of some five minute epoxy and I’ll explain more in a moment.
Strongly consider what your application is
Epoxy comes in many formulations. They can vary the chemistry of the resin, the hardener and the filler to behave differently. Consider the following example characteristics:
Liquid, Gel/Paste or Putty/Bar — The liquid can seep into pores and fibers plus it can be spread but it can run into places you do not want. Gels and pastes tend to stay put better but do not seep in as well. The really thick puttys and bars are great for filling space or creating an impromptu clamp or to seal a hole but they definite don’t sink in much.
Temperature – you need to think both about the temperature when you are mixing and applying the epoxy as some will not set up at all if too cold. You also need to think about the heat when in operation because many epoxies soften and lose their bond the hotter they get. For example, you may apply epoxy to an exhaust manifold but it will blow off when it gets hot.
Pot life – this is how long you can still apply it before it starts to thicken. Some folks will refer to this as working time. You need to mix the two parts together, apply the epoxy, position and clamp the work before you run out of time. Keep this in mind.
Cure time – this is how long until the epoxy reaches full strength
Color – you can get epoxies in different colors
Ratio / mixing – some are by volume or by weight. The easy consumer stuff is usually 1:1 by volume but when you get into the more sophisticated epoxies the volumes vary or a digital scale is needed
Heat resistance – some epoxies resist heat better than others before they soften and “let go”
Shock resistance – some formulations hold up better than others before they start the break apart and “sugar”. Sugaring refers to the powdery look epoxy gets as it breaks apart. Brownell’s AcraGlas, Loctite E-120HP, JB KwikWeld and ITW Devcon Plastic Steel have all held up very well for me under shocks. My go-to epoxy for most work is Acra-Glas liquid because it holds up so very well.
Others – there are other factors that may matter to you but the important thing is to think through your application
Go with as long of a curing time as you can for maximum strength
What many people do not know is that the faster an epoxy cures, the weaker it is. Conversely, the longer the formulation takes to cure, the stronger it is. All things being equal, a 24 hour curing epoxy will be stronger than 90-second, 5-minute, 30-minute and so forth epoxies. Now there is a time and a place where speed is needed and also situations where strength is paramount. When I make khukuri hands and other things where strength is critical, I always use a 24 hour epoxy.
Use the Proper Ratios
Be sure to carefully follow the mixing ratios. For volume ratio work, I use 10cc or larger syringes without the needles on them to meter liquid resin and hardener. For example, I like AcraGlas and it is 4 parts resin to 1 part hardener. I keep two syringes separated that I re-use over and over. With the syringe in the holding cup labeled “resin”, I use it to draw 4 cubic centimeters (CCs) of resin out and squirt it into a mixing cup. With the hardener syringe, I meter out 1 CC of hardener into the cup. Now you can vary that. If you need a smaller about, meter out 2 CC of resin and 1/2CC of hardener. The syringes really help. If you are doing larger volumes then either use bigger syringes or disposable cups that have measurements printed on the side. Also note how I pour from the bulk container into the smaller intermediary containers that are easy to work with plus I avoid contamination, dropping a big bottle, etc.
The Loctite E-120HP comes in a specialized dispenser tube that uses a gun and tip to do all the mixing. It’s cool as can be for volume work where additional coloring or fillers are not needed.
For the Devcon Plastic Steel, I use my digital scale.
Here’s one thing not to do: Some guys have heard that if they add more hardener it will cure faster. This may be true but the resulting cured epoxy will be weaker. Do not deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendations if you want the physical properties they report.
Mix thoroughly
Folks, I can’t stress this enough. Mix the heck out of the two parts and combine them thoroughly. If you are doing larger volumes, consider doing what is known as a double pour. Pour the two parts into a first container, mix them thoroughly and then pour the combination into the middle of a second container and mix. What a double pour does is avoid having unmixed materials that have stuck to the walls of the container come out when you are applying the epoxy. Keep your pot life / working time in mind.
Most of the time I am using a generic 5oz plastic cup and plastic knife to do the mixing. I buy them by the hundreds for Ronin’s Grips and they are cheap regardless. Do not use styrofoam.
Prepare the surface
Whatever you want to bond epoxy to had better be clean and free of oils, greases, waxes, release agents and so forth. Second, the more abraded the surface the better. If you abrasive blast a surface not only can you double the surface area being bonded together but the irregular surface creates many opportunities for the epoxy to get “under” material to create a better grip. If you can’t blast then at least sand the surface with 80-100 grit sand paper.
So here are two rules to bear in mind when it comes to the surface:
Clean, clean, clean and wear gloves to not contaminate the surface with oil from your skin
Shiny is bad. A polished smooth surface will not give you anywhere near the bonding strength that a blasted or abraded surface will. I blast everything that I can – metals, micarta, plastic and even wood. It makes a world of difference – seriously.
The following is a bakelite handle from an electric griddle of my parents’. The unit works great and has sentimental value so I cleaned it, blasted it, cut a quick cross hatch pattern to give even more grip and then cleaned it again. It set up like a rock and we used it all Memorial Day morning to cook hundreds and hundreds of pancakes with no problem.\
Heating Epoxy
Heat can help you two ways. First, by warming epoxy it tends to flow better. If you need to to soak into wood or other surfaces, consider using a heat gun to blow/chase the epoxy into the wood. Do not burn the epoxy – just warm it up. Second, in general, warming epoxy up tends to make it cure faster. Now there are limits and you need to either experiment or talk to the vendor before doing anything too radical. I will often use a halogen light or other heat source to warm the surface up to 80-100F. In chemistry, there is a formula known as the Arrhenius Equation that notes that for each additional 10 degrees Celsius added, a reaction rate doubles (click here for more info on the equation). My experience is that you want the heat to penetrate and warm all of the epoxy and not just the surface and you also do not want to burn the epoxy. In general, I do not exceed 100F but that is just me. I found something that works good enough and have just stayed there.
Also pay attention to the minimum temperature requirements for curing. Some epoxies will not do anything at all at freezing. Some take forever to cure at 50F. It just depends. When in doubt, use a lamp or something to gently heat the part.
Coloring Epoxy
What many folks do not know is that you can actually color epoxy. I have found two approaches that work. First, use powdered tempera paint. You can stir in a bit of black powder to get black epoxy. Now I did this starting out and have since moved to using epoxy dyes so I am added less powder to the mix because I want to save the volume for glass fillers which we will talk about next.
Fillers
You can modify the physical strength of epoxy by adding a substrate or fillers. For example, fiberglass is matted glass fiber that bonded together with epoxy made for that purpose. Folks working with carbon fibers are using epoxy for bonding that together. I add 1/32″ milled glass fibers to my epoxies to get more strength. If I want more of a paste, I add more glass fiber and if I want it to be more of a liquid, I use less. The exact volume of glass fiber depends on what you are trying to do. Some vendors will give you recommendations and others will not.
Clamping / Work holding
In general, you want to apply the epoxy and then clamp everything together really well and then let it sit. You may choose to use traditional clamps, vacuum, etc. Bear in mind two things:
1. Be careful that you secure the material and that it can’t shift while curing. I can’t tell you how many times I have checked stuff and found out it moved and had to change my approach. Figure this out before you apply the glue in case you need to make something, change your approach, etc. Check it regularly to make sure it hasn’t shifted regardless. Every time I think something can’t move – it does.
2. The epoxy will run out of what you are working on. Decide how you are going to deal with it. Wax paper can protect your tools and table. You can scrape the epoxy off after it has partially cured. You can wipe things down with acetone when partially cured. Just think it through otherwise you are going to glue stuff together really well that you do not want bonded – trust me. It is a real headache so plan for seepage/dripping and how you will deal with it.
Patience
This is something I have gotten better at over the years – wait the recommended amount of time. If they say 24 hours then wait 24 hours. If you have questions about using the part sooner then ask the manufacturer. For example, you might be able to assemble something after 10 hours but not actually put it under strain for 24 hours. Factor in the temperature. The colder it is then the longer it will take. Remember what I said about the heat from lamps above.
Safety
Yeah, I had to add this. Follow all guidance from the vendors. The resins aren’t too bad but some of the hardeners are nasty. Wear rubber gloves, use eye protection, work in a well ventilated area and wear a real good dust mask when sanding. I use N99 masks now for everything.
I hope you found this general epoxy guidance helpful!
If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.
