http://wiki.advancecoatings.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Advance&feedformat=atomAdvance Coatings Wiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T06:55:27ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.1http://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=812Main Page2024-03-29T01:14:40Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>Welcome to the Advance Coatings Wiki. Join me, an IT and EE engineer as I learn how to use<br />
these products. <br />
<br />
[https://advancecoatings.com Back to Advance Coatings Homepage]<br />
<br />
Please consider this site as an informal 'How To' for our products.<br />
It is a testing ground, and any advice here is used at your own risk for the time being.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
Here are the top level categories of our pages. These pages primarily serve as a resource for our main website, and are not a core part of the wiki. They can be skipped.<br />
; [[:Category:Products|Products]]<br />
: [[:Category:Gelcoats|Gelcoats]]<br />
: [[:Category:Resins|Resins]]<br />
: [[:Category:Putties|Putties]]<br />
: [[:Category:ResinAdditives|Resin Additives]]<br />
: [[Fiberglass]]<br />
: [[:Category:MiscellaneousParts|Miscellaneous Parts]]<br />
<br />
==Wiki Specific Pages==<br />
Below are more detailed write-ups for certain products.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Safety]] - Read this page first.<br />
<br />
===Products===<br />
[[Aliphatic Urethane]] - A general purpose finish coating.<br />
<br />
[[Epoxy]] - A highly reactive mixture that forms a strong coat.<br />
<br />
[[Fiberglass]] - Different types and sold by the roll.<br />
<br />
[[Hull and Deck Putty]] - A multipurpose polyester adhesive putty.<br />
<br />
===Guides===<br />
[[Application Notes]] - Instructions on using our products, with real life examples.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide#Mixing_Table | Catalyst Chart]] - Example amounts of Catalyst to add to Polyester Resin.<br />
<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Tips for Fiberglass Application from the Catalog<br />
<br />
[[Mold Making | General Build Tips]]<br />
<br />
===Tools / Misc:===<br />
[[Acetone]] - A general purpose solvent, for cleaning uncured resins from tools or workspaces.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Measuring Syringes]] - Useful for when working with small amounts of resin.<br />
<br />
[[Foam Cutter]] - An easy to make tool to cut styrofoam.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - A Hardener/Catalyst for resins.<br />
<br />
[[Mold Release]] - Wax or Polyvinyl Alcohol.<br />
<br />
[[Nap Roller]]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[[Gallery]] - Image Gallery<br />
<br />
[[SEM Images]] - Scanning Electron Microscope images of Advance Coatings products.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Safety_Goggles&diff=811Safety Goggles2024-03-26T05:29:35Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>Safety glasses (at a bare minimum) or better, Safety Goggles are highly recommended for all work with any chemicals. <br />
Of particular danger is the catalysts ([[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide | MEKP]] or Part B of Epoxy). The catalyst tend to be more hazardous and reactive than the resins. <br />
{{Template:EyeProtection}}<br />
<br />
===Details===<br />
It's possible to get a name brand pair of Safety Goggles from local industrial suppliers (but as of 2024, big box stores such as Home Depot do not have them). I don't recommend any particular manufacturer, and you are encouraged to do your own research. I would assume that the companies that make Ski Goggles make good goggles for working with chemicals. This is not surprising, since the end product is similar. The pair I recently purchased was $20-30 picked up retail at a Grainger (again, not recommended, just the first that came up in a search). $20-30 is a lot more than a pair of safety glasses. but this is to protect eyesight, and the advantages will outweigh any of the cost. They simply make working with eye protection a better experience, and there is no going back to safety glasses, once you have a good pair of goggles. They protect the eyes better, are more comfortable, fog less, and visibility is better. They also fit the [[Respirator]] much better than a pair of safety glasses does.<br />
<br />
===Do Not Buy These Low Cost Goggles===<br />
[[File:Lowcostsafetygogglesnotrecommended.jpg|200px|right]]<br />
I do not recommend the low cost ($7) goggles such as pictured. These goggles are intended for mass production, and universal fit. They are useless because the fit is always a poor one around the edges. There is no proper rubber gasket around the side (just the plastic of the goggle). And the head strap is not as well made. This type of goggle should be completely avoided.<br />
<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Do Not Scratch the Goggles====<br />
The first thing you should realize with the goggles, is that you absolutely under no circumstances want to scratch them.<br />
There is a tendency to be lazy with tools and leave them haphazardly around the workshop. Most people tend to work like<br />
this. But with a nice pair of goggles, you want to be 100% careful about where you put them. Always leave them with the <br />
lens facing up or on its side (never down). It may be possible to polish scratches out of the lens, but it is something<br />
that I haven't tried, and results would likely vary.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Safety&diff=810Safety2024-03-26T05:28:58Z<p>Advance: /* Epoxy Resin */</p>
<hr />
<div>Here are some notes with regards to safety and the products we sell.<br />
<br />
==Safety Equipment==<br />
* [[Safety Goggles]] <br />
* [[Respirator]] - Recommended for large jobs.<br />
<br />
==Generally Hazardous Products==<br />
* [[Acetone]] - flammable<br />
* [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - flammable, corrosive, hazardous to humans. Avoid skin contact.<br />
* All resins are flammable, and will burn for a long time.<br />
<br />
==General Tips==<br />
* Urethaning or application of resin should be done with a [[Respirator]] w/organic filters.<br />
* You will want an adequate supply of disposable gloves.<br />
* Glass fibers can be hazardous when sanding. Work in an appropriate area, w/proper mask and ventilation.<br />
<br />
==Resources==<br />
===Epoxy Resin===<br />
<br />
No Escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeaX0IRjyd8<br />
<br />
https://www.csb.gov/videos/no-escape-dangers-of-confined-spaces/<br />
<br />
In this video by the United States Chemical Safety Board, you can see how an epoxy resin fire in a maintenance pipe, caused death by <br />
smoke inhalation for the trapped workers inside. Epoxy resin will burn for a long time and generate a substantial amount of smoke.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Safety&diff=809Safety2024-03-26T05:27:09Z<p>Advance: /* General Tips */</p>
<hr />
<div>Here are some notes with regards to safety and the products we sell.<br />
<br />
==Safety Equipment==<br />
* [[Safety Goggles]] <br />
* [[Respirator]] - Recommended for large jobs.<br />
<br />
==Generally Hazardous Products==<br />
* [[Acetone]] - flammable<br />
* [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - flammable, corrosive, hazardous to humans. Avoid skin contact.<br />
* All resins are flammable, and will burn for a long time.<br />
<br />
==General Tips==<br />
* Urethaning or application of resin should be done with a [[Respirator]] w/organic filters.<br />
* You will want an adequate supply of disposable gloves.<br />
* Glass fibers can be hazardous when sanding. Work in an appropriate area, w/proper mask and ventilation.<br />
<br />
==Resources==<br />
===Epoxy Resin===<br />
<br />
No escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeaX0IRjyd8<br />
<br />
https://www.csb.gov/videos/no-escape-dangers-of-confined-spaces/<br />
<br />
In this video by the USCSB, you can see how epoxy resin use in a maintenance pipe, caused death by <br />
smoke inhalation for the workers inside. Epoxy resin will burn for a long time and generate a substantial amount of smoke.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Safety&diff=808Safety2024-03-26T05:25:51Z<p>Advance: /* Generally Hazardous Products */</p>
<hr />
<div>Here are some notes with regards to safety and the products we sell.<br />
<br />
==Safety Equipment==<br />
* [[Safety Goggles]] <br />
* [[Respirator]] - Recommended for large jobs.<br />
<br />
==Generally Hazardous Products==<br />
* [[Acetone]] - flammable<br />
* [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - flammable, corrosive, hazardous to humans. Avoid skin contact.<br />
* All resins are flammable, and will burn for a long time.<br />
<br />
==General Tips==<br />
* Urethaning or application of resin should be done with a safety mask w/organic filters.<br />
* Always wear (preferably disposable) gloves.<br />
* Glass fibers can be hazardous when sanding. Work in an appropriate area, w/proper mask and ventilation.<br />
<br />
==Resources==<br />
===Epoxy Resin===<br />
<br />
No escape: Dangers of Confined Spaces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeaX0IRjyd8<br />
<br />
https://www.csb.gov/videos/no-escape-dangers-of-confined-spaces/<br />
<br />
In this video by the USCSB, you can see how epoxy resin use in a maintenance pipe, caused death by <br />
smoke inhalation for the workers inside. Epoxy resin will burn for a long time and generate a substantial amount of smoke.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Hull_and_Deck_Putty&diff=807Hull and Deck Putty2024-03-26T05:24:45Z<p>Advance: /* Usage Tips */</p>
<hr />
<div>Hull & Deck putty is a polyester resin based putty we manufacture and sell. It is mixed with a small amount of catalyst ([[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] or MEKP), and hardens within a few minutes.<br />
<br />
==Usage Tips==<br />
If [[Acetone]] is my first favorite tool at this company, than Hull & Deck Putty is my second. It is easy to use, and is useful in a variety of situations.<br />
<br />
[[File:Pvc_and_4x4_post_with_hadputty.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The ability to adhere will vary depending on the material and surface prep. Here putty from PVC to a weather treated 4x4 works well.]]<br />
I find myself using it as a glue. You can use it to really lock something into place, such as the pvc pipe attached to a 4x4 wooden post pictured here. In this scenario, I used a liberal amount of putty to keep the pipe from moving around. This was a stand for a weather station. <br />
<br />
However the above is difficult to reverse, should you want to take things apart. While you can sand it down, it may be more trouble than it's worth. For temporary installations, another way to use it is to apply small spots of the glue at various points, such as you might when making tack welds. These can be easily chiseled off if kept small enough. I have used such tack putty welds to keep my weather station from rotating where it sits on a metal pole. It's just enough to keep it from moving, while still removable.<br />
<br />
<br />
A can keeps for a couple months if kept in a cool and dark place. Keep the cover on when not in use. Use a large popsicle stick and a paper cup to mix a small amount. It can cure quickly if you use too much catalyst, but since the quantity is low, it's easy to try again. The images below are my preferred way to use it around the shop, as an ad-hoc adhesive.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Hadpintcan.jpg<br />
File:Hadinapapercup.jpg<br />
File:Hadinpapercup2.jpg<br />
File:Pvc_and_4x4_post_with_hadputty.jpg<br />
File:Hull deck putty.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:Putties]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Hull_and_Deck_Putty&diff=806Hull and Deck Putty2024-03-26T05:23:51Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>Hull & Deck putty is a polyester resin based putty we manufacture and sell. It is mixed with a small amount of catalyst ([[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] or MEKP), and hardens within a few minutes.<br />
<br />
==Usage Tips==<br />
If acetone is my first favorite tool at this company, than Hull & Deck Putty is my second. It is easy to use, and is useful in a variety of situations.<br />
<br />
[[File:Pvc_and_4x4_post_with_hadputty.jpg|200px|thumb|right|The ability to adhere will vary depending on the material and surface prep. Here putty from PVC to a weather treated 4x4 works well.]]<br />
I find myself using it as a glue. You can use it to really lock something into place, such as the pvc pipe attached to a 4x4 wooden post pictured here. In this scenario, I used a liberal amount of putty to keep the pipe from moving around. This was a stand for a weather station. <br />
<br />
However the above is difficult to reverse, should you want to take things apart. While you can sand it down, it may be more trouble than it's worth. For temporary installations, another way to use it is to apply small spots of the glue at various points, such as you might when making tack welds. These can be easily chiseled off if kept small enough. I have used such tack putty welds to keep my weather station from rotating where it sits on a metal pole. It's just enough to keep it from moving, while still removable.<br />
<br />
<br />
A can keeps for a couple months if kept in a cool and dark place. Keep the cover on when not in use. Use a large popsicle stick and a paper cup to mix a small amount. It can cure quickly if you use too much catalyst, but since the quantity is low, it's easy to try again. The images below are my preferred way to use it around the shop, as an ad-hoc adhesive.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Hadpintcan.jpg<br />
File:Hadinapapercup.jpg<br />
File:Hadinpapercup2.jpg<br />
File:Pvc_and_4x4_post_with_hadputty.jpg<br />
File:Hull deck putty.jpg<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:Putties]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Epoxy_for_Bathroom_Bolt_Replacement&diff=805Epoxy for Bathroom Bolt Replacement2024-03-26T05:22:52Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>This is a story about trying to replace floor bolts on a rear exit toilet. The first attempt was to use epoxy to put new bolts into a preexisting tiled bathroom floor. The epoxy approach ended up not turning out properly (due to user error), and instead Polyester Resin based Hull and Deck Putty attached to a piece of mild steel and a stainless nut was used instead as an adhesive. Then this also failed, and instead of using any kind of resin here (which was too difficult to adhere to the stainless), simple welding and concrete screws were used. While all of these approaches could potentially work if done properly, the easiest thing was to weld and use concrete screws. <br />
<br />
The epoxy approach was not taken seriously enough, the bolts were not put deep enough into the floor, and the measurements were incorrect, the polyester approach was flawed due to differences in bonding between mild steel (which adhered well to the putty) and improperly prepared stainless (which did not stick to the putty). The final approach turned out to be the right answer here. Note that we actually sell a resin designed to work with concrete anchors, but I didn't use that here. That will have to wait for another day. Concrete screws are good enough for an indoor residential toilet.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
<br />
The toilet has four bolts. Two on the back, and two on the bottom. It is a toilet which exits out the back (a rear outlet toilet). The two bottom bolts have rusted out over time. The two back bolts are still intact. The goal will be to somehow replace the floor bolts. This project did not turn out correctly the first time, so there will be two approaches documented here.<br />
<br />
'''Concerns:'''<br />
* The old bolts will be rusted, only until they go into the floor, at which point they will be solid bolts.<br />
* Replacement of the tile/subfloor is not practical. We just want to change out the bolts.<br />
* The new bolts must be set in epoxy/glue/adhesive strong enough to keep the toilet from moving.<br />
<br />
==Approach One: Epoxy bolts into the floor==<br />
<br />
===Items needed===<br />
* Two Part Epoxy (Part A is base resin. Part B is hardener)<br />
* Acetone (cleanup)<br />
* Brass/Stainless nuts and bolts of appropriate length<br />
* Washers<br />
* Basic tools for removal of toilet (various wrenches, screwdriver, socket set).<br />
<br />
===Removal of toilet===<br />
The removal of the toilet here is relatively easy. It required a flat head screwdriver (for tank bolts) and a ratchet set to hold the bolt stead. There are also the drain bolts which require pliers or a wrench. The trickier part is putting it back together, without a leak. Certain parts of the toilet are prone to leaking, so a wax ring (I've been told these are made of beeswax) is used, and some wax put on<br />
any seals that may leak (the bolts that hold the top tank as well as the center top tank outlet are coated with some wax). <br />
<br />
===Preparation===<br />
Items required were purchased from the hardware store. This job required at least:<br />
* Brass bolts<br />
* Brass nuts<br />
* stainless or brass washers<br />
* Two Part Epoxy <!--What epoxy used here? --><br />
And you should have some basic tools, including a hand drill, and drill bits. The plan will be to drill a hole into the ceramic tile, fill the hole with epoxy, let cure, then do at least one more layer of epoxy after the first.<br />
<br />
Buy different lengths of bolts. I bought 1.5" and 2". I ended up using the 2". What length to use will depend upon your floor. Also measure the toilet tank bolt hole diameter, and do not buy a bolt bigger than what will fit through the toilet!<br />
[[File:DrillbitsUsedforTiledFloor.JPG|300px|thumb|right|These bits were used to drill into the floor. Ideally, you would have a press not a hand drill, but a hand drill will do the job.]]<br />
<br />
===Drilling into Tile===<br />
Drilling into tile seemed easy. The old bolts were still in the tile. I did not remove those, but drilled adjacent to them. Ideally I would've drilled through the old bolts (which were only rusted on top) but this proved too difficult without a drill press to stabilize. I ended up angling the bolts slightly, and tested a fit beforehand to confirm that it would work, by placing the toilet over the bolts which were blue taped into position.<br />
<br />
===Epoxy Layering===<br />
After placing the bolts, and mixing / pouring the two part epoxy, I used blue tape to hold the bolts in proper position. After at least 12 hours (I waited overnight) the bolts were checked, confirmed to be firm and then I gambled. I poured the next layer of mixed epoxy onto the base of the bolts, and then placed the toilet back on, while the bolts were still curing. I do not recommend this, but due to time constraints, I wanted to get the toilet back into working order. <br />
[[File:Epoxy_bolt_acetone_to_clean.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Acetone is necessary for cleanup. Here a $2 bottle from the grocery store will do in a pinch, as I didn't have any of the more pure stuff we sell. Caution: Flammable!]]<br />
By carefully placing the toilet, as to not break the first epoxy bond, I was then ready to re-assemble the toilet, and let the 2nd layer of epoxy fully cure. I waited again, overnight.<br />
<br />
<small>It should be noted that when placing the first layer of epoxy in the tile, and its subfloor (likely hardy board), that much of the first layer soaked into the subfloor. This was another reason for the 2nd coat. I wanted to ensure the bolts did not come loose. They were cured into the tile, but the left bolt was less so than the right. A 2nd layer, ensured the epoxy was set.</small><br />
<br />
===How Thick Can the Epoxy Be Layered?===<br />
I know from my experiments with silicone molds - not too thick. The epoxy we sell is not for making 3"x3"x3" cubes, it's for using as a protective layer for floors or similar such usage. Maybe 8mm thick is a good place to stay under.<br />
<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Let me emphasize the necessity of acetone for cleanup.<br />
<br />
Upon pouring the first layer, there was some overspill from the epoxy, as it settled into the tile/subfloor. This epoxy if not cured, would've put some millimeters on the tile, and possibly upset the toilet from sitting flat. Acetone is the best way to clean 'uncured' epoxy in this situation. It will clean up neatly, and can be purchased from Advance Coatings (better quality) or from Grocery Stores (low quality). See [[Acetone]], for more details.<br />
<br />
===Reassembly of toilet===<br />
<pre><br />
attachment of washer + nut<br />
tighten 'handtight', then finish with a few turns (not too many) with wrench.<br />
cleanup<br />
job complete<br />
</pre><br />
[[File:DSCN0096.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Bolts Replaced]]<br />
<br />
===Approach One Conclusion: 12/2020===<br />
The epoxy bolts weren't placed appropriately, (bad measurement) they were angled slightly, and also due to not drilling deep enough the bolts were not held strongly enough into the floor. So this approach did not pan out in the end.<br />
<br />
====What would a plumber do?====<br />
I asked the opinion of a plumber on how to replace these, and he said they would simply drill down into the concrete with longer bolts, from the top of the toilet after installing. I then asked him, what would they do when the toilet needed to be removed, and he said drill even deeper bolts after replacing it. Of course, that can't go on forever, so at some point, you end up through the floor. (This is a limitation of my residence, and not of necessarily all homes). The plumbers are busy men, and they don't have time to make a project out of the bolt replacement, so sometimes their solutions are rushed more than someone with enough time to experiment can do. So let's return back to this problem in 2023.<br />
<br />
==Approach Two: 2023 Polyester Putty and Mild Steel ==<br />
The toilet has been mostly ok for the past couple years, but it is not as solid as it should be without floor bolts. I delayed this project for a long time, because I wasn't sure just how I could properly do this, without a repeat of the first approach. I got into welding, and starting buying mild steel (which I will refer to as soft steel for the remainder of this document) at the local metal supermarket, when I realized a more robust solution.<br />
<br />
===Plan===<br />
Instead of trying to set bolts in the floor, I would somehow set a nut below the toilet, and then use threaded rod to thread into the nut from above (with the toilet already placed), finally placing a nut on top of the rod to hold the toilet in place. This way I don't have to worry about placement of the toilet bolt without the toilet in place. I can place the nut, adjust it so there is a good fit to the toilet bolt holes, and then set everything in place. (This is a limitation of rear outlet toilets, as you have to set the floor bolts AND the back bolts properly. Where as a normal toilet, you only have to set two bolts. With four bolts there is less margin for error).<br />
<br />
To go into details on this approach: I would put a nut on a piece of soft steel with adhesive (in this case I used Polyester Resin putty, although epoxy probably could've been used). and then the soft steel would be held in the tile with some premixed grout (I considered using Putty, but it doesn't bond to ceramic, so grout was a better choice). Any reasonably multi purpose bathroom concrete / tile mix would probably work. Sanded (not non-sanded) grout, should be used.<br />
<br />
With a nut securely held below the toilet, you can cut a piece of threaded rod (stainless) and then fit it after the toilet has been <br />
placed, putting another nut on top of it, to hold it in place. <br />
<br />
Using threaded rod, instead of bolts was a better solution, as the threaded rod can be cut to size.<br />
<br />
===Items Needed===<br />
* Proper eye, ear, and face protection (ideally a welding helmet)<br />
* Angle grinder or bandsaw<br />
* Stainless threaded rod<br />
* Stainless nut<br />
* Adhesive (Polyester Hull and Deck Putty was used here)<br />
* Sanded grout <br />
* Soft (mild) steel bar cut to size<br />
* File or someway to scratch the steel and nut.<br />
<br />
===Steps===<br />
<br />
# Drill out a part of the soft steel so there is a place for the nut to sit. This is optional, and depends how much space you have below the toilet.<br />
# Mix a small paper cup of putty with some MEKP catalyst.<br />
# Use putty to hold the nut on the soft steel. Make sure not to get any putty on the threads of the nut, or where the threaded rod has to go. However the putty should be over the top of the nut, not just on the sides. If you only put putty on the sides, and it doesn't adhere to the hard stainless, the nut may be able to be pulled upwards.<br />
[[File:Soft steel and stainelss with putty.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Putty adheres to soft steel, but not as well to stainless with just a basic file.]]<br />
# Wait until the putty cures. It should be placed slightly over the top of the nut, but not over the threads. See the pictures. <br />
# Cut threaded rod to an appropriate size for a floor bolt. How long will depend on how low the soft steel and nut will be below the toilet. Because the threaded rod is threaded on, 'after', the toilet is in place, it can be longer than a standard floor bolt. <br />
# Mark off a square where you will remove the tile. It should be sized slightly larger than the piece of soft steel.<br />
# Use an angle grinder, and ideally an abrasive diamond blade (although in a pinch, a standard metal cut off wheel will work. Wear proper protection.) and cut the lines you marked off previously<br />
# Use a hammer and or some type of chisel (A screw driver will work in a pinch) to remove the tile within the square you cut in the previous step. This step will have a lot of flying ceramic pieces, so make sure your glasses are on properly.<br />
# Some measurement of the toilet, and where the bolts will go is now in order. You should be able to place the soft steel w/nut under the toilet, and review that the threaded rod will fit before curing it in place with grout. Use a marker to assist in placement by making lines that intersect where the nut will go.<br />
# Once you are confident the measurements are correct, grout the steel into the floor with the nut. <br />
# Wait for the grout to cure (12-24 hours)<br />
[[File:Soft steel and stainless with putty and grout.jpg|150px|thumb|right|End result, with grout holding steel in place. Note the putty is over the top of the nut to hold it without biting into it.]]<br />
# Place the toilet.<br />
# Put the threaded rod in the floor nuts.<br />
# Put a washer and nut on the threaded rod.<br />
<br />
===Notes===<br />
Always place a nut on the threaded rod before cutting it, so you can get the threads properly grooved out after it's cut. Otherwise you will have to use a tap and die set to regroove where it's cut.<br />
<br />
Stainless Steel bar could be used, but it's much harder to cut. You will need carbide or proper bits. There are drill bit charts such as the MSC catalog, which show what metals need what type of drill bit.<br />
<br />
The putty adheres well to solid steel, but not as much to the stainless (I may have not scratched the stainless nut enough). So in this case, we will make sure to put the putty over the top of the nut to hold it in place.<br />
<br />
One advantage of the putty is that it cures faster. Where as you could use grout for everything here, it will take a bit longer for the grout to properly cure. The putty will cure a bit faster than that (I can't speak for full strength, however). Curing speed of the putty will depend on amount of catalyst used, though I try to use less, rather than more.<br />
<br />
[[File:Toilet floor bolts Putty not over top of nut.webm||100|]]<br />
[[File:Putty SoftSteel Toilet floor bolts.webm||100|]]<br />
<br />
===End Result===<br />
The putty adhered well to the soft steel, but did not adhere as well to the stainless. This may have been due to me not preparing the stainless surface properly. Because it is so hard, you may need to take extra care to scratch off the outside layer. As a result, one of the pieces of steel had the nut fall out and the putty did not hold it in properly. Instead I went with the third and final approach. Third times the charm.<br />
<br />
==Best Approach: Steel bar, Concrete screws, and Welding==<br />
* Take a piece of mild steel bar (stainless would be better if you have carbide bits)<br />
* Drill holes in the mild steel around the center, where you will later use concrete screws to hold the steel in the concrete subfloor. A drill press works best.<br />
* Remove the toilet, put it aside.<br />
* Break up the tiles underneath the toilet with a hammer / screwdriver, or angle grinder, or whatever chisel type tools you have available. You want to make rectangles just slightly bigger than the steel bar.<br />
* Position the steel bar under the toilet in the holes prepared.<br />
* Use concrete screws and get it solidly adhered to the floor (you will need an appropriate masonry bit to drill preholes, but any drill should work, you don't necessarily need a concrete / hammer drill. A normal drill is ok. Get extra masonry bits as they break easy (this kind of work should have coolant on the bit, but that's impractical here)). I use 3/16 drill bits and 1/4 concrete screws. The tapcon ones sell separate drill bits, and I've found that the socket tapcon screws are much better than the philips head type. You may need a socket set or a wrench.<br />
* Put the bottom half of the toilet back (make sure it is making a tight seal with the floor or wall flange, if this is a rear exit toilet) and mark with a sharpie where the Toilet holes will go on the soft steel. There should besome space so that the nut or any of the screws won't cause the toilet to stick up from the floor.<br />
* Weld a stainless nut just over the sharpie mark. (protect it from weld spatter)<br />
* Put the toilet back. Make sure it is flush with the floor.<br />
* Thread a cut piece of stainless rod in the toilet hole and into the nut.<br />
* Put another nut w/washer on the rod. <br />
<br />
That is the best approach. There is no need to use putty or epoxy. It's best to weld the nut after the toilet is placed, to make<br />
placement easier. Otherwise you may have some headache trying to adjust where the hole will line up with the toilet. A quick internet<br />
search says that toilet floor bolts are not standardized. A flux core welder can be rented from hardware stores if necessary.<br />
<br />
I suppose epoxy or resin could be used to hold bolts, but I found that putting a nut below the toilet, and then using threaded rod to go through the toilet bolt hole to the nut below was more modular. For a bottom exit toilet, it may not matter, but for a rear entry toilet, the placement of 4 bolts (instead of just 2) is more difficult, so this is what works for me.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Dust_Mask&diff=804Dust Mask2024-03-26T05:19:23Z<p>Advance: /* Dust Masks / Respirators */</p>
<hr />
<div>General purpose protection against a wide range of non-toxic dusts and mists. Suitable for home do-it-yourself projects. Disposable. No messy cleaning chores. The flexible metal noseband and soft non-woven material ensure a tight, comfortable fit.<br />
<br />
Sold in singles, or boxes of 20.<br />
<br />
==Dust Mask is Recommended==<br />
Some form of breathing protection is recommended when working with Advance Coatings Resins. The amount of protection can vary from a basic dust mask, to a respirator with replaceable cartridges, to full supplemental oxygen, depending on your needs. <br />
==Dust Masks / Respirators==<br />
<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
<br />
====Cartridges should be replaced periodically====<br />
Cartridges will over time be saturated with gases and should be replaced. Purchase enough so that you have extras.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:MiscellaneousParts]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Dust_Mask&diff=803Dust Mask2024-03-26T05:19:14Z<p>Advance: /* Dust Masks / Respirators */</p>
<hr />
<div>General purpose protection against a wide range of non-toxic dusts and mists. Suitable for home do-it-yourself projects. Disposable. No messy cleaning chores. The flexible metal noseband and soft non-woven material ensure a tight, comfortable fit.<br />
<br />
Sold in singles, or boxes of 20.<br />
<br />
==Dust Mask is Recommended==<br />
Some form of breathing protection is recommended when working with Advance Coatings Resins. The amount of protection can vary from a basic dust mask, to a respirator with replaceable cartridges, to full supplemental oxygen, depending on your needs. <br />
==Dust Masks / Respirators==<br />
<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
<br />
<br />
====Cartridges should be replaced periodically====<br />
Cartridges will over time be saturated with gases and should be replaced. Purchase enough so that you have extras.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:MiscellaneousParts]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=802Foam Cutter2024-03-26T05:15:44Z<p>Advance: /* Curing Notes */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was enough to get the wire to cut through foam. There's no need for the wire to be glowing red or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. In my tests I used traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much [[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide | MEKP]]. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this (but not so little as to not cure).<br />
<br />
==Conclusion==<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
===CNC===<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.<br />
</gallery></div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=801Foam Cutter2024-03-26T05:14:49Z<p>Advance: /* Styrofoam */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was enough to get the wire to cut through foam. There's no need for the wire to be glowing red or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. In my tests I used traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
==Conclusion==<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
===CNC===<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.<br />
</gallery></div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=800Foam Cutter2024-03-26T05:14:18Z<p>Advance: /* Power Supply */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was enough to get the wire to cut through foam. There's no need for the wire to be glowing red or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
==Conclusion==<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
===CNC===<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.<br />
</gallery></div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Polyester_Resin&diff=799Polyester Resin2024-03-26T05:11:55Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>Orthophthalic, non-sag, medium viscosity, general purpose, laminating or finishing (Wax or no Wax - see [[Hand Lay Up Guide]]). Most commonly used polyester for Fiberglass work.<br />
<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:FlammableRedLabel}}<br />
==Tips and tricks==<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Use [[Acetone]] and rags for any spills.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:Resins]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide&diff=798Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide2024-03-26T05:09:48Z<p>Advance: /* Splashing */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] (MEKP) is a hardener for [[Polyester Resin]]s and [[Gelcoat]]s. 9% active oxygen. It is used in small quantities relative to the resin when mixing.<br />
<br />
Note: Over 8 oz. cannot be shipped UPS<br />
<br />
Always do a trial run if you are unsure what amount of catalyst to use.<br />
<br />
==Safety==<br />
[[File:MEKP Small Bottle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]<br />
MEKP is highly flammable. It is also corrosive. Do not allow it to come in contact with skin. It will cause a chemical burn. Goggles should be worn when mixing. The MEKP we sell is diluted, but still hazardous. Wear protective goggles when mixing resin and hardener together. Wear long sleeve clothing, including face protection if there is any risk of the mekp splashing. Keep away from children.<br />
<br />
===Splashing===<br />
Any MEKP splashing on the skin should be immediately cleaned off and rinsed with water. You should be wearing full protective clothing, face mask, and goggles if there is any risk of inadvertent contact. Avoid using MEKP in situations, where splashing may occur.<br />
<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:OrganicPeroxideLabel}}<br />
<br />
==Mixing Table==<br />
{{MixingTable}}<br />
==Tips/Tricks==<br />
===Catalyst Measuring Syringes===<br />
You may want to consider using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] when dispensing small amounts of MEKP for better accuracy.<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Of all the chemicals we use, the most unpleasant to cleanup is MEKP, so try to avoid spilling it. You can spill resin, or acetone and it will clean relatively easy, but MEKP has a bit of a nasty scent when it reacts with the environment. So please take extra care with MEKP.<br />
===The amount of catalyst used can vary depending on the 'thickness' of the Polyester resin mass===<br />
As an example, if you have 1/2 quart of resin in a 1 quart can, and you use 2ml of MEKP from a syringe, the resin will cure to a solid mass, although it may take overnight. This is a very small amount of MEKP. Because the resin is in a large mass, (i.e. you are curing the resin in the can itself) you are able to use a smaller amount of catalyst. On the other hand, if you try to brush or spray the same amount of resin & hardener to a thin film coating, it will not properly cure. In order to cure that same 1/2 quart of resin brushed to a thin coat, you must use 5ml of MEKP. <br />
<br />
To put it simply, if you are curing a thick mass of Polyester resin, you are able to use less MEKP. Thin films will require more. In general, 1% is a recommended amount of MEKP. But, this nuance of resin is important to understand. You can use smaller amounts of MEKP in thicker masses of resin to get an equivalent cure. Be careful not to confuse this with the epoxy we sell where thick masses of epoxy resin are not possible to be cured (it will exothermically react, i.e. generate steam and overheat).<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Catalyst 1.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 2.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 3.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Detailed instructions for Polyester Resin application.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide&diff=797Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide2024-03-26T05:09:14Z<p>Advance: /* Safety */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] (MEKP) is a hardener for [[Polyester Resin]]s and [[Gelcoat]]s. 9% active oxygen. It is used in small quantities relative to the resin when mixing.<br />
<br />
Note: Over 8 oz. cannot be shipped UPS<br />
<br />
Always do a trial run if you are unsure what amount of catalyst to use.<br />
<br />
==Safety==<br />
[[File:MEKP Small Bottle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]<br />
MEKP is highly flammable. It is also corrosive. Do not allow it to come in contact with skin. It will cause a chemical burn. Goggles should be worn when mixing. The MEKP we sell is diluted, but still hazardous. Wear protective goggles when mixing resin and hardener together. Wear long sleeve clothing, including face protection if there is any risk of the mekp splashing. Keep away from children.<br />
<br />
===Splashing===<br />
Any MEKP splashing on the skin should be immediately cleaned off and rinsed with water. You should be wearing full protective clothing, face mask, and goggles if there is any risk of inadvertent contact. Avoid using the MEKP in situations, where splashing may occur.<br />
<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:OrganicPeroxideLabel}}<br />
<br />
==Mixing Table==<br />
{{MixingTable}}<br />
==Tips/Tricks==<br />
===Catalyst Measuring Syringes===<br />
You may want to consider using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] when dispensing small amounts of MEKP for better accuracy.<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Of all the chemicals we use, the most unpleasant to cleanup is MEKP, so try to avoid spilling it. You can spill resin, or acetone and it will clean relatively easy, but MEKP has a bit of a nasty scent when it reacts with the environment. So please take extra care with MEKP.<br />
===The amount of catalyst used can vary depending on the 'thickness' of the Polyester resin mass===<br />
As an example, if you have 1/2 quart of resin in a 1 quart can, and you use 2ml of MEKP from a syringe, the resin will cure to a solid mass, although it may take overnight. This is a very small amount of MEKP. Because the resin is in a large mass, (i.e. you are curing the resin in the can itself) you are able to use a smaller amount of catalyst. On the other hand, if you try to brush or spray the same amount of resin & hardener to a thin film coating, it will not properly cure. In order to cure that same 1/2 quart of resin brushed to a thin coat, you must use 5ml of MEKP. <br />
<br />
To put it simply, if you are curing a thick mass of Polyester resin, you are able to use less MEKP. Thin films will require more. In general, 1% is a recommended amount of MEKP. But, this nuance of resin is important to understand. You can use smaller amounts of MEKP in thicker masses of resin to get an equivalent cure. Be careful not to confuse this with the epoxy we sell where thick masses of epoxy resin are not possible to be cured (it will exothermically react, i.e. generate steam and overheat).<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Catalyst 1.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 2.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 3.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Detailed instructions for Polyester Resin application.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=796Main Page2024-03-26T05:08:06Z<p>Advance: /* Guides */</p>
<hr />
<div>Welcome to the Advance Coatings Wiki. Here you will find instructions<br />
and documentation on the use of our products. <br />
<br />
[https://advancecoatings.com Back to Advance Coatings Homepage]<br />
<br />
This site is an informal "How To" for users of our products. Please consider<br />
it a testing ground, and any advice here is used at your own risk for the time being.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
Here are the top level categories of our pages. These pages primarily serve as a resource for our main website, and are not a core part of the wiki. They can be skipped.<br />
; [[:Category:Products|Products]]<br />
: [[:Category:Gelcoats|Gelcoats]]<br />
: [[:Category:Resins|Resins]]<br />
: [[:Category:Putties|Putties]]<br />
: [[:Category:ResinAdditives|Resin Additives]]<br />
: [[Fiberglass]]<br />
: [[:Category:MiscellaneousParts|Miscellaneous Parts]]<br />
<br />
==Wiki Specific Pages==<br />
Below are more detailed write-ups for certain products.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Safety]] - Read this page first.<br />
<br />
===Products===<br />
[[Aliphatic Urethane]] - A general purpose finish coating.<br />
<br />
[[Epoxy]] - A highly reactive mixture that forms a strong coat.<br />
<br />
[[Fiberglass]] - Different types and sold by the roll.<br />
<br />
[[Hull and Deck Putty]] - A multipurpose polyester adhesive putty.<br />
<br />
===Guides===<br />
[[Application Notes]] - Instructions on using our products, with real life examples.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide#Mixing_Table | Catalyst Chart]] - Example amounts of Catalyst to add to Polyester Resin.<br />
<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Tips for Fiberglass Application<br />
<br />
[[Mold Making | General Build Tips]]<br />
<br />
===Tools / Misc:===<br />
[[Acetone]] - A general purpose solvent, for cleaning uncured resins from tools or workspaces.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Measuring Syringes]] - Useful for when working with small amounts of resin.<br />
<br />
[[Foam Cutter]] - An easy to make tool to cut styrofoam.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - A Hardener/Catalyst for resins.<br />
<br />
[[Mold Release]] - Wax or Polyvinyl Alcohol.<br />
<br />
[[Nap Roller]]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[[Gallery]] - Image Gallery<br />
<br />
[[SEM Images]] - Scanning Electron Microscope images of Advance Coatings products.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide&diff=795Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide2024-03-26T05:06:29Z<p>Advance: /* Tips/Tricks */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] (MEKP) is a hardener for [[Polyester Resin]]s and [[Gelcoat]]s. 9% active oxygen. It is used in small quantities relative to the resin when mixing.<br />
<br />
Note: Over 8 oz. cannot be shipped UPS<br />
<br />
Always do a trial run if you are unsure what amount of catalyst to use.<br />
<br />
==Safety==<br />
[[File:MEKP Small Bottle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]<br />
MEKP is highly flammable. It is also corrosive. Do not allow it to come in contact with skin. It will cause a chemical burn. Goggles should be worn when mixing. The MEKP we sell is diluted, but still hazardous. Do not think that it is less dangerous. Wear protective goggles when mixing resin and hardener together. Wear long sleeve clothing, including face protection if there is any risk of the mekp splashing. Keep away from children.<br />
<br />
===Splashing===<br />
Any MEKP splashing on the skin should be immediately cleaned off and rinsed with water. You should be wearing full protective clothing, face mask, and goggles if there is any risk of inadvertent contact. Avoid using the MEKP in situations, where splashing may occur.<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:OrganicPeroxideLabel}}<br />
<br />
==Mixing Table==<br />
{{MixingTable}}<br />
==Tips/Tricks==<br />
===Catalyst Measuring Syringes===<br />
You may want to consider using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] when dispensing small amounts of MEKP for better accuracy.<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Of all the chemicals we use, the most unpleasant to cleanup is MEKP, so try to avoid spilling it. You can spill resin, or acetone and it will clean relatively easy, but MEKP has a bit of a nasty scent when it reacts with the environment. So please take extra care with MEKP.<br />
===The amount of catalyst used can vary depending on the 'thickness' of the Polyester resin mass===<br />
As an example, if you have 1/2 quart of resin in a 1 quart can, and you use 2ml of MEKP from a syringe, the resin will cure to a solid mass, although it may take overnight. This is a very small amount of MEKP. Because the resin is in a large mass, (i.e. you are curing the resin in the can itself) you are able to use a smaller amount of catalyst. On the other hand, if you try to brush or spray the same amount of resin & hardener to a thin film coating, it will not properly cure. In order to cure that same 1/2 quart of resin brushed to a thin coat, you must use 5ml of MEKP. <br />
<br />
To put it simply, if you are curing a thick mass of Polyester resin, you are able to use less MEKP. Thin films will require more. In general, 1% is a recommended amount of MEKP. But, this nuance of resin is important to understand. You can use smaller amounts of MEKP in thicker masses of resin to get an equivalent cure. Be careful not to confuse this with the epoxy we sell where thick masses of epoxy resin are not possible to be cured (it will exothermically react, i.e. generate steam and overheat).<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Catalyst 1.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 2.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 3.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Detailed instructions for Polyester Resin application.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Mold_Making&diff=791Mold Making2024-03-26T04:52:12Z<p>Advance: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>This page is a WIP. Please wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
* [https://hvartial.kapsi.fi/index.htm Hannu's Boatyard] - Tips on making small and medium sized wooden boats. <br />
* https://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Biography-Autobiography-Entertainment-Performing-Arts?wquery=every+tools+a+hammer - Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage. General advice for Makers with some notes relevant to the composites industry, such as using cardboard as a base for resin/glass.<br />
* https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/my-next-project.19534/#post-174464 - This forum has a number of folks that use fiberglass for making DIY rockets. In this post are a number of glassing videos on youtube.<br />
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzW8SLhHdg Using candle wax as a mold for epoxy resin to repair a gear. Applicable for polyester, epoxy, or possibly putty.<br />
* https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CxsVIe8fOJCKkVNBxeD5-lSH9WfY0mG Composite Modeling Series - A collection of videos detailing RC plane wings made from epoxy and carbon fiber. The wings are cast in a set of molds. (Originally linked from: https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?4096143-educational-composite-modelling-series)</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Mold_Making&diff=790Mold Making2024-03-26T04:51:28Z<p>Advance: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>This page is a WIP. Please wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
* [https://hvartial.kapsi.fi/index.htm Hannu's Boatyard] - Tips on making small and medium sized wooden boats. <br />
* https://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Biography-Autobiography-Entertainment-Performing-Arts?wquery=every+tools+a+hammer - Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage. General advice for Makers with some notes relevant to the composites industry, such as using cardboard as a base for resin/glass.<br />
* https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/my-next-project.19534/#post-174464 - This forum has a number of folks that use fiberglass for making DIY rockets. In this post are a number of glassing videos on youtube.<br />
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzW8SLhHdg Using candle wax as a mold for epoxy resin to repair a gear. Applicable for polyester, epoxy, or possibly putty.<br />
* https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CxsVIe8fOJCKkVNBxeD5-lSH9WfY0mG Composite Modeling Series - A collection of videos detailing RC plane wings made from epoxy and carbon fiber. The wings are cast in a set of molds.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Mold_Making&diff=789Mold Making2024-03-26T04:50:11Z<p>Advance: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>This page is a WIP. Please wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
* [https://hvartial.kapsi.fi/index.htm Hannu's Boatyard] - Tips on making small and medium sized wooden boats. <br />
* https://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Biography-Autobiography-Entertainment-Performing-Arts?wquery=every+tools+a+hammer - Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage. General advice for Makers with some notes relevant to the composites industry, such as using cardboard as a base for resin/glass.<br />
* https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/my-next-project.19534/#post-174464 - This forum has a number of folks that use fiberglass for making DIY rockets. In this post are a number of glassing videos on youtube.<br />
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzW8SLhHdg Using candle wax as a mold for epoxy resin to repair a gear. Applicable for polyester, epoxy, or possibly putty.<br />
* https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CxsVIe8fOJCKkVNBxeD5-lSH9WfY0mG Composite Modeling Series - A collection of videos detailing using molds for epoxy and carbon fiber RC plane wings.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Mold_Making&diff=788Mold Making2024-03-26T04:49:44Z<p>Advance: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>This page is a WIP. Please wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
* [https://hvartial.kapsi.fi/index.htm Hannu's Boatyard] - Tips on making small and medium sized wooden boats. <br />
* https://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Biography-Autobiography-Entertainment-Performing-Arts?wquery=every+tools+a+hammer - Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage. General advice for Makers with some notes relevant to the composites industry, such as using cardboard as a base for resin/glass.<br />
* https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/my-next-project.19534/#post-174464 - This forum has a number of folks that use fiberglass for making DIY rockets. In this post are a number of glassing videos on youtube.<br />
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzW8SLhHdg Using candle wax as a mold for epoxy resin to repair a gear. Applicable for polyester, epoxy, or possibly putty.<br />
* https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4CxsVIe8fOJCKkVNBxeD5-lSH9WfY0mG Composite Modeling Series - A collection of videos detailing using molds for epoxy and carbon fiber rc plane wings/airfoils.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=787Main Page2024-03-26T04:46:11Z<p>Advance: /* Guides */</p>
<hr />
<div>Welcome to the Advance Coatings Wiki. Here you will find instructions<br />
and documentation on the use of our products. <br />
<br />
[https://advancecoatings.com Back to Advance Coatings Homepage]<br />
<br />
This site is an informal "How To" for users of our products. Please consider<br />
it a testing ground, and any advice here is used at your own risk for the time being.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
Here are the top level categories of our pages. These pages primarily serve as a resource for our main website, and are not a core part of the wiki. They can be skipped.<br />
; [[:Category:Products|Products]]<br />
: [[:Category:Gelcoats|Gelcoats]]<br />
: [[:Category:Resins|Resins]]<br />
: [[:Category:Putties|Putties]]<br />
: [[:Category:ResinAdditives|Resin Additives]]<br />
: [[Fiberglass]]<br />
: [[:Category:MiscellaneousParts|Miscellaneous Parts]]<br />
<br />
==Wiki Specific Pages==<br />
Below are more detailed write-ups for certain products.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Safety]] - Read this page first.<br />
<br />
===Products===<br />
[[Aliphatic Urethane]] - A general purpose finish coating.<br />
<br />
[[Epoxy]] - A highly reactive mixture that forms a strong coat.<br />
<br />
[[Fiberglass]] - Different types and sold by the roll.<br />
<br />
[[Hull and Deck Putty]] - A multipurpose polyester adhesive putty.<br />
<br />
===Guides===<br />
[[Application Notes]] - Instructions on using our products, with real life examples.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Chart]] - Example amounts of Catalyst to add to Polyester Resin.<br />
<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Tips for Fiberglass Application<br />
<br />
[[Mold Making | General Build Tips]]<br />
<br />
===Tools / Misc:===<br />
[[Acetone]] - A general purpose solvent, for cleaning uncured resins from tools or workspaces.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Measuring Syringes]] - Useful for when working with small amounts of resin.<br />
<br />
[[Foam Cutter]] - An easy to make tool to cut styrofoam.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - A Hardener/Catalyst for resins.<br />
<br />
[[Mold Release]] - Wax or Polyvinyl Alcohol.<br />
<br />
[[Nap Roller]]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[[Gallery]] - Image Gallery<br />
<br />
[[SEM Images]] - Scanning Electron Microscope images of Advance Coatings products.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Mold_Making&diff=786Mold Making2024-03-20T18:47:13Z<p>Advance: /* External Links */</p>
<hr />
<div>This page is a WIP. Please wait.<br />
<br />
<br />
==External Links==<br />
* [https://hvartial.kapsi.fi/index.htm Hannu's Boatyard] - Tips on making small and medium sized wooden boats. <br />
* https://www.alibris.com/search/books/subject/Biography-Autobiography-Entertainment-Performing-Arts?wquery=every+tools+a+hammer - Every Tool's a Hammer by Adam Savage. General advice for Makers with some notes relevant to the composites industry, such as using cardboard as a base for resin/glass.<br />
* https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/my-next-project.19534/#post-174464 - This forum has a number of folks that use fiberglass for making DIY rockets. In this post are a number of glassing videos on youtube.<br />
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzW8SLhHdg Using candle wax as a mold for epoxy resin to repair a gear. Applicable for polyester, epoxy, or possibly putty.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=785Respirator2024-03-09T12:55:37Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier. Note that this is more than just a particulate filter, the organic vapours filter will block some of the resin fumes from getting through to your lungs, and the acid gas aspect of the filter filter may block some of the MEKP fumes.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
So not only do goggles fit better around the respirator, but they may be necessary, if there are any strong vapours.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Respirators, are a must get for working with chemicals. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=784Respirator2024-03-09T12:51:12Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
So not only do goggles fit better around the respirator, but they may be necessary, if there are any strong vapours.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Respirators, are a must get for working with chemicals. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Template:BreathingProtection&diff=783Template:BreathingProtection2024-03-09T12:50:05Z<p>Advance: /* Respirator */</p>
<hr />
<div>===Respirator===<br />
[[File:7000-Multi-Gas.jpg|200px|right]]<br />
A recommended [[Respirator]] would be the Moldex 7000 Series Reusable Half Mask Respirator link: https://www.moldex.com/product/7000-series-half-mask-respirator/ Note that we sell smaller disposable dust masks, not these.<br />
<br />
You should purchase a filter for organic vapors such as the Moldex #7300 Organic Vapor/Acid Gas Cartridges For 7000/7800/9000 Series Respirators link: https://www.moldex.com/product/7000-7800-9000-series-respirator-organic-vapor-acid-gas-cartridge/<br />
<br />
You don't have to go with Moldex. There are similar products from 3M. Likely any well known name brand will offer adequate protection. I would recommend buying from official distributors for a product like this. It is not worth cutting corners for a proper respirator.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=782Respirator2024-03-09T12:48:03Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Respirators, are a must get for working with chemicals. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=781Respirator2024-03-09T12:47:44Z<p>Advance: /* Get the Right Filters for your Application */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Respirators, are a must get for working with chemicals. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Template:BreathingProtection&diff=780Template:BreathingProtection2024-03-09T12:47:09Z<p>Advance: /* Respirator */</p>
<hr />
<div>===Respirator===<br />
[[File:7000-Multi-Gas.jpg|200px|right]]<br />
A recommended [[Respirator]] would be the Moldex 7000 Series Reusable Half Mask Respirator link: https://www.moldex.com/product/7000-series-half-mask-respirator/ Note that we sell smaller disposable dust masks, not these.<br />
<br />
You should purchase a filter for organic vapors such as the Moldex #7300 Organic Vapor/Acid Gas Cartridges For 7000/7800/9000 Series Respirators link: https://www.moldex.com/product/7000-7800-9000-series-respirator-organic-vapor-acid-gas-cartridge/<br />
<br />
You don't have to go with Moldex. There are similar products from 3M. Likely any well known name brand will offer adequate protection. I would recommend buying from official distributors with a product like this.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=779Respirator2024-03-09T12:43:27Z<p>Advance: /* Get the Right Filters for your Application */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Respirators, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=778Respirator2024-03-09T12:42:13Z<p>Advance: /* Get the Right Filters for your Application */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://web.archive.org/web/https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=777Respirator2024-03-09T12:41:29Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary Protection as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=776Respirator2024-03-09T12:41:02Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=775Respirator2024-03-09T12:40:53Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide MEKP]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=774Respirator2024-03-09T12:40:38Z<p>Advance: /* Goggles are Often Necessary as Well */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide MEKP]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Respirator&diff=773Respirator2024-03-09T12:40:17Z<p>Advance: /* Tips/Techniques */</p>
<hr />
<div>A good respirator with filters specifically for Organic Vapours will make working with these chemicals easier.<br />
{{Template:BreathingProtection}}<br />
===Tips/Techniques===<br />
====Safety Goggles Fit Better Over A Respirator Than Glasses====<br />
These respirators, while very good, are not designed for use with traditional safety glasses you might find at the big box hardware stores. The seal around the cheeks and nose may cause a slightly off fit (depending on the glasses of course). This means that there is more of an opening for debris to get into your eyes. Usually the glasses are offset slightly high, causing the bottom opening to be unacceptably large.<br />
<br />
See the page on [[Safety Goggles]] for more details on the proper Goggles to purchase.<br />
<br />
====Goggles are Often Necessary as Well====<br />
A proper gas mask will protect you from breathing vapours, but you have to consider that your eyes are also vulnerable to noxious gases, or especially splashing (from chemicals such as [[MEKP]]). You can either purchase a gas mask + goggle combination where they are all one piece or you can separate them out in a modular fashion (which I prefer) so the goggles can be replaced if they get scratched. The benefit of using goggles is that they don't generally need any ventilation, so they can have a rubber seal.<br />
<br />
====Get the Right Filters for your Application====<br />
Gas masks, are a must get for working with chemicals. You don't have to go with Moldex, there are also other well known brand names such as 3M that offer similar (and likely equivalent) products. There are a few different filters that cover 'organic vapours'. This particular one (#7300) also covers acid gas, so it will help block some noxious acid gases (such as MEKP). For more information about different filters to purchase, see something like the [https://www.moldex.com/pdf/datasheets/chemicalselectionguide.pdf Chemical Compatibility Chart] which details what filters are applicable for what chemicals.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide&diff=772Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide2024-03-09T12:29:57Z<p>Advance: /* Cleanup */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] (MEKP) is a hardener for [[Polyester Resin]]s and [[Gelcoat]]s. 9% active oxygen. It is used in small quantities relative to the resin when mixing.<br />
<br />
Note: Over 8 oz. cannot be shipped UPS<br />
<br />
Always do a trial run if you are unsure what amount of catalyst to use.<br />
<br />
==Safety==<br />
[[File:MEKP Small Bottle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]<br />
MEKP is highly flammable. It is also corrosive. Do not allow it to come in contact with skin. It will cause a chemical burn. Goggles should be worn when mixing. The MEKP we sell is diluted, but still hazardous. Do not think that it is less dangerous. Wear protective goggles when mixing resin and hardener together. Wear long sleeve clothing, including face protection if there is any risk of the mekp splashing. Keep away from children.<br />
<br />
===Splashing===<br />
Any MEKP splashing on the skin should be immediately cleaned off and rinsed with water. You should be wearing full protective clothing, face mask, and goggles if there is any risk of inadvertent contact. Avoid using the MEKP in situations, where splashing may occur.<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:OrganicPeroxideLabel}}<br />
<br />
==Mixing Table==<br />
{{MixingTable}}<br />
==Tips/Tricks==<br />
===Catalyst Measuring Syringes===<br />
You may want to consider using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] when dispensing small amounts of MEKP for better accuracy.<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Of all the chemicals we use, the most unpleasant to cleanup is MEKP, so try to avoid spilling it. You can spill resin, or acetone and it will clean relatively easy, but MEKP has a bit of a nasty scent when it reacts with the environment. So please take extra care with MEKP.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Catalyst 1.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 2.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 3.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Detailed instructions for Polyester Resin application.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Methyl_Ethyl_Ketone_Peroxide&diff=771Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide2024-03-09T12:29:19Z<p>Advance: /* Tips/Tricks */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] (MEKP) is a hardener for [[Polyester Resin]]s and [[Gelcoat]]s. 9% active oxygen. It is used in small quantities relative to the resin when mixing.<br />
<br />
Note: Over 8 oz. cannot be shipped UPS<br />
<br />
Always do a trial run if you are unsure what amount of catalyst to use.<br />
<br />
==Safety==<br />
[[File:MEKP Small Bottle.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]<br />
MEKP is highly flammable. It is also corrosive. Do not allow it to come in contact with skin. It will cause a chemical burn. Goggles should be worn when mixing. The MEKP we sell is diluted, but still hazardous. Do not think that it is less dangerous. Wear protective goggles when mixing resin and hardener together. Wear long sleeve clothing, including face protection if there is any risk of the mekp splashing. Keep away from children.<br />
<br />
===Splashing===<br />
Any MEKP splashing on the skin should be immediately cleaned off and rinsed with water. You should be wearing full protective clothing, face mask, and goggles if there is any risk of inadvertent contact. Avoid using the MEKP in situations, where splashing may occur.<br />
==Fire Hazard==<br />
{{Template:OrganicPeroxideLabel}}<br />
<br />
==Mixing Table==<br />
{{MixingTable}}<br />
==Tips/Tricks==<br />
===Catalyst Measuring Syringes===<br />
You may want to consider using [[Catalyst_Measuring_Syringes]] when dispensing small amounts of MEKP for better accuracy.<br />
===Cleanup===<br />
Of all the chemicals we use, the most unpleasant to cleanup is MEKP, so try to avoid spilling it. You can spill resin, or acetone and it will clean relatively easy, but MEKP has a bit of a nasty smell when it reacts with the environment. So please take extra care with MEKP.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery><br />
File:Catalyst 1.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 2.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
File:Catalyst 3.jpg|200px|thumb||<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Detailed instructions for Polyester Resin application.<br />
[[Category:Products]]<br />
[[Category:ResinAdditives]]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=770Main Page2024-02-06T22:32:55Z<p>Advance: /* Tools / Misc: */</p>
<hr />
<div>Welcome to the Advance Coatings Wiki. Here you will find instructions<br />
and documentation on the use of our products. <br />
<br />
[https://advancecoatings.com Back to Advance Coatings Homepage]<br />
<br />
This site is an informal "How To" for users of our products. Please consider<br />
it a testing ground, and any advice here is used at your own risk for the time being.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
Here are the top level categories of our pages. These pages primarily serve as a resource for our main website, and are not a core part of the wiki. They can be skipped.<br />
; [[:Category:Products|Products]]<br />
: [[:Category:Gelcoats|Gelcoats]]<br />
: [[:Category:Resins|Resins]]<br />
: [[:Category:Putties|Putties]]<br />
: [[:Category:ResinAdditives|Resin Additives]]<br />
: [[Fiberglass]]<br />
: [[:Category:MiscellaneousParts|Miscellaneous Parts]]<br />
<br />
==Wiki Specific Pages==<br />
Below are more detailed write-ups for certain products.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Safety]] - Read this page first.<br />
<br />
===Products===<br />
[[Aliphatic Urethane]] - A general purpose finish coating.<br />
<br />
[[Epoxy]] - A highly reactive mixture that forms a strong coat.<br />
<br />
[[Fiberglass]] - Different types and sold by the roll.<br />
<br />
[[Hull and Deck Putty]] - A multipurpose polyester adhesive putty.<br />
<br />
===Guides===<br />
[[Application Notes]] - Instructions on using our products, with real life examples.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Chart]] - Example amounts of Catalyst to add to Polyester Resin.<br />
<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Tips for Fiberglass Application<br />
<br />
[[Mold Making]]<br />
<br />
===Tools / Misc:===<br />
[[Acetone]] - A general purpose solvent, for cleaning uncured resins from tools or workspaces.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Measuring Syringes]] - Useful for when working with small amounts of resin.<br />
<br />
[[Foam Cutter]] - An easy to make tool to cut styrofoam.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - A Hardener/Catalyst for resins.<br />
<br />
[[Mold Release]] - Wax or Polyvinyl Alcohol.<br />
<br />
[[Nap Roller]]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[[Gallery]] - Image Gallery<br />
<br />
[[SEM Images]] - Scanning Electron Microscope images of Advance Coatings products.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Main_Page&diff=769Main Page2024-02-06T22:30:53Z<p>Advance: /* Overview */</p>
<hr />
<div>Welcome to the Advance Coatings Wiki. Here you will find instructions<br />
and documentation on the use of our products. <br />
<br />
[https://advancecoatings.com Back to Advance Coatings Homepage]<br />
<br />
This site is an informal "How To" for users of our products. Please consider<br />
it a testing ground, and any advice here is used at your own risk for the time being.<br />
<br />
==Overview==<br />
Here are the top level categories of our pages. These pages primarily serve as a resource for our main website, and are not a core part of the wiki. They can be skipped.<br />
; [[:Category:Products|Products]]<br />
: [[:Category:Gelcoats|Gelcoats]]<br />
: [[:Category:Resins|Resins]]<br />
: [[:Category:Putties|Putties]]<br />
: [[:Category:ResinAdditives|Resin Additives]]<br />
: [[Fiberglass]]<br />
: [[:Category:MiscellaneousParts|Miscellaneous Parts]]<br />
<br />
==Wiki Specific Pages==<br />
Below are more detailed write-ups for certain products.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[[Safety]] - Read this page first.<br />
<br />
===Products===<br />
[[Aliphatic Urethane]] - A general purpose finish coating.<br />
<br />
[[Epoxy]] - A highly reactive mixture that forms a strong coat.<br />
<br />
[[Fiberglass]] - Different types and sold by the roll.<br />
<br />
[[Hull and Deck Putty]] - A multipurpose polyester adhesive putty.<br />
<br />
===Guides===<br />
[[Application Notes]] - Instructions on using our products, with real life examples.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Chart]] - Example amounts of Catalyst to add to Polyester Resin.<br />
<br />
[[Hand Lay Up Guide]] - Tips for Fiberglass Application<br />
<br />
[[Mold Making]]<br />
<br />
===Tools / Misc:===<br />
[[Acetone]] - A general purpose solvent, for cleaning uncured resins from tools or workspaces.<br />
<br />
[[Catalyst Measuring Syringes]] - Useful for when working with small amounts of resin.<br />
<br />
[[Foam Cutter]] - An easy to make tool for working with Fiberglass.<br />
<br />
[[Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide]] - A Hardener/Catalyst for resins.<br />
<br />
[[Mold Release]] - Wax or Polyvinyl Alcohol.<br />
<br />
[[Nap Roller]]<br />
<br />
===Extras===<br />
<br />
[[Gallery]] - Image Gallery<br />
<br />
[[SEM Images]] - Scanning Electron Microscope images of Advance Coatings products.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=768Foam Cutter2024-02-06T22:27:45Z<p>Advance: </p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
==Images==<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
==Conclusion==<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
===CNC===<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.<br />
</gallery></div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=767Foam Cutter2024-02-06T22:24:55Z<p>Advance: /* CNC */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
===Images===<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
===Conclusion===<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
====CNC====<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg|CNC Milled Tortoise. 7' x 3' roughly.<br />
</gallery></div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=766Foam Cutter2024-02-06T22:23:54Z<p>Advance: /* CNC */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
===Images===<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
===Conclusion===<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
====CNC====<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, Here is an example of a 7'x 3' long tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us as a gift. Notice the fine details and features possible on the styrofoam. (Please excuse the unfinished gelcoat work. This is a work in process). For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that. In fact, you might want to use both. A wire to cut large pieces off (even manually), followed by a mill for fine detail.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Gallery&diff=765Gallery2024-02-06T22:20:36Z<p>Advance: /* Images */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
==Images==<br />
<!--Newest First--><br />
<!-- If this ends up being a lot of pictures, I will make separate image gallery pages divided by year --><br />
<!-- The additional link= stuff is not required, but bypasses the file page. --><br />
<gallery mode="packed"><br />
<!--<gallery mode="nolines">--><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/cc/Cnc_tortoise.jpg<br />
File:Vice2.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/thumb/c/c7/Vice2.png/800px-Vice2.png<br />
File:KustomKreations AutoBody.jpeg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/c1/KustomKreations_AutoBody.jpeg<br />
File:Weather station.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/c0/Weather_station.jpg<br />
File:GlossyUrethaneOnHardwoodFloor B.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/5f/GlossyUrethaneOnHardwoodFloor_B.jpg<br />
File:1970s_4_sharpened.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/thumb/0/0e/1970s_4_sharpened.png/800px-1970s_4_sharpened.png<br />
File:2000s_turtle_opt_coloredits_e.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/de/2000s_turtle_opt_coloredits_e.png<br />
File:20190904.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/5d/20190904.jpg<br />
File:Urethane_and_Unfinished_Wood_Comparison.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/8/87/Urethane_and_Unfinished_Wood_Comparison.jpg<br />
File:20181231.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/d1/20181231.jpg<br />
File:20180616.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/dd/20180616.jpg<br />
File:20170331d.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a6/20170331d.jpg<br />
File:20170331c.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/56/20170331c.jpg<br />
File:20170331b.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/8/83/20170331b.jpg<br />
File:20170331a.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a4/20170331a.jpg<br />
File:20161205.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/cf/20161205.jpg<br />
File:20161115b.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a7/20161115b.jpg<br />
File:20161115.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/e/eb/20161115.jpg<br />
File:20160900.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/6/60/20160900.jpg<br />
<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
<br />
[http://advancecoatings.com/ Back to advancecoatings.com]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Gallery&diff=764Gallery2024-02-06T22:20:20Z<p>Advance: /* Images */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
==Images==<br />
<!--Newest First--><br />
<!-- If this ends up being a lot of pictures, I will make separate image gallery pages divided by year --><br />
<!-- The additional link= stuff is not required, but bypasses the file page. --><br />
<gallery mode="packed"><br />
<!--<gallery mode="nolines">--><br />
File:Cnc tortoise.jpg||https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/cc/Cnc_tortoise.jpg<br />
File:Vice2.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/thumb/c/c7/Vice2.png/800px-Vice2.png<br />
File:KustomKreations AutoBody.jpeg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/c1/KustomKreations_AutoBody.jpeg<br />
File:Weather station.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/c0/Weather_station.jpg<br />
File:GlossyUrethaneOnHardwoodFloor B.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/5f/GlossyUrethaneOnHardwoodFloor_B.jpg<br />
File:1970s_4_sharpened.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/thumb/0/0e/1970s_4_sharpened.png/800px-1970s_4_sharpened.png<br />
File:2000s_turtle_opt_coloredits_e.png||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/de/2000s_turtle_opt_coloredits_e.png<br />
File:20190904.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/5d/20190904.jpg<br />
File:Urethane_and_Unfinished_Wood_Comparison.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/8/87/Urethane_and_Unfinished_Wood_Comparison.jpg<br />
File:20181231.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/d1/20181231.jpg<br />
File:20180616.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/d/dd/20180616.jpg<br />
File:20170331d.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a6/20170331d.jpg<br />
File:20170331c.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/5/56/20170331c.jpg<br />
File:20170331b.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/8/83/20170331b.jpg<br />
File:20170331a.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a4/20170331a.jpg<br />
File:20161205.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/c/cf/20161205.jpg<br />
File:20161115b.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/a/a7/20161115b.jpg<br />
File:20161115.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/e/eb/20161115.jpg<br />
File:20160900.jpg||link=https://wiki.advancecoatings.com/images/6/60/20160900.jpg<br />
<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
<br />
[http://advancecoatings.com/ Back to advancecoatings.com]</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=File:Cnc_tortoise.jpg&diff=763File:Cnc tortoise.jpg2024-02-06T22:19:06Z<p>Advance: CNC Milled Tortoise out of Styrofoam.</p>
<hr />
<div>== Summary ==<br />
CNC Milled Tortoise out of Styrofoam.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=762Foam Cutter2024-02-06T21:55:53Z<p>Advance: /* Power Supply */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a fixed 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
===Images===<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
===Conclusion===<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
====CNC====<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, bear with me while I find an example of a 6+ long foot tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us. For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=761Foam Cutter2024-02-06T21:53:55Z<p>Advance: /* Styrofoam */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
<br />
====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
<br />
====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
<br />
====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look similar but are not styrofoam.<br />
<br />
===Images===<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
<br />
====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
<br />
===Conclusion===<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
<br />
====CNC====<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, bear with me while I find an example of a 6+ long foot tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us. For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that.</div>Advancehttp://wiki.advancecoatings.com/index.php?title=Foam_Cutter&diff=760Foam Cutter2024-02-06T21:53:19Z<p>Advance: /* Frame */</p>
<hr />
<div>It's easy to make a foam cutter out of only Nichrome resistance wire and an Adjustable Power Supply. Foam cutters are well documented online, and you will find no shortage of videos and articles. Here is my approach.<br />
<br />
==Items Needed==<br />
* Nichrome / Resistance Wire <br />
* Voltage source, Ideally an Adjustable Power Supply<br />
* Frame to hold the wire<br />
* Styrofoam<br />
<br />
===Details of Items===<br />
====Wire====<br />
When buying the Nichrome wire, you are dealing with fairly small wire. You don't want to buy wire that is too thick, as there will be no resistance, and the wire will just short your PSU. On the other hand you don't want to buy wire that is too thin, as it will be more likely to break. I bought 30 feet of 28 Gauge wire on ebay (4 ohms per foot), and it was about $7 delivered. This turned out to be a good size, and I guessed correctly when purchasing for the first time. But I'm also a bit of a wire collector, so I had some insight as to what would and wouldn't work. Experience with magnet wire will help here. It's possible to purchase Nichrome wire from official channels, as well if you are worried about quality (general Industrial distributors such as Mcmaster, or the electronics distributors, Mouser, Farnell's, Digikey). It's easy to find online. It's also very cheap. If you keep wire in inventory, there's no reason not to have some Nichrome wire. You may also be able to salvage it from hair dryers or portable heaters (from what I've read).<br />
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====Power Supply====<br />
For the Power Supply, It's best to start with an Adjustable Power Supply, set the current to 1A or so, and then ramp up the voltage to where the wire just starts to cut through the styrofoam. I found with my PSU that with the 28 gauge wire of about half a foot, that 3V was all that was needed to get the wire to easily cut through the foam. There's no need to get the wire to be red hot or anything dramatic. It should at a voltage just slightly above where it is a bit hot to the touch through a latex or nitrile glove. If you only have a 3.3V or 5V PSU, you are running things a little more dangerously, though it will likely be OK. So a 5V Power Brick of say 1A should work in a pinch. However, Variable Voltage Supplies can be found for <$50 and any type of lab or workshop should have one. I purchased mine for $30 from a local electronics surplus store.<br />
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====Frame====<br />
For the frame, I glued together some non-conductive wood, let it sit overnight, and then just screwed down some washers over a piece of cut copper tubing. The wire is wrapped around the screw, and the washers have it make contact. The leads from the PSU connect to the copper tubing. It's extremely basic, but also extremely quick to make. This is just a proof of concept, and is not meant to be anything for production. It's just to demonstrate the viability of Nichrome wire to melt styrofoam.<br />
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====Styrofoam====<br />
You can purchase small pieces of styrofoam from art stores for $4 or so (2024 dollars). For a test, these should work fine. Make sure to get traditional coffee cup styrofoam (Polystyrene) and not other types of plastic that look like styrofoam.<br />
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===Images===<br />
<gallery widths=300px heights=200px><br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype.jpg|Please excuse the misalignment of the copper cut tubings. They were simply pieces from my excess bolts and screws pile. <br />
File:Styrofoam burner prototype 2.jpg|Basic cylinder test. A piece of Styrofoam from Michaels (pictured in the back) was cut to a small size lengthwise, and then rolled with glass and coated with 8040.<br />
File:Styrofoam burner test video.webm|Video Demonstration<br />
</gallery><br />
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====Curing Notes====<br />
Do not use too much MEKP. For styrofoam, you want it to cure cool, which means it must cure slowly. Less MEKP will achieve this.<br />
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===Conclusion===<br />
A foam cutter is a trivial but useful tool to use for cutting styrofoam. If you are working with fiberglass, and don't already have one of these, you are missing out. While this revision 1 was a quick hack, it is extremely easy to use, easy to make, and I think it will become a standard tool in my arsenal for glassing. <br />
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====CNC====<br />
There are two notes with regards to foam cutting, and cnc. One is that you can make a CNC foam cutter, but you will be limited as to what shapes you can make, as wire can't cut detail like a mill would. For a CNC mill and styrofoam, bear with me while I find an example of a 6+ long foot tortoise one of our customer's CNC'd for us. For fine detail, a mill may be a better tool. The picture is a good representation of that.</div>Advance