Araldite 5min epoxy.

[Faceting Frank]

Discovered something I didn’t know about Araldite a couple of days ago. Have used it for years to dop and transfer dop my stones and on rare occasions it has not hardened properly. Put this down to me not getting an accurate enough 50-50 mix, or if I have had it for a while, getting too old. The tubes I had were starting to crack and leak, so bought some new ones and doped a stone a couple of days ago with it.
 I use a bench in the garage to work on and this was a very hot afternoon, with the garage probably being in the high 30s. Next morning the glue was soft and rubbery and I could pull the stone off the dop by hand. Re-doped the stone yesterday temperature 25deg and it worked fine.
So, my conclusion is that Araldite stores ok in high temperature, but does not like being mixed in high temperatures. Maybe something in the fine print on the card about that, but I’ve thrown it away.

[Rusted]

I used to do some work at GAF (Government Aircraft Factory) Fishermans Bend (Port Melbourne) At the time they were building the Nomad plane and parts for various other aircraft, the big triangular wings for Mirage and rotary wings for helicopters. All very interesting stuff, they were all stuck together with Araldite which was baked in BIG ovens. Heat was part of the process.
I used to love going there, the level of craftsmanship was really fantastic.

[Faceting Frank]

I don’t know anything about that type of Araldite, but the 5 minute epoxy does not like to be heated up at all. I use a BBQ lighter to heat the dop when I’ve finished cutting the stone to get the stone off the dop and it doesn’t take much heat to soften it. However I will only use it in the cooler times of the day and If my theory is wrong, then I will post it on this thread.

[RoughCreations]

Hi Frank,
there could be something in your theory. I don't tend to use epoxy (Araldite being one brand thereof) much for dopping these days as I experienced unexplained seemingly random occurrences where I would get rubbery end results like yours. I use epoxy for boat building and also know you have to be careful you don't mix Part A and Part B (resin and hardener) when the temperature is too low. Winter in Tasmania can fit this scenario, in those cases I would store my epoxy somewhere closer to normal room temperature, or sit my cup of resin in a bath of warm water first, before mixing in the hardener.
Some on this forum use Dextone and cure it on low in the oven (Hi Makky), others prefer JB Weld two part epoxy, so maybe brands do matter too.
A controlled series of experiments with 5 min Araldite at differing starting temperatures would be interesting.
RC

[Faceting Frank]

So far so good, the dopping and transfer dopping with 5 min epoxy in the cooler part of the day (20-25 deg) is working fine.

[MakkyBrown]

I'd use the 5min Araldite for heat sensitive material but Dextone sets a lot harder and is not as heat sensitive. Especially, to RoughCreations amusement, if you heat cure it in your kitchen oven

[Faceting Frank]

I use 5 min Araldite because it is heat sensitive and will go soft just warming up the dop with a BBQ lighter. I don’t use wax and dop with Araldite in my transfer jig, holding the stone in place with Blu-Tack between two dops. With adjustable stops bottom and side for accurate positioning of the preform. Then transfer dop with Araldite and after curing remove the unwanted dop by holding the stone with a wet tissue and heating the dop. I would imagine that is how people remove wax held dops.
So, going back to the original post, I don’t think there is a problem storing 5 min Araldite in hot places, mine is stored in the garage. It faces the afternoon sun and during the summer months easily gets into the high 30s nearly every day. But it seems it does not like to be mixed at those temperatures, but works fine in the cooler parts of the day. I have dopped a few stones since starting this thread and mixed a few test samples on bits of plastic and all have worked fine.

[Pro-oz]

I'm using wax and transfer with Dextone. In the FNQ heat the Dextone has no problems curing.

[Bucket]

After just finishing my last tubes of Tite-On, I've reverted to JB Weld, which I find works OK. It's funny how people tend to find something that works for them and stick to it. I have tried a number of different glues (I'm not a big fan of wax) some have definitely worked better than others. One I tried with success some time ago, was a clear one which mixed, held and set well, but for the life of me I can't remember the name.

[Faceting Frank]

It was Araldite 5min epoxy Bucket.

[Bucket]

Frank, that's the one I could say it wasn't, I've never used Araldite for doping, not sure why, but it was something I purchased many moons ago from Andrew and Leah. Unfortunately it was so long ago, that even my 'previous purchases' check on my account doesn't bring it up. I do remember it being clear, which was a novelty for me at the time, having just used my first tubes of Tite-On. It could have even been Epoxy 330 or Dextone, my memory is just not up to it.

[JBK]

I use 5 min Araldite because it is heat sensitive and will go soft just warming up the dop with a BBQ lighter. I don’t use wax and dop with Araldite in my transfer jig, holding the stone in place with Blu-Tack between two dops. With adjustable stops bottom and side for accurate positioning of the preform. Then transfer dop with Araldite and after curing remove the unwanted dop by holding the stone with a wet tissue and heating the dop. I would imagine that is how people remove wax held dops.
So, going back to the original post, I don’t think there is a problem storing 5 min Araldite in hot places, mine is stored in the garage. It faces the afternoon sun and during the summer months easily gets into the high 30s nearly every day. But it seems it does not like to be mixed at those temperatures, but works fine in the cooler parts of the day. I have dopped a few stones since starting this thread and mixed a few test samples on bits of plastic and all have worked fine.

I have just used your method Frank, including the Blu-Tack inside the 2nd dop. Letting it set overnight. The first dop I have used superglue.

[RoughCreations]

I use silicone ear plugs instead of Blu-Tack for the same purposes, available from the chemist etc. Works really well and re-usable too.
Here I am taking the crown impression in shellac on a cold stone (with my heat gun), then fixing with super glue. Stone is a QLD Springsure labradorite. Cut will be 'Stargazing' from Volume 1 that worked well in smoky previously.
RC

[JBK]

Nice RC, is that so that the stone comes off easier and protects the facets? Do you then still put wax around it? My understanding of using the blu-tack was so it doesn’t get glued in the pavilion area only out side of the stone?

[JBK]

I think I did a mistake trying to dissolve the two part epoxy in acetone. It evaporated over night and became solid hard - bugger. Do you guys use heat to take it apart?