Taking back my 820 resin recommendation...

General Composites Discussions Composites Talk
#1

A while ago I recommended Soller Composites 820 resin but I have since found some fairly major problems with it…

Essentially, when not in use, the resin turns into a thick (almost solid) white clump. They say (on the tin) that you can put it in an oven up to 200 degrees F to return it to a clear liquid state. That part is true but… if you try and use it when it is that warm then even the medium hardener makes it cure while you are stiring… instead of the 6 hours it is meant to take.

You can try waiting for it to cool down to room temp but then it goes back to being an overly thick white goo. A problem that gets worse over time, making hard to use reliably in a workflow.

The quest for a high quality clear room temp cure laminating resin continues…

#2

Crystallizing resin is not unusual. If you heat it up for few hours so that all crystals are gone you can let it cool down and it stays clear. Several resins have that problem.

#3

I have had the exact same problem with that 820 myself. I wasted $125 on a gallon of it…
Let us know when you find one you like. I have been using Composite Envisions house brand, while not crystal clear, it works nice for me.

#4

Araldite 191 resin with Aradur 3253 hardener is crystal clear. K3600 is pretty damn close, has a very very slight yellow tinted to it but unless you’re applying it as a coating over 5mm thick then that isn’t noticeable.

#5

I have and only use adtech 820. I’ve dealt with crystallization in the past and usually just take a blow dryer to it in my mixing container before adding hardener. I use the 60 minute “slow hardener”. It depends on how big of quantities you are mixing and that drastically efffects the gel time.

I haven’t found a less expensive and better infusion epoxy that has a tg of roughly 180f and deegass’s super easy.