Figured would mention what works for us filling:
Washing control surfaces in shower with "HOT" water and plain green
Palmolive dish washing detergent
I sewed up a big sausage (~ 10 feet long and 4 feet in diameter) out of
clear vinyl ( www.mcmaster.com ) with a zipper, a muffin fan and 2 thin
wall aluminium tubes to hold it in shape when zipper opened. Garbage
picked electric heater 1 with fan and oscillates and 1 stationary, I
mutilated thermostats and thermal fuses. We drape thin bubble wrap over
sausage. Packs up very small when not in use, can hold 140F but we cooked
a little longer at 135F
Once post cured, went after with stiff scrub brush and post cured till dry
and only handled with gloves
Scuff sanded with 80 grit, then vacuum and blow off with oiless compressor
Painted and wet out with Aeropoxy and 60 minute hardener, once it begins
to thicken squeegee off, and don't apply Expan-cel until it is real
sticky.
If you use a blade too wide, or you don't wait for wet out coat to get
sticky the Expan-cel mix will roll/lift off. I have seen pics of folk who
fill with Expan-cel and it has a complete gloss on it. Hard to sand and
heavier than it needs to be.
We mixed up 6oz of resin (not including hardener) in a 8 oz cup, and would
pour into a second cup with fresh stick (double cup). Then would leave
some in the 8 oz cup and put a little over 2 oz into three 12 oz cups.
Using a sugar scoop to add Expan-cel and get things very very dry. By
scraping contents of the cup onto the walls of the cup, can squeegee very
hard and get out most trapped air and mixture is thin enough to not kick
off too soon. It is pretty amazing at just how well this dry mixture
sticks, as long as you are going onto sticky resin base coat.
We found applying with a thin very flexible putty knife works well, bout
1.25 inches wide. When we tried using a wider or stiffer knife, you need
to wet out much more to get it to stick proper. This technique will not
allow you to put on like a master spackler and get an immaculate finish,
but you can get stuck very very dry mix with minimal bubbles. It sands
easy enough if you apply a very dry mix. There is not a hint of sheen
anywhere in the cup, and if only a few drops less epoxy used, the mix
rolls up and crumbles. After a few cups, you can add Expan-cel and get to
the roll up and crumbles stage, then get it just wet enough by scraping
the corners of the cup that have a slight gloss. You can cut rounded
mixing sticks to have a 90 degree edge to help get into corners.
Once cured enough to transport in car, into oven.
Works for us.
Ron Parigoris
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