Epoxy and bubbles and syringes

[mountainbikeak]

I looked for a topic on bubbles but didn't find what I was looking for. I need to fill a small groove and I'm using a syringe, problem is I'm getting a ton of bubbles. I'm using west system g/flex if that makes a difference. Thanks again!

[twizzstyle]

Two solutions I can think of:

-Be more careful mixing (not always easy... its better to have bubbles than to have unmixed epoxy)

-After mixing the epoxy put the container in a vacuum chamber (if you have a vacuum pump). As you draw out vacuum the bubbles will boil out of the epoxy, and once its done you can suck it up into the syringe.

[mountainbikeak]

Thanks for the info.. As for the the vacuum pump, I read somewhere a foodsaver would do the job, so today I mixed carefully and vacuum sealed the thing and noticed the bubbles surfacing. I guess the problem/question I have now, after I mix the resin and hardener can I set in front of a heat source to make things less viscous? I couldn't suck up the epoxy with the syringe, I had to pour it in from the top which allowed the bubbles that surfaced to enter. I did heat the two up separately before mixing but by the time I mixed and vacuum packed it was quite viscous.
I would be open to any other ideas to maybe pour the epoxy into this groove (3/32" or so). Thanks again!

[twizzstyle]

Yes you can definitely heat the epoxy, you just have to be careful because the hotter it gets, the faster it cures, and the faster it cures, the hotter it gets. You can start a chain reaction and it'll setup faster than you can work with it, or it'll catch fire. If you just get it warm enough to suck up into the syringe and work fast, you've got nothing to worry about.