IR heat lamps - thoughts, insight?

**SoloRider** · 11-13-2009 10:07 AM

So it's starting to get cold here in Seattle and my build time is starting to go up exponentially. I've heard tell of using IR lamps to speed epoxy curing, but at the time I was building kayaks in Arizona and didn't pay much attention. I set up a couple 250W IR heat lamps about 3' above a deck I'm working on about ten minutes ago.

Can anyone offer any insight on this method? Does it work for you? How well? What is your setup exactly? Are there better ways of doing this?

**GiantThe** · 11-14-2009 01:01 AM

if you find out anything important about using heat lamps please share, its getting quite cold in Spokane as well so any info you find would be greatly appreciated. sorry I'm no help haha

**luftywaffles** · 11-14-2009 06:18 AM

this may help:

http://www.silverfishlongboarding.co...post1297532922

**SoloRider** · 11-14-2009 07:08 AM

Thanks for the link Lufty, I'd forgotten about that post.

Here's what I've gotten so far. West 207 cured just past tack in 6 hours with the setup from my first post and West 205 cured enough for a light sanding in 4 hours(through bag, breather, and peel ply). I think I'm going to head out this morning and gather some materials to build a rigging. I thinking that maybe at 1.5' I can get enough heat to speed up the works quite a bit.

**Ogre** · 11-14-2009 10:12 AM

I find mixing the epoxy a tad hot, then cure in a closet (or other confined warm area) with a fan lends to a better bond

**RiRak** · 11-14-2009 10:21 AM

I used a heatlamp to cure a board i made last winter because my friends garage wasnt heated. It worked great but the lamp was a little too close to the deck and discolored the wood. I've ridden it alot and its structurally fine just there are two dark spheres of wood caused by the lamps.

**Amfab** · 11-14-2009 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by Ogre

I find mixing the epoxy a tad hot, then cure in a closet (or other confined warm area) with a fan lends to a better bond

I would think this would be better too as a heat lamp would tend to cause some areas to be hotter than others, so that as the expoy cures some spots would have stuff (wood and epoxy) slightly expanded and some spots not. This would cause tension differences when everything settled down to an even temperature as epoxy CF/Fberglass and wood all expand at different rates. This may be so minor it doesn't matter, but perhaps it could be a problem.

**Cann0n** · 11-14-2009 01:38 PM

I've used heaters out under a porch in rain. Took 30 min epoxy almost 4 hours to set. When I brought the board inside to finish the other side, it was very fast. Best bet is to just lay down news papers under your saw-horse and work indoors. Epoxy fumes aren't the best for people, but what ever. Skating is more important than my overall health.

**Dimm** · 11-16-2009 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by SoloRider

Thanks for the link Lufty, I'd forgotten about that post.

Here's what I've gotten so far. West 207 cured just past tack in 6 hours with the setup from my first post and West 205 cured enough for a light sanding in 4 hours(through bag, breather, and peel ply). I think I'm going to head out this morning and gather some materials to build a rigging. I thinking that maybe at 1.5' I can get enough heat to speed up the works quite a bit.

207 curing to tack in 6 hours doesn't sound too amazing. Isn't that pretty much the norm?

It's so damn slow... I stopped working with epoxy because I don't have the patience to wait a week for my fiberglass to cure to full strength. Hah.

Working with just wood is more fun anyways, I find. I hate putting on a lab coat and respirator and goggles just to do half an hour of sanding. And then being itchy for the next 3 days.

**SoloRider** · 11-16-2009 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Dimm

207 curing to tack in 6 hours doesn't sound too amazing. Isn't that pretty much the norm?

Yeah but with a garage air temp of 40 degrees it's pretty damn impressive. With the heat lamps at 1.5' 207 was past tack at < 3 hours

**piedogger** · 11-16-2009 01:39 PM

I have switched to system 3 and there fast hardner is good to35*
If you are using a bag another great trick is wrapping in a electric blanket.
Mixing epoxy hot doesn't do anything (good), it is a chemical reaction. If you are useing poly it will speed up but can make it brittle.

**jestah** · 11-23-2009 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by Ogre

I find mixing the epoxy a tad hot, then cure in a closet (or other confined warm area) with a fan lends to a better bond

Epoxies do not like being mixed "hot" like polyesters, they require as close to the stated ratio to cure to full strength, going more or less hardener will make for a weaker bond. Unless you suggested heating your resin which can help promote cross-linking of the resin as well as thin it for easy application BUT be careful it is not in a large heated mass or it can exotherm