How old is your Alumilite??

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lorbay

lorbay

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Just wanted to see if others have as old Alumilite as I have and didn't want to hi jack the other thread on Alumilite.
So I have not cast anything in a long time and thought I would do a demo for some friends and went to have a look at my 6 + year old Alumilite out of the cupboards, expecting to throw it out and get some fresh stuff and noticed it was still in liquid state. So I thought what the hay give it a whirl anyway. To my surprise it worked just fine and was hard as a rock in 1 hr after mixing the 2 parts.:biggrin:
I also had a new bottle of PR that was only 2 years old and it was a solid brick.
So how old is yours.???
Lin
 
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I have a 1 gal can of PR that is about half full, its been sitting on a shelf for about 2 years, haven't touched it since I found out about alumilite, but just shook the can and it is still liquid.
 
I just poured some Alumilate that was 2 years old. Not expecting anything but to my surprise it mixed and set well.
 
Polyester resin is pre-promoted which means a catalyst is added at them time of packaging. The MEKP we use just gets the final curing process going into high gear. So, polyester resin has started curing the day it was packaged. That is why polyresin has a shelf life.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
 
I have recently been using up a gallon of 2 year old Alumilite. The part B portion is pretty thick but when the container in hot water for a while and it thins out. It seems to harden and turn just fine.
 
This is good to know. I've always thought alumilite had a 6 month shelf life. And once opened, it had to be used within 2 months. I have had to heat up the part b when it's been opened for a month. I guess I've always used all mine within a few months because I was afraid it would go bad.

I did have a part B come from alumilite where it was really thick. Thicker than any I've ever heated to thin out. I called alumilite, and they sent me a new batch with no hassle at all. And I'm not a big buyer of alumilite. I did buy a 2 gallon set right after that though. It's good to know they take care of their customers.

EDIT: I know this is about alumilite, but I've used PR that was over 6 months old. That was the good old days though. Now I go through at least 2 gallons a months.
 
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BSea said:
This is good to know. I've always thought alumilite had a 6 month shelf life. And once opened, it had to be used within 2 months. I have had to heat up the part b when it's been opened for a month. I guess I've always used all mine within a few months because I was afraid it would go bad.

I did have a part B come from alumilite where it was really thick. Thicker than any I've ever heated to thin out. I called alumilite, and they sent me a new batch with no hassle at all. And I'm not a big buyer of alumilite. I did buy a 2 gallon set right after that though. It's good to know they take care of their customers.

EDIT: I know this is about alumilite, but I've used PR that was over 6 months old. That was the good old days though. Now I go through at least 3 gallons a months.
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It says on their website 1 yr shelf life but have seen it work up to 2 yrs. they should use my testimony. Lol
Lin.
 
Lin, Just don't do what I did once. I heated up both the Part A and the Part B, mixed them and just south of a minute I had a brick in my cup. Realized my mistake, laughed about it and chalked it up to experience. Never again.
 
I'm glad I found this thread! I did two pours before bed, and I've been a little hesitant to even go to the garage and look at the end result! My Part B was thick enough to slice with my Popsicle sticks! Now I know to warm up Part B for the next go around. I bought two gallons of Alumilite Clear during the Bash, so it's only three months old!
 
Many years ago, I regularly used alumilite white that was a few years old without complaint. At the time, someone told me that as long as it was sealed against humidity, that it was good to go.

Flash forward to today and I find myself with some Alumilite clear that I'd probably a year and a half old and the part B has yellowed. I've been putting off using it, not knowing whether it will harden or not.
 
sbell111 said:
Many years ago, I regularly used alumilite white that was a few years old without complaint. At the time, someone told me that as long as it was sealed against humidity, that it was good to go.

Flash forward to today and I find myself with some Alumilite clear that I'd probably a year and a half old and the part B has yellowed. I've been putting off using it, not knowing whether it will harden or not.
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I have used some that has yellowed. But not that old. I've not had any problems using it. And as long as you're adding color, I think it would be fine. try a small batch to know for sure.
 
I heated Part B in the sink with hot water, and it poured just fine. So well, in fact, that I spilled half of the mixed resin out of the darn mold!! This custom UT themed FP is starting to cost a lot of $$$. Third try is a charm, right?

As for the first pour, with the really thick Part B, I do not think it mixed properly at all. There were still some rather wet portions around the mold. I have not tried turning any of it yet, but I am prepping for the worst... At least if they're good, I'm in an area that burnt orange/white should sell well! The second slab is only good for slimlines.
 
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