louie
Member
I ordered a gallon of Silmar41 from US Composite early in the week so I would get it in time for the long weekend. The box came today and there was no MEKP in the box. Has this ever happened to anyone?
Thanks,
Thanks,
US Composite: No MEKP in box
- Thread starter louie
- Start date
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jttheclockman
Member
What difference does it make??? Just call them and they will stand good. Mistakes do happen.
Ever go to McDoanalds and order a cheesburburger and they forget the cheese???:biggrin:
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ldb2000
Member
Louie , I don't think you'll get it from them to use this weekend so.... Go to an auto parts store and get some MEKP from them , it's the same stuff used for fiberglass resin for body repair . The Home Depot on Rt 9 in Woodbridge used to carry it in the glue section not sure about the others but it's worth a try .
jimofsanston
Member
Homedepot and Lowes both care MEKP in the paint sections. Available by the quart.
louie
Member
Guys, sorry, I posted quickly as I was leaving for my son's baseball practice. I have MEKP from Michael's which I suspect is bad as my cure times were much longer whether clear or pigmented, in heated silicone or pvc. It eventually cured, just took at least 24 hours, not counting at least an hour in the toaster oven. I was hoping to compare it to a new batch of MEKP that I thought was coming with my gallon order of Silmar 41, especially since I had time to experiemnt over the long weekend.
USC closes at 5pm, so I left them a voice mail before I posted and left the house. I am sure they will send it, that was never in doubt. I justed wanted to hear other's experience: Did I have to ask for it explicitly (actually I thought I did). Do they ship it in a different box, it is no longer included for free (website says a gallon comes with 2 ounces), etc. Sorry for the confusion.
Butch and Jim, thanks for the the Lowe's/HD/Auto Parts store pointer. I though Michaels was the only local place for me to get MEKP.
And John, next time your happy meal is missing its toy and you have to wait a week for it, you'll get no sympathy from me. :wink:
USC closes at 5pm, so I left them a voice mail before I posted and left the house. I am sure they will send it, that was never in doubt. I justed wanted to hear other's experience: Did I have to ask for it explicitly (actually I thought I did). Do they ship it in a different box, it is no longer included for free (website says a gallon comes with 2 ounces), etc. Sorry for the confusion.
Butch and Jim, thanks for the the Lowe's/HD/Auto Parts store pointer. I though Michaels was the only local place for me to get MEKP.
And John, next time your happy meal is missing its toy and you have to wait a week for it, you'll get no sympathy from me. :wink:
ldb2000
Member
I'm quite sure it was just an oversight on their part . You are sure you checked the box well ? They normally put it in a plastic bag and tape it to the can but in my last order the tape came undone and the MEKP ended up mixed up with the packing stuck to the tape and the bottom of the box . I almost threw it out with the box .
I just read Jims response . What HD and Lowes sells in the paint dept is NOT MEKP it is MEK . MEK won't work as a catalyst . They do have it , at least HD does but it is by the glues . It is used with the general purpose fiberglass resin they sell . It comes in the 1 oz tubes on a card hanging with the glues .
I just read Jims response . What HD and Lowes sells in the paint dept is NOT MEKP it is MEK . MEK won't work as a catalyst . They do have it , at least HD does but it is by the glues . It is used with the general purpose fiberglass resin they sell . It comes in the 1 oz tubes on a card hanging with the glues .
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Craftdiggity
Member
I got my first Simlar order yesterday from them and I got my MEKP taped right to the gallon jug. Tough break on your order but it sounds like you have options from the weekend.
jttheclockman
Member
There is some statements here that surprise me and we will start with the inportant one, try keeping a kid quiet when the toy is missing in the happy meal. Not a pretty site.:clown:
Second thing is it has been awhile since I ordered Silmar41 but when I did it did come with the catalyst included. Did not know they have since changed the policy.
Next thing is there are more chemists here than I so I can not recomend the different catalyst for that resin. I leave that to them. I personally would not do it. I know you made the satement about comparing but again I do not think I want to mix ingrediants. It maybe all the same stuff.
Why not just go to Michaels then and get some more cast-n-craft catalyst. This way you could also use for that resin. I think what you want to compare is resins and not the catalyst. I use both and I find the Silmar to be user friendly in that it does not kick as fast as the other and is a bit softer. The cast-n-craft is more brittle in my opinion.
There have been many discussions as to how much catalyst to use per ounce of resin and also what can cause reaction time differences. Does catalyst go bad??? Again I can not answer that one either.
Good luck on the order and did not mean anything by my first statement, just trying for humor.
Glass Scratcher
Member
If you order from Composites One you have to buy the MEKp separately.
I received my newest pail of S41 a coupla weeks ago from US Compsites, and the MEKp was taped to the side of the bucket. Chances are high someone just forgot to slap it on the side of the can.
MEKp is a Peroxide and will oxidize out("go bad") over time. If you order fresh resin get fresh MEKp.
I cast using .75% to 1% catalyst by metric volume of the resin. I still have plenty of MEKp by the time I get to the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket.
If in doubt always pour an ounce(30mL) test pour to see if the resin kicks with the MEKp you have, before trying to cast that masterpeice blank, and have a cure failure.
louie
Member
OK, here is another question, for those you have received a gallon (or 5) of Silmar 41 from US Composites, is the MEKP listed on the statement attached to the outside of the box. On mine, there is no mention of MEKP. Just the following: (other than header and footer)
1.00 EA Clear Poly. Casting Resin, GAL EX 34.50 34.50
2 -SM -S41100
1.00 EA Clear Poly. Casting Resin, GAL EX 34.50 34.50
2 -SM -S41100
Glass Scratcher
Member
They probably missed getting it in your box or it fell off as the shipping guy was boxing orders.
From their website: All resin prices include catalyst.
http://www.uscomposites.com/polyesters.html
From their website: All resin prices include catalyst.
http://www.uscomposites.com/polyesters.html
bruce119
Member
Now I buy Silmar 41 from US composites all the time. In the past year and a half I bought over 5 - 5 gal. pails. Yes I do a LOT of casting they know me I have an account with them. A couple things I want to mention I always have gotten the MEK with the resin. With the 5 gal. pail you need to dump out all those pesky pop corn styrofoam and it is wrap in cardboard in the bottom of the box. The 1 gal. is tape to the side of the can. I just got a 1 gal. yesterday and open it up just now to check it's there. There customer service is outstanding. They ship same or next day. In most cases I get my order next day though I do live just across the state maybe 200 miles away. Another thing I got a ton well maybe a quart or 2 of extra MEK because we don't use what they recommend. Remember when casting and set up times especially if you are using these new resin saver molds. Temperature effects the cure times tremendously. And that is the temp of the resin so if you keep the resin in the garage and it's colder it's going to take a lot longer to cure and vis-versa.
Playing with resin is fun it is not an exact science not for us anyway. We are for the most part using resin in ways it was not intended. And every one has a different answer or solution. Not even the manufactures have all the answers.
Have fun & Happy casting
Playing with resin is fun it is not an exact science not for us anyway. We are for the most part using resin in ways it was not intended. And every one has a different answer or solution. Not even the manufactures have all the answers.
Have fun & Happy casting
LandfillLumber
Member
I have settled on .90% by volume for my polyester resins,but as mentioned as long as you are in the .75-1% you will make some good blanks..90% seemed to give me a blank hard enough to polish a nice gloss finish on,and still not to brittle so it turns real nice.Mu advice listen to everything glassscratchier has to say on the subject.Victor
bruce119
Member
Victor
Is there a simple way of putting that ".90% by volume". Math is a week spot for. I am lost with out a calculator is there a formula that a math challenged person could understand. I went to a trade school and was a printer more than half the day was spent in the shop. When we did have math all the teacher talked about was hunting & fishing I was never introduced to any advanced math beyond multiplying.
I just use the 3 drops per once. And even then I found when getting into low volume like the resin savers. It is very sensitive also temperature affects curring. Lately I have been preheating my resin by putting my container of resin (before MEK) into a pot with hot water. Probably heats it to about 90 or so. It help me a lot with air problems I have been having. After adding MEK I do vacuum for about 3 minutes to get out the air that was mixed in.
Well more information than I intended. How can this 90% by volume be figured out. What is a formula that a math challenged person can do.
thanks
Glass Scratcher
Member
There are 30mL to the metric ounce. If you are casting 7 ounces of resin, that is equivalent(=) to 210mL.
If you are going to catalyse your resin at 1% measured against the volume(210mL), you measure and mix into your resin 2.1mL of (MEKp)catalyst.
.9% (MEKp)catalyst against 210mL of resin would be (with a little rounding) 1.9mL of catalyst.
So easy even a caveman can do it!
If you are going to catalyse your resin at 1% measured against the volume(210mL), you measure and mix into your resin 2.1mL of (MEKp)catalyst.
.9% (MEKp)catalyst against 210mL of resin would be (with a little rounding) 1.9mL of catalyst.
So easy even a caveman can do it!
bruce119
Member
Got it but now what if we throw temperature and mass into the mix. I found I need to adjust some. For instance here in the summer it's hot I do 3 drops per once. I need to figure out what that works out to volume ways. Any way this past winter it was cold the same 3 drops did not cure in 24 hrs say when the resin was 65 now when the resin is say 90 it started to gel in 20 min. Now take a large deep mold compared to maybe a resin saver. the larger mass is going to set off a lot faster. Now throw something into the resin like paper, cactus, dies things get dicey. I guess that's why we have a forum about it. It is not so cut & dry. But that's the fun get a gallon and start having fun. Be sure to keep notes I found that out very important for when things go wrong and more so for when they go rite. You know what you did.
louie
Member
UPDATE:
Called US Composites this morning, they apologized and will be sending out a bottle of MEKP. I should get it by Friday or Monday.
Called US Composites this morning, they apologized and will be sending out a bottle of MEKP. I should get it by Friday or Monday.
its_virgil
Member
From the urgency of your original post I thought you would have been on the phone at first light on Tuesday. :biggrin::biggrin:Glad it all worked out. Happy casting.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Do a good turn daily!
Don