Looking for a faster curing epoxy.

[Bob Duguay]

Been using G-Flex with no issues but sometime I just don’t want to wait 24 hrs to get back on the knife. Is there a strong 3 hr epoxy that you guys can recommend?

 

[John mc c]

No.
Everyone here recommends the 24 HR cure

 

[HSC ///]

Everyone here recommends the 24 hour but it’s not always necessary

BSI 15 mins works excellent and is three hour and the 5 minutes Devon works great as well

thousands of knives are made at Carter Cutlery with five minute epoxy...

For 24 hour epoxy I like golfworks High impact shafting Epoxy

if you’re doing a full tang you can even use GE premium silicone glue if you’re going to Peen Pins in the scales

I know this all sounds outrageous to you guys here because the only thing you like is G flex but there are other products and they do work and they are proven.

 

[Bob Duguay]

How about Rogue anybody using it?

 

[WC53]

Loctite 326/324

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/method-for-applying-loctite-324-and-activator.1576201/

 

[Scaniaman]

I made my early knives with 5 min epoxy. Haven't had any problems with them. One is still my go-to hunting and skinning knife and one is a smaller edc that I've carried a lot.

 

[noseoil]

G-Flex can be bumped with heat for a faster cure, but care must be taken. Too much heat & you get a weak bond or actual failure, but taking it up to 130f will speed up the cure a lot. I've done it hotter, just to see what happens, but have had no trouble with a 130f cure. YMMV...

This what West System says about heat & strength, from their information about G-Flex:
"We also wondered if an epoxy with this much elongation would perform poorly in heat resistance. Yet ASTM-D648 (Heat Deflection Under Load or HDUL) revealed G/flex performed even better than 105 Resin-based epoxies. (G/flex like all WEST SYSTEM resin/hardener combinations can handle temperatures up to 200°F repeatedly. At this temperature, it will be more flexible and less resistant to heavy durational loads than at room temperature, but it returns to full strength as it approaches room temperature.) Well, what about through cure? Usually flexible systems take days to achieve the majority of their physical properties. Our testing revealed that G/flex’s 24-hour through cure is similar to that of WEST SYSTEM 105 Resin and 205 Fast Hardener."

 

[Richard338]

I use T88 and usually leave it for 3 days or more.
I work on at least 4 or 5 knives at once in different stages, so I'm never in a hurry to work on one after glue up.

 

[john april]

i am under the impression all epoxies take 24 hours to cure, some just have shorter set times.

 

[CThompson]

How about Rogue anybody using it?

I just bought some last week and have done two knives with it. I made a couple test samples and abused them to see how Rogue compares to my trusted G-Flex. It seems to hold very well but is definitely more brittle. (Not surprised) I do like the faster cure time though. I think it is a good product when used on handles with mechanical fasteners like corby’s and such. I would not use it when doing hidden pins or mosaic pins. Just my opinion...

 

[A.McPherson]

How about Rogue anybody using it?

I know Walter Sorrels uses it, at least on the YouTube videos that are sponsered by them...

 

[HSC ///]

i am under the impression all epoxies take 24 hours to cure, some just have shorter set times.

There is -
Set time
Working time
Cure time

 

[JTknives]

I love my systems 3 epoxy, 72hr cure. My thought is if your in a rush to finish the handle then maybe look at another attachment method besides epoxy. When you start comparing short vs long curing epoxy you generally will see a drastic difference in strength.

 

[Drew Riley]

24 hours is nothing for something you want to last for the next 100 years.
Just start making another knife or two while you wait for the first one to cure.

 

[John mc c]

There was a thread here compari g slow cure and fast cure epoxies
Slow cure bonds much better
Can't find thread now

 

[Cushing H.]

There is -
Set time
Working time
Cure time

Agreed with this. Technically, the faster the set time, the weaker the bond ... but the difference might be meaningless for knives. But set does not mean **hard**. Set but not hard (fully cured) epoxy might be a little gummy ... and horrible to sand. Fully cured epoxy should be hard ... and easier to sand to a fine grit/finish. I would look at your label ... but even for 5min epoxies... that is much more than 5 minutes. I would give it at least 24 hours.

 

[Don Hanson III]

I have a few knives around here that were put together with 5 minute epoxy. They are holding up fine, but it's only been 25 years or so.

 

[HSC ///]

I have a few knives around here that were put together with 5 minute epoxy. They are holding up fine, but it's only been 25 years or so.

thank you! This is what I’m trying to say, that shorter time epoxy can be efficient and works well and is proven.

I don’t think anyone is going to argue the 24 hour cure epoxy is stronger because it known to have a higher lap sheer strength

there’s a point of diminishing returns and for some knives in some situations a shorter cure epoxy is perfectly appropriate.

If you are doing a full tang knife with pins or bolts or rivets then you have a mechanical fastening

if you were doing a wa handle on a stick tang kitchen knife, you can burn in the tang and frequently just beeswax is used, certainly five minutes or 15 minute epoxy in this situation is more than appropriate

use what you want but the OP asked for a faster cure epoxy and to say that it’s not good enough is mis-information

 

[Bob Duguay]

This is how I feel as well. I will give BSI or Rogue a try. Seems like both get good reviews.

 

[Kevin Kf knives]

I've actually been having a hard time finding anything but the smaller bottles of epoxy, I think the 4 oz bottles. Anyone having the same problem?