Recommend a good no-mix epoxy?

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Roamad

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I'm wondering if there's a good no-mix (i.e. one-part) clear epoxy I could use for non-structural tasks. Things like making mosaic pins, for instance, or making color-tinted lanyard fobs out of epoxy. This would all be non-load-bearing projects. I'm just looking for some kind of epoxy where I could save the time involved in the mixing step. Just squirt it out and go. Any suggestions?
 
I don't have experience with them, but there're photocatalized and thermaly cured resins. The former won't work inside a metal tube and the latter have a limited shelf life.
 
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By the nature of the product, you need a two-part mix for most tasks. Paints come in no-mix, but they are different from glue.

There was a company that made one part bonding resins, but I never used any - Master Bond, IIRC.
 
"Epoxy is a term used to denote both the basic components and the cured end products of epoxy resins, as well as a colloquial name for the epoxide functional group. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers"

That being said if it ain't 2 parts then it ain't epoxy.
 
I use a cartridge with a mixing nozzle. 3M and devcon make the two that I use. Might be an option for you.

Hoss
 
JTknives said:
"Epoxy is a term used to denote both the basic components and the cured end products of epoxy resins, as well as a colloquial name for the epoxide functional group. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers"

That being said if it ain't 2 parts then it ain't epoxy.
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Yup! Epoxy = 2 parts

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Can you use CA for some of this? Some hobbies use CA for bonding things and filling voids. I've seen knifemakers use it to fill voids in wood scales.

(CA = cyanoacrylate, otherwise known as "superglue", I can't guarantee I spelled it correctly)
 
^^^Thanks bdmicarta. Yes, that may work in some cases. Shoulda thought of that.

Has anyone used Loctite 330? I met one knife maker who uses it without the hardener for some uses. But I'm a bit dubious.
 
Unless it's a weird situation, just use CA. If it's good enough for high end knifemakers, it's good enough for me.

If you doubt the strength, pin some scales on, and then try removing them because you screwed up or something.
 
Note the OP says "making mosaic pins" among other non loadbearing things. I'd think most any clear glue that will dry hard and could be colored would work for mosaic pins. Certainly no strength to speak of required.

Ken >
 
Only a thin resin works well for making mosaic rivets. A pourable bar top grade or a clear coat type is best. Use the slow cure catalyst. Tint it as needed, and draw the resin up the assembled rivet tube with a piece of plastic tubing on one end. Use a vacuum pump if you have one, or suck hard by mouth. When the resin appears in the tube, plug off the other end with a ball of clay or putty, and snip off the plastic tube. Set upright to dry for a full day. You can do half a dozen rivets at a time with each small batch of an ounce or so of slow cure resin mix.
 
Loctite makes an epoxy called 3981 that is a one part thermoset. You apply the glue, clamp the parts and then heat them to about 250 for an hour. Its very expensive; 40$ for 30 mL.

All epoxies are thermosetting, meaning they require heat to cure. Two part epoxies create their own heat when mixed, and one part epoxies need heat from an external source.

Since you said you needed the adhesive for "non-structural purposes, like mosaic pins..." I would look for an alternative adhesive if you dont want to mix two fluids, or bake your parts. Mr. Apelt suggested well above: use a bar-top resin.
 
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