Thinner for Devcon Epoxy??

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Is there any solvent I can use to thin Devcon Steel black liquid epoxy, to touch up solder lines on my latest NON-benchrest rifle?? Just finished rust bluing this beast--45-100 double rifle built on a Merkel 12 ga action. I now realize why these cost big bucks, when built by somebody else.....photo below....
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Thanks. Might have to be satisfied with Minute-of-M'Bogo with this one...still regulating the barrels vs. load. 2100 fps with a 400 gr looks promising.
 
Xs
Very nice rifle. Some people use a black permanent marker to color the solder lines.

Hal
 
Magic Marker????? Really, now, this is a gentleman's rifle. That sort of thing just isn't done, old chap.:eek:
 
Thinners and Solvents are not the same!!!

If you want to, for example, reduce the viscosity of an epoxy, a thinner is used such as IPA, isopropyl alcohol. If, on the other hand you want to remove the epoxy and keep it from cross linking, a solvent is used. Never use a solvent to reduce the viscosity or to increase pot life--- it will never ever cure. Please no arguments unless you have more epoxy patents than I do--- and let us not get into miscible---:eek: Overbore
 
solvent vs thinner

Overbore,

I have no epoxy patents as you do and I reply in spite of your admonition not to only for the purpose of the furthering of useful information. I claim no expertise in the field of epoxy. But I personally have used acetone as a thinner with good results. Your post led me to question my recollection of my experience so I called West System just now and talked to Randy at the tech support department. [(866) 937-8797]. West System is the epoxy product line that I use. Randy first cautioned me not to spray epoxy without full protection gear as epoxy is a very strong sensitizer and a respirator is not even remotely adequate protection. A full pressure suit is required so I guess the garage is out. He then told me that acetone and lacquer thinner are both good thinners for epoxy as they flash off quickly and do not interfere at all with the cross linking of the polymerization process of curing. He also said that alcohols are a very bad idea as they will attack even cured epoxy let alone interfere with cure. An example he offered was problem that ethanol fuel blends can cause in older cars that were not designed to accommodate them.

Hope this helps.

Greg
 
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Gregg,

For the record we purchase IPA for applications and resale in 55 gallon drums and have done so under a patented formulation since 1992. Our bonding strength is >3,000psi; underwater! West has a totally different formulation. He got the protective gear right for acetone and tolulene, strong and dangerous VOC's. IPA is not. for your info only-----:rolleyes:Overbore
 
Overbore,

Randy's cautions had to do with the sensitizing effects of the epoxy catalyst, not acetone or lacquer thinner which are easily managed with a charcoal filter VOC mask as typically used in automotive paint shops and available for less than $20 at auto supply stores like NAPA. Until your explanation, I hadn't realized that there could be so much variation in the basic chemistry of epoxy that it could invert the response of IPA and acetone across manufactured brands. What is the name of your company? Sounds like good stuff!

Greg
 
Interesting info, but I need info on Devcon Liquid Steel. Did a test strip with IPA thinned epoxy on scrap steel last night, will see if it cured nicely today.
 
WEst

makes dozens of good products but Devon is not one of theirs. Illinois Tools Works has over 650 corporations under their tent and according to their literature, West is not one of them. Just as you would not take your Benz to a Ford dealer to have the diesel smog device worked on or for advice on how to repair, asking Gougen Bros about the Devcon product would be the exact same parallelism. Our corp. is "in play" and I have executed non-disclosure docs so can not answer without violations---. Bisphenol-A based, with epichlydrochlorin I can tell you. >99% pure Isopropynanol (IPA) is the acknowledged reducer for this epoxy family. I am an expert in the dangers of VOC and formulation fumes in that I tried some new experimental epoxies ( contgained a form of cyinide ) for dielectric purposes in a closed environment in Florida and lost all faculties for several days. It took several years before I could finish a sentence---. Please learn from my near death and do not work in closed environments without outside, pressurized air or OSHA approved filters and mask. Lab Safety Equipment Co is good source.

Overbore
 
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Don't know what solder you used, but Brownell's sells "solder black" that will color the solder dark black for silver solder or another product for soft solder.
 
The isopropyl alcohol worked nicely. Bond to steel was good, and the pinch of lampblack made it really black. I tried a chemical solder black(not Brownells), and it turns rust blue to a parkerized greenish. Tested that under the barrels, where the forearm covers the blemish. Thanks y'all.
 
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