Modern Vespa

So, I was today years old when I found this out. I'd always kept a supply of glues handy for the inevitable....

Earlier this week I tried some "plastic mender" epoxy on my handlebar cover. It never set. So I dug out some JB Weld which had been good in the past, but while that set, it doesn't seem to have hardened as much as in the past. So, got googling and seems like, well, a year or two and that's about all you can expect.

So, if you're on a roll with a project and don't want to be mucking around, might want to start out with fresh glue.

Of course I could be the last person in the world to know this...

I had no idea. How did you clean up the mess?

Peeled and scraped right off. Plastic weld seemed to soften the plastic a bit so a small layer of that came off too.

I can't recall the discussions here on ideal glue, but JB Weld has worked well for me...even this time.....I think what I saw as a problem might have been due to curing in cooler temps. Seems to hold fine (and the stuff is barely a year old IIRC).

Most epoxies say cure must be made at a minimum of 70° F.

I've used very old marine industrial epoxies before (West System, 15 years) and found that the hardener develops a reddish color and a strong ammonia smell, but still works correctly. And my understanding was that JB Weld has a very long shelf life.

Not that it matters but if your stuff went bad it may be additives in the epoxy, not the epoxy itself.

Learned years ago to buy the smallest contain of glue or sealant and don't stock up, get it when you need it.

Greetings:

I too have decades of experience using West and System 3 epoxies - unfortunate sailboard habit. West resin tends to become cloudy after the container is opened, after a few months. Hardeners turn yellow-ish or reddish too. However the curing process does not seem to be affected. Both sites suggest that warming the repair by 18 degrees cuts the cure time in half. Perhaps a hair dryer could come to your assistance,

I worked at a Small Hardware store when I was in high school. The Reps would come in for lots of the products. I listened and learned. 3M/Loctite rep was nice and very talkative.

Not sure I ever noticed that on a container, but could be part of the problem...I brought the piece in out of the garage (where it likely hits 40 or less at night), but the entryway is coolish as well.

Maybe if nothing else, I won't feel as bad dumping out some of the stuff that's of indeterminate age.....

This sounds very much like a temperature issue to me. There is no doubt that epoxies and other catalyzed resins are very temperature sensitive. You will want to dig out the specifications for the product(s) you are using and read up on recommended temperatures and cure times.

Same as with brake fluid.

The cap will just get glued to the container.

all consumables have a shelf life. check the date on your beer.

Can't say that I've ever had a problem with a beer being held past its sell-by date.

Catalyzed products seem to age out. They'll still 'set', but I suspect the bonding and/or structural strength are reduced. Have had some old resins and glues that hardened, but stayed a little tacky on the surface. Not a chemist, so not sure why. Perhaps the introduction of oxygen alters the chemical makeup.

In any event, when undertaking something critical (and on a schedule), I tend to get fresh supplies. But sometimes the problems arise at 10:00PM on a Sunday night, when all the hardware stores are closed.

Who let's their beer get old?