Scarfing question

[Gordon Hafner]

I've got two boards glued up (West 105/206 slow epoxy) at the moment; do I need to wait 24 hours until things are completely cured before running it through the thickness planer? I'm not talking about bending it onto the boat; just trying to be a bit more efficient with my time.

[JimConlin]

Depends on temperature. At 70F, I’d wait overnight.

[Dusty Yevsky]

Depends on temperature. At 70F, I’d wait overnight.

For sure. The miniscule gains in efficiencly are not worth the risk of breaking the bond. Check the residual epoxy in the bottom of the mixing container for clues about curing.

[hawkeye54]

Gordon, without actual working background here, I would caution against planing 'green' epoxy - as you could be exposed to the same issues as sanding green epoxy could cause. .



Rick

[sp_clark]

As Jim C's indicated, much depends on temperature during cure. Wood species also matters some, but less than temperature.

How much more scarfing do you have to get done before you'd want to get to the thicknessing step? I can see why adjusting your planer once then running it all would be to your advantage, unless there's nothing else it'd be used for while you work to get the scarfing done 100%.

Seeing as your in eastern VA your ambient temps are milder than mine presently (unseasonal 24°!) yet if you're working in a heated shop you can accelerate your cure by 'tenting' your scarfed planks then placing a conventional filamented, high-wattage light bulb or enclosed oil-type space heater underneath set to bring the temp inside up to 85° - 90° for a few hours.

Otherwise I'd wait at least five days in a 55° minimum cure temp. environment. 72°'d shorten that to three days.

[Larks]

I've got two boards glued up (West 105/206 slow epoxy) at the moment; do I need to wait 24 hours until things are completely cured before running it through the thickness planer? I'm not talking about bending it onto the boat; just trying to be a bit more efficient with my time.

I always leave glue-ups at least overnight regardless of temperature (even where I live in Queensland in Oz where we don’t get your extremes of cold weather) - a bit of patience is significantly more efficient than having to redo something because the glue wasn’t ideally cured.

I do also keep my mixing pot on the bench to check that the residue has properly cured in the pot before working the piece - though with our temp’s that’s generally more to check that I didn’t stuff up the mix ratio or make some silly mistake like that.

[wizbang 13]

In the Caribbean, I’ll do three a day
In the PNW , it might be three days for one
there is no short answer

[debenriver]

I'd certainly wait three to five days depending on temperature; 65º-70º probably three days; 50º 5 days.

Cheers -- George

[neil.henderson]

I work on the basis that Wests sets within 24 hours but can weeks to be fully cured. If you're not stressing the joint very much then 24 hours for thichnessing should be fine. I tend to cleanup scarfs with a belt sander - crude I agree but seems to work.

Regards Neil