![]() Some architectural conservators believe that epoxies do more harm than good, both because an epoxy repair can backfire if preparation is poor, and because epoxy repairs are virtually irreversible and permanent. Traditional repair methods (such as a wood dutchman, scarf, or splice) or replacement of a part may be better options. ![]() “Component repairs should be made using traditional joinery instead of non-historic methods like the wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part.”- Robert Adam, founder and senior advisor of the Preservation Carpentry Department, North Bennet Street School, BostonĮpoxies have grown in versatility and thus popularity, but they are not always the right answer. By the 1960s, strong epoxy adhesives were on hardware-store shelves. Epoxy was used as an alternative to metal fasteners in the production of aircraft. It’s important to use epoxy products specifically formulated for your application.Įpoxy technology dates to the 1940s like plywood and Plexiglas, it was an innovation of the war effort. Additives may make them more flexible or spreadable. Chemists can adjust the rate at which the epoxy cures. ![]() The cured epoxy can be hard and brittle or soft and rubbery. The product may be watery to penetrate porous materials, or thick and viscous for use on a vertical surface. When they are mixed together, a chemical reaction changes the resin into a gel and then a solid.Ī historic Palladian-style window is in place after repairs that involved several products and techniques.Ĭhemists formulate epoxies with a wide range of pre-cure and post-cure characteristics. The epoxies used in rehabilitating wood are made up of a resin and a hardener. As thermosetting compounds, they cure through a heat reaction. These are mixed (thoroughly) immediately before application. The product typically comes in cans or tubes labeled as A and B. This article is about those epoxy products used to reinforce and fill wood elements.Įpoxies are two-part systems. Different formulations make epoxy compounds compatible with wood, glass, stone, concrete, and more. Conservator John Leeke mixes a two-part epoxy compound at a work site ().Ĭontrary to popular usage, “epoxy” is not one thing, nor is it a verb that means “to glue.” The word refers to a class of synthetic thermosetting polymers used in adhesives, consolidants, plastics, fillers, molding compounds, and coatings.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |