Low Temperature Epoxy Cure

[Feisty!]

It's winter in the Rockies and I, thru egregious lack of planning, am doing deck core replacement outdoors in between winter weather episodes.  I can get the interior of the boat (I'm replacing the core from underneath) up to 70F by clever application of timing and electric heat.

My question is: once the resin has kicked, does temperature have any effect other than speed of cure ?

 

[Raz'r]

West Systems?

https://www.westsystem.com/instruction-2/epoxy-basics/cold-temperature-bonding/

 

[Zonker]

It also greatly affects how easy it is to wet out fabrics. Cold epoxy is like honey and you will use too much to wet out any fabric. Keep the epoxy inside until ready to use.

Then if you can keep the temps up at 70F for 24 hours you'll get a decent cure. If you let it drop to say 40F then it might take a week to really cure.

If the interior of the boat is 70F is the outside deck really cold? I would insulate the deck on the outside. Heavy blankets, styrofoam billets, yoga mats, etc etc. 

 

[phill_nz]

If you are unable to warm the resin and hardener, allow the mixture to stand in the pot for several minutes before using it. This induction period will help get the epoxy’s chemical reaction started.

from the west site

this bit i have found to be the most important

to the point where i will set off a test pot and time it to gel then mix and stand the use pot for about half that time before i use it -

 

[MiddayGun]

Patent pending .