Which epoxy for dead flat surfaces? and hardness?

[Apples]

I poured some epoxy last night trying to make a DIY surface plate of sorts. The product I used looks fantastic but it is not dead flat. So I was wondering if any and all epoxy's will self level to dead flat?

Maybe some are more runny than others and flatten out more? If so what is the chemical make up so that I can get some stuff over here in Australia. There may not be the same brand of epoxy over here.

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[JohnMcNamara]

Hi Apples

One company worth talking to is Vivacity Engineering. New South Wales is closest to you.

Have a look at:
Megapoxy H Clear
Megapoxy HICB It’s used in rotary rock crushers to stick the wear plates on the bowl
However take their advice there may be a better product for your application.

You can find them on the net

I have not used these yet but an order is on the way They were recommended by a friend I trust.

Cheers

John (Melbourne)

[lgalla]

Apples,did you apply any heat?Heat will thin the epoxy to flow better.
Larry

[lgalla]

How about E-bay.Au?Ace
Epoxy Clear Coat 1:1 ratio - 5kg kit | eBay
Larry G'Day

[Apples]

Yep I heated the surface with a little propane burner, it was pretty cool how effective it was at popping all the tiny bubbles.

That ebay epoxy, which I did look at before. They have different ratios. 5:1, 2:1 and 1:1. The stuff I used was 1:1. Although it was not their stuff I dare say it would be very similar to what I used.

I think that in places it is quite flat, that is just going off the edge of a metal rule. When I put my builders level on the surface before I started I needed to raise the front up by about just under 1/4".

Now with the level on it it has not made any difference that I can really tell, although the epoxy is thicker at the front as compared to the back of the bench top.

Theses guys precision epoxy claim .003 or better flatness using theri FP-85 or FP-80 epoxy's. I'd like to know what those epoxy's are so I can source that locally here. It is a 2:1 ratio.

[janaf]

My best guess is that you should look for an epoxy that is
- low viscosity, ie as fluid as possible.
- very slow curing
- totally free of solvents

The hardness comes from using hard filler, ie sand/rock/granite at as high ratio as practically possible. You should be able to reach around 10-12% epoxy.
Prewarming the epoxy and filler will also make it more fluid, but not too much or it will start hardening too fast. Finger warm might be right.

[marktill]

we cast up tables a few times a year and after they are set hard machine them down to get a surface, even though the table need to be 3000 x 2000 mm we are lucky that the machin is able to do it its self. this save a lot of messing around with finshes etc
regards Mark

[brian257]

Not sure you will ever get epoxy dead flat. Might want to talk to Magnolia Plastics or Smooth-on. Magnolia does a ton of different epoxies and custom blends. Smooth-on does casting supplies.

I think you would get much better results if you use an actual surface plate and make a reverse casting of it then separate your epoxy and turn it over. Make some side walls on the plate and use some modeling clay or silicone where the walls sit on the plate on the outside corners. I would use some type of mold release. You can get that from Smooth-on also.

[Zathras]

FWIW

I have tried Megapoxy H from Vivacity Engineering and could not get anywhere near a flat surface with 3 tries although the surface looks nice. I supose I could have made a mistake but I'm sure I followed instruction perfectly. BTW, this stuff was approx $1000 worth of Epoxy I got from an engineer friend for free.
The US Composites product looks fantastic but there doesn't seem to be an equivalent here in Australia and it's out of the question to import.

The stuff on eBay looks cheap etc but where are TDS abd physical properties info? The last time I asked a seller (not necessarily the one that Igalla links to) for them I got no reply, I wonder why. I can't be bothered with any seller that doesn't delcare info like this and states vague stuff like "low viscosity Epoxy".

I am getting my 1000x1000mm surface plate soon and will try the replication method using thin Mylar sheet to protect the Granite as I don't trust release agents. The last thing I want to do is ruin my $2000+ surface plate!

-Mark

[deprutser]

FWIW

I am getting my 1000x1000mm surface plate soon and will try the replication method using thin Mylar sheet to protect the Granite as I don't trust release agents. The last thing I want to do is ruin my $2000+ surface plate!

-Mark

How did it go? I am planning to do the same thing, using a granite kitchen counter top as a poor man surface plate.

[gabedrummin]

So I would think you need a flat surface like a surface plate that has been leveled . Someone uses a precision level and leveled the working surface of the surface plate then you can cast off the top of the plate .

[joeavaerage]

Hi,
epoxies have a Youngs modulus of anywhere between 3GPa up to about 7GPa, ie about as stiff as a limp noodle. With good fillers you can get up to 35GPa but then you self leveling
goes out the window.

Craig

[Dec0y]

You will never get FLAT resin, you will always have surface tension to mold walls, but more so as it cures you get as much as ~3% shirinkage and perticularly in the centres.
You would have to use a flat surface with walls built as a mold so you can gravity pour cast the surface.

How ever for FREE or a few bucks.... You can go past a local marble kitchen top manufacturer and they will have Granit and other hard dense rock etc offcuts around here are FREE to Take in scrap baskets out front..
All the marble etc stones are rotary ground & polished flat on large CNC surface grinders.
This would be the flatest surface without going to the expense of properly scraped flat ones.