Thickening agent with Max ACR?

[Jdj211]

I'm going to be applying a second coat to my plywood tank. I noticed that the epoxy is very thin on the walls. I was wondering if there was something I can add in to keep it from running so much. Kind of like the opposite of thinning it out with acetone. Any ideas?


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[CJH]

I'm going to be applying a second coat to my plywood tank. I noticed that the epoxy is very thin on the walls. I was wondering if there was something I can add in to keep it from running so much. Kind of like the opposite of thinning it out with acetone. Any ideas?

There are a few things, maybe several, that can be added to epoxy to make it thicker. My experience with them is for making rounding fillets
in the corners so I'm a bit uncomfortable giving you advice to reduce sagging on vertical walls. I assume your tank is too big to set on its sides or front/back so you're always working on a horizontal surface?

At any rate, I have used a type of silica, talc and finely chopped fiberglass to thicken epoxy. I think I like the fibers the best but if I remember correctly they were the one that were the toughest to mix in. It was like you added just a small amount more and the slurry got really thick really quickly.

People also use a flour made from some sort of nut shell (maybe walnut??) and I think really tiny glass beads.

I would contact Max ACR and see what they say. They sell a thixotropic resin which I assume is their regular resin with a thickening agent added to it. It's probably too thick for what you need but they might have an idea.

I have a couple of other ideas but I'd really prefer for you to talk to Max ACR first.

 

[surfpalmsncycads]

keep us posted. im using max acr on my ply as well.

 

[stempy]

I had zero issues with it being runny, are you 100% positive you are mixing it correctly? I REALLY had to mix it to get the two components to mix properly, a solid 5 minutes or so, after that it was like a thin molasses almost. Definately thicker than your typical interior house paint.

 

[stempy]

I think I may have misread what you were asking actually, if you are saying it wasn't runny but just went on very thin - that's how it works. You want it to go on very thin and you apply several coats to bring it up to the proper thickness on the walls. I believe they recommend 3 coats? but I just kept applying coats till my kit was gone, I ended up with 7 coats and have had zero issues with any kind of leaking so far after about 5 months *knock on wood*

 

[CJH]

Stempy. I know your project is done but if you do another you can control the viscosity of epoxy resin by putting the jugs in water baths. It makes a noticeable difference.

But it will cause the mix to both flow out & cure faster.

And you touched on a good point in your next reply. It might actually be to the OP's benefit to apply thinner coats on the vertical surfaces. I didn't want to get into that until he talked to ACR.

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[Phixer]

Cabosil, microballons or talc.