Ace-Garageguy

Let me elaborate on my reasoning and experience. All the epoxies I'm familiar with are high-performance aviation and industrial products. They HAVE to be mixed on a gram-scale, and accuracy HAS to be maintained to 1/2 of 1% by weight, part A to part B. If I mix an aircraft epoxy incorrectly on a wing spar repair and it fails, people die. This pretty well precludes sloshing some "thinner" into a container until it feels right, and mixing two components together in kinda similar amounts. And the printed Product Data that we keep on file (with which I must comply EXACTLY according to FAA regs, and not a conversation with some tech rep on the phone who MAY know what he's talking about...and I've encountered plenty over the years who had no clue) are very specific as to the handling of these materials. Thinning is forbidden on most of them. And it's these resins, once they've gone out of date and are illegal to use on aircraft, that I use in model building. I ALWAYS mix on a gram scale, and I never thin them. If they've deteriorated to the point they NEED thinning, they won't work properly and should be discarded. Epoxies cure by cross-linking of the molecules in the resin and hardener (unlike polyester resins, the commonly used "fiberglass resins" which CAN be thinned in moderation with acetone, or styrene monomer in some cases) and if they're to perform anywhere near their maximum design strength, the ratios of resin-to-hardener (A to B ) must be maintained accurately, and why I suggested thinning AFTER you get your mixing ratios as close to equal as you think you want them. Adding odd amounts of "thinner" into un-weighed tiny amounts of A and B parts before mixing is a guarantee of bond failure at some time. This is why I personally have no use for 5-minute products that mix a little of this and a little of that, and whose strengths vary all over the board as a result...from never hardening properly to being so brittle as to be useless. I like to know every time what I'm getting, so I use better materials...and stronger materials almost always give you plenty of working time because THE STRONGER AN EPOXY IS, THE LONGER IT TAKES TO CURE. My primary resin system takes a full 24 hours to fully cure, and gives over an hour of working time at 75degF. To summarize, try to mix your materials as accurately as possible, and TEST FIRST, thoroughly, if you want consistent results you can always count on. Obviously you don't need aviation-quality bonds, but you DO need methods that are repeatable and reliable. EDIT: I DO use 5-minute epoxies sometimes in aviation work, but only as temporary fixturing material that will be removed completely in the final repair area. Their rapid set-up does make them useful to hold something in place while a proper lamination is performed on the other side of a join or repair...but they MUST be removed and not laminated over on structural work. EDIT 2: The kind of fiberglass work I do with models demands absolutely predictable results every time. In this shot, I'm laying up an epoxy / fiberglass track-nose in a polyester / fiberglass mold I also made from my own master. The cloth shown here is only .009" thick, and two layers (laminated with MGS 285 resin) are all that are necessary to produce almost-scale-thickness parts that are vastly stronger than any styrene or resin could possibly be. This is a finished layup before trimming. This shot of the track-nose layup gives a good idea of the thickness of the completed parts. The black stuff is residual primer I've been sanding away to compensate for a less-than-perfect mold surface. This was also early in the experiments that have led to getting consistent results with these materials on models.

It was a pop-up camper rig called the "Aero Cabana".

A faux Lambo... Gee mister, is that a Bugatti Veyron ? And this just HAS to be fast...

What did one snail say to the other one ? "How fast does your S car go ??"

Maybe I should put 'em on ebay for $29.95 each. "Genuine old-school nostalgic tire-swing kits !!! Relive a simpler time, visit your roots, and do the planet some good all at the same time by recycling these pieces of automotive history into authentic, historically-accurate tire-swings !!! These vintage tires have been scientifically modified to be un-usable as tires any more, and that makes them especially desirable as swing-kits. The strategically placed holes in the sidewalls conveniently drain water to eliminate the problem of mosquitoes breeding in the lower-priced brand. Fun for the whole family !!! Free shipping with orders of 10 or more".

Don't they make the car get better gas mileage? Someone on the internet said they do.

Agreed entirely, and several people have said this isn't so much a "hate on GM" issue as it is a WIDESPREAD problem in the industry as a whole. Look at how much the engineers, designers, managers and execs get paid. THEY GET PAID ENOUGH TO GET IT RIGHT. But until consumers start screaming loudly enough about competent design and parts-sourcing, the FIRST time, nothing is going to change.

Sure Scott, they're all fine in their own ways, but see that blue Fairlady Z with the custom flares in the background? That looks like it actually took some skill to build. Maybe some patience. Might even have a little craftsmanship, or pride in a job well-done going on there. But of course, under the shiny blue paint, it could be a worse cobbled-up mess than the rod. I've seen plenty of shiny cars that make the rust-rods look like new Porsches by comparison (from an engineering, build-quality and function standpoint). The suspension and the other important functional parts of the rod may be first-rate (just not shiny); it may go like hell, stop on a dime, and handle like a slot car. If it does, I'm all for it. Different folks like different pokes.

I LIKE that idea !!!

Sometimes it's equally important to know where you've been, as it is to know where you're going.

Acetone is really usually the preferred "thinner" for epoxy (but in any real-world application, where the design-strength of the epoxy is important, thinning is verboten). I haven't tried denatured alcohol to thin or clean up any of the epoxies I use, but acetone should do the trick. I'd recommend testing both, as there are thousands of "epoxy" formulations, and not everything works with everything. And yes, heat will most likely kick it much faster. Not the question you asked, but I HAVE used acetone to "thin" polyester resins in non-critical layups, mostly when the material was past its use-by date, or I just needed really quick wet-out. Again, test before you commit to using the stuff on anything at all important. And remember...it doesn't take much acetone at all. And thin it AFTER mixing, so you know what your percentages of A and B are.

I stand corrected. Nothing says "put together right" like way too long plug wires flapping in the breeze (and resting on the throttle linkage), a cantilevered moon-tank mount (that will shortly fatigue off if anything is put in it, from all appearances), a wonky-looking engine mount (that appears to be just a folded piece of too-thin plate...hope there's a gusset in there somewhere), and...but what do I know, anyway? I'm just tired of slapped together rusty junk.

Holy moly, that's gorgeous.

Cool little truck. Love the colors and overall look.

And nothin' says "put together right" like ignition wires lying on the headers, and rusty screen-door springs for throttle return.

Maybe a one-off custom Bentley Continental GT? ...maybe a little older...

What state is Nz ? (warning: sarcasm)

How about something classy.... ...or... Or something really horrible... (no shortage of high-dollar awful Rollers...) ...or almost too cool to be real... ...or rapper-worthy... ...or having an identity crisis... ...or that is morphing into a locomotive...

Mmmmm...tasty.

I'm sure there's a recipe for roast something in here... Yup..... Ingredients: 2 -3 lbs roast to taste Good Seasons salad dressing mix or to taste mushroom soup, dry salt & pepper Directions: Start with a 2- to 3-pound roast, the flatter the better. Season with dry Good Seasons Salad Dressing mix or dry mushroom soup, salt and pepper or any way you season a roast before roasting. Double or triple wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil, crimping on sides so liquid will not leak when you turn the roast. Place on or against the flat part of exhaust manifold or against hot part of engine block. Drive five to six hours. Turn once halfway to destination. You will arrive with a tender, juicy roast, ready to eat, and you will enjoy the smells of a home-cooked meal en route. Note: This will not work on all vehicles, only those with appropriate engine design.