Epoxyclipse Now

"Duct Tape is like the Force...It has a light side and a dark side and it binds the universe together."

- Unknown



I don't know who originated the duct tape statement, but it is true. This past Saturday however, I rediscovered a substance that is much stronger and, in this case, more painful than duct tape. Now Dear Reader, sit back with a bowl of popcorn and your favorite non-alcoholic, caffeine free carbonated beverage, and let me tell you of my struggle with Epoxy Adhesive!!!!



I was attempting to re-attach an under-mounted porcelain sink to a granite countertop. I had removed it and cleaned up all of the surfaces and prepared some epoxy to fix it in place. The epoxy was professional strength and had a set time of 5 minutes. Seems like a short enough period of time...except when you're trying to hold it in place with just your hands!



I spread the epoxy on the sink and put it under the sink. I managed to fold myself into the cabinet and push the sink into place. I wore nitrile gloves to keep my hands clean, but that didn't stop the mess from occurring. That had to be the longest five minutes ever. I had to get out from under the cabinet, but the epoxy had not set. I just kept holding it in place until the epoxy had finally set. When I was done, the darned stuff had dripped onto my arms. If you think pulling duct tape off of arm hair hurts, you should try epoxy sometime. But that's not all. I went to adjust my hat, and it was stuck to my hair. Now THAT hurts. I'm pretty sure my roar of agony could be heard all the way in Washington, D.C. I've been able to pull it off and got most of the stuff out of my hair. Fortunately, there is no bald patch where the hair was pulled out. That was some mean stuff. I am happy to report that the sink is now firmly affixed to the countertop.

Epoxy is a wonderful thing. It sets quickly (most of the time) and cures very hard. It does, however, have a very nasty odor. And it gets hot as it sets. You don't want to be touching it or mixing it in a thin bowl or you'll burn your hand. Sitting under that cabinet waiting for the epoxy to set gave me a bit of a headache. Ideally, I would have removed the countertop and taken it outside for the work. Then I could turn the top over and set the sink on top to set, rather than hold it in place. The problem was that it was a granite top that had already been set and the backsplashes glued in place. It would have been a mess to take it out, and the wallpaper would have been trashed. Hence, the human sink brace routine.

Today is a holiday for Heather. I hope to get some work done in the garage. I have been storing a bunch of equipment from Dad's shop, and I need to make a little more room and organize it so I can actually get in and out of there. The weather is going to be a little warmer today, so it should be nice.