Downloads (4)

This is a chemical product. Before storage or use you must download and read the accompanying safety and technical datasheets.

Safety Datasheet (SDS)1 MB
Dutch Safety DataSheet1 MB
Technical Datasheet (TDS)235 KB
Carbon Fibre Skinning Guide3 MB

Specification

Product Data
ColourClear
Chemistry / MaterialEpoxy
Viscosity1600mPa.s
UV ResistanceVery Good
BrandEasy Composites
Cured Mechanical Properties
Max Service Temp80°C
FlexibilityHard / Rigid
Tensile Strength68.0MPa
Tensile Modulus3.40GPa
Compressive Strength103MPa
Elongation at Break5.6%
Tg Onset (DMA)80°C
Impact Resistance38kJ/m2
Pot Life and Cure Times
Pot Life (Typical)8mins
Initial Cure Time8.5Hrs
Full Cure Time14Days
General Properties
Gross Weight0.576kg

Shipping Information

Restrictions

This product is classed as dangerous goods for transport.

It can be shipped to all mainland EU countries, Ireland, Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia.

Unfortunately, for the time being we are unable to ship dangerous goods to Cyprus, Malta, the Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla, Jan Mayan and Svalbard.

For a full information regarding the shipment of dangerous goods, see our delivery information page.

Package Size

There are no package size restrictions or surcharges for this product.

Delivery Cost

To find the delivery cost of this item to your address, add it to your basket and then use the instant shipping calculator on the basket page.

XCR Epoxy Coating Resin

XCR is a special high clarity epoxy developed for demanding visual applications including carbon fibre skinning, board manufacture and wood finishing. It is highly UV resistant and is intended for use where laminates will remain unpainted, showcasing reinforcements like carbon fibre or natural fibres, inlaid graphics or wood grains.

Sold as a kit (resin and hardener). Available to buy online in 500g, 1kg, 5kg and 33kg kits.


PRODUCT VERSIONS

Kit Size

AVAILABILITY:More than 10 availablefor immediate shipping


PRICE
€18.00ex. VAT
(€36.00 /KG)
More than 10 availablefor immediate shipping
QTY
KITS
KITS
We won’t be beaten on price!

If you believe you’re buying an equivalent product cheaper elsewhere, contact us to discuss your requirements.

XCR™ Epoxy Coating Resin is an extreme performance, high clarity clear epoxy varnish developed for demanding visual applications including carbon fibre skinning, board manufacture and wood finishing. XCR is intended for use where laminates will remain unpainted, showcasing reinforcements like carbon fibre or natural fibres, inlaid graphics or beautiful wood grains.

To ensure the perfect finish, XCR carbon fibre skinning resin uses special technology to enhance fibre wet-out and expel trapped air. Its fast cure allows multiple layers to be built-up in minimum time, significantly speeding up 'skinning' processes requiring multiple coats.

XCR will cure to a hard, durable, UV resistant finish which can be flatted and polished to a high gloss or over-painted with a suitable clear coat/lacquer. The resin offers excellent cured mechanical properties making it suitable for use laminating or finishing sports/recreational equipment.

XCR's distinctive 'purple' colour is due to the advanced UV protection agents used in the resin. Once mixed with its hardener this colour diminishes and when used as directed as a thin coating, the tint is barely detectable and in fact enhances the appearance of fibres (such as carbon fibre) and inlaid graphics. Once cured, XCR needs to be flatted (using abrasive paper) and then polished (using a cutting/polishing compound) to achieve a high gloss finish.

XCR Epoxy Coating Resin is NOT intended as a coating resin for artwork. Although XCR is suitable for a range of equipment used on water, it is not rated for permanent immersion in water.

Typical Uses

XCR Epoxy Coating Resin due to its high performance and stunning visual clarity can be used for a wide range of uses including but not limited to:

  • Sports/recreational equipment - like skis, boards or boat decking
  • Overlaying Materials - such as inlaid graphics/logos, instruments, wooden furniture/art.
  • Board Making - Watersports and land sports based boards.
  • Skinning - especially carbon fibre and other fabrics both natural and technical used with our XCR Black Epoxy Basecoat .

Further Information

Hardener Crystallisation

The Hardener is sensitive to low temperatures and if the hardener gets cold (either in storage or transport), it can crystallise; this does not damage the hardener at all and can be reversed by warming the hardener in its container with the lid securely in place. The longer it has been crystallised, the longer it will take to reverse. This can be achieved by sitting it directly onto a radiator, putting it into an oven on a low setting or standing the container in hot water. We recommend mixing the resin at around 20C to prevent it crystallising while being mixed or used.

Compatibility Information - Dos and Don'ts

Although by no means an exhaustive list, the materials, pigments and additives listed below have all been tested and are known to work well with XCR Epoxy Coating Resin.

Compatible Moulds

  • Epoxy, Polyester & Vinylester mould systems
  • EPS & PU foams/modelboards.
  • Carbon & glass woven fabrics
  • Natural fabrics & materials - eg flax, jute, denim, cotton etc.
  • Wood

Compatible Pigments

  • Epoxy Colour Pigment (for vivid opaque colours)
  • Translucent Tinting Pigment (for less vivid opaque colours)

Compatible Fillers

  • All dry filler powders
  • Metal Powders
  • Photoluminescent (glow in the dark) powders

Key Processing Information

  • Ease of Use: Suitable for professional and hobby use (follow SDS advice).
  • Odour: XCR Coating Resin is almost odourless.
  • Safety Precautions: Wear gloves and goggles and work in a well ventilated area. Always read the SDS before use.
  • Ambient Conditions: Can be used from 15 to 30°C although pot-life and cure time will be affected significantly. For best results laminating at an ambient of 20-25°C is required.
  • Degassing: Not necessary. Simply mix and use.
  • Mix Ratio: Mix 'Resin and 'Hardener' 100:41 by weight. Use digital scales.
  • Mixing: Mix thoroughly by hand for at around 1 minute.
  • Pot-Life: 8 minutes. Be sure to pour your casting(s) before this time.
  • Exotherm (Over-Heating): Resin will heat-up whilst it cures. Very large batches of mixed resin in a pot will quickly overheat (exotherm) and can smoke/ignite. Never leave mixed resin unattended
  • Maximum Thickness: Maximum thickness per layer is 1mm.
  • Overcoat Time: 2 hour 51 minutes at 20°C
  • Initial Cure Time/Demould: Initial cure time is 8 hours 33 minutes to touch dry. Full hardness achieved over 24 hours, ambient temperature dependent.
  • Pigments and Fillers: A wide range of pigments and fillers (including metal powders) can be added to change the appearance.

For more detailed process specific information, full instructions and mechanical data, please download the technical datasheet from the datasheets tab.

Carbon Fibre Skinning - Video Tutorial

To see how XCR Clear Epoxy Coating Resin is used as part of the XCR Carbon Fibre Skinning process, take a look at the video tutorial below for our XCR Carbon Fibre Skinning Starter Kit.

How to Cover Existing Parts in Carbon Fibre - XCR Skinning Tutorial

Overlaminating with Other Materials

In the same way that XCR can be used to apply a glossy, hard wearing 'skin' of carbon fibre to any part, it can also be used to apply a durable, glossy layer of almost any fabric or material to a wide range of objects including furniture, interior trim or even music instruments. Materials including natural fibres (coconut mat, coffee sacks, flax), fabrics (denim, printed fabrics) and technical materials can all be used to create stunning, unique surfaces to a wide range of objects.

Board Building and General Laminating

Not only does XCR provide a clear, vibrant finish to a range of reinforcements and substrates, it also has excellent mechanical properties comparable to most structural laminating epoxies and so can be used as a clear, UV stable laminating resin in conjunction with reinforcements like carbon fibre, glass fibre and natural reinforcements like flax and jute.

Its hard-wearing, fast curing properties make XCR ideal for a range of 'hot-coating' processes such as laminating EPS cores for surfboard manufacture. XCR is entirely solvent and styrene free and will not attack or affect EPS foam. Once fully cured, XCR's advanced mechanical properties offer excellent strength and damage tolerance.

The clarity and UV stability of the resin further enhance inlaid graphics or the natural appearance of the reinforcements used. When used in conjunction with appropriate grades of glass reinforcement, XCR can produce a laminate of excellent clarity.

Coating Wood

XCR has outstanding properties when used to preserve, protect, strengthen and enhance wooden surfaces. When applied to wood surfaces such as boat decking, traditional skis and boards or furniture, XCR can be used to create a hard-wearing protective layer which can be flatted and polished to a deep, glossy finish.

Exposure to Water

Do not allow the resin to be exposed to water until it has reached its initial cure (at least 24hrs at 20°C). Where XCR is cured with an open face exposed to the air, the very top surface of the resin may remain reactive to water after curing. For applications where the cured resin may be exposed to water, this reaction can be avoided by polishing the surface of the cured resin using a cutting/polishing compound before exposure to water. If unpolished resin is exposed to water and becomes hazy/cloudy on the surface, this can easily be removed by polishing with a polishing/cutting compound, restoring full gloss and also preventing any future susceptibility to water

PRODUCT VIDEOS(3)

XCR™ Epoxy Coating Resin is an extreme performance, high clarity clear epoxy varnish developed for demanding visual applications including carbon fibre skinning, board manufacture and wood finishing. XCR is intended for use where laminates will remain unpainted, showcasing reinforcements like carbon fibre or natural fibres, inlaid graphics or beautiful wood grains.

To ensure the perfect finish, XCR carbon fibre skinning resin uses special technology to enhance fibre wet-out and expel trapped air. Its fast cure allows multiple layers to be built-up in minimum time, significantly speeding up 'skinning' processes requiring multiple coats.

XCR will cure to a hard, durable, UV resistant finish which can be flatted and polished to a high gloss or over-painted with a suitable clear coat/lacquer. The resin offers excellent cured mechanical properties making it suitable for use laminating or finishing sports/recreational equipment.

XCR's distinctive 'purple' colour is due to the advanced UV protection agents used in the resin. Once mixed with its hardener this colour diminishes and when used as directed as a thin coating, the tint is barely detectable and in fact enhances the appearance of fibres (such as carbon fibre) and inlaid graphics. Once cured, XCR needs to be flatted (using abrasive paper) and then polished (using a cutting/polishing compound) to achieve a high gloss finish.

XCR Epoxy Coating Resin is NOT intended as a coating resin for artwork. Although XCR is suitable for a range of equipment used on water, it is not rated for permanent immersion in water.

Typical Uses

XCR Epoxy Coating Resin due to its high performance and stunning visual clarity can be used for a wide range of uses including but not limited to:

  • Sports/recreational equipment - like skis, boards or boat decking
  • Overlaying Materials - such as inlaid graphics/logos, instruments, wooden furniture/art.
  • Board Making - Watersports and land sports based boards.
  • Skinning - especially carbon fibre and other fabrics both natural and technical used with our XCR Black Epoxy Basecoat .

Further Information

Hardener Crystallisation

The Hardener is sensitive to low temperatures and if the hardener gets cold (either in storage or transport), it can crystallise; this does not damage the hardener at all and can be reversed by warming the hardener in its container with the lid securely in place. The longer it has been crystallised, the longer it will take to reverse. This can be achieved by sitting it directly onto a radiator, putting it into an oven on a low setting or standing the container in hot water. We recommend mixing the resin at around 20C to prevent it crystallising while being mixed or used.

Compatibility Information - Dos and Don'ts

Although by no means an exhaustive list, the materials, pigments and additives listed below have all been tested and are known to work well with XCR Epoxy Coating Resin.

Compatible Moulds

  • Epoxy, Polyester & Vinylester mould systems
  • EPS & PU foams/modelboards.
  • Carbon & glass woven fabrics
  • Natural fabrics & materials - eg flax, jute, denim, cotton etc.
  • Wood

Compatible Pigments

  • Epoxy Colour Pigment (for vivid opaque colours)
  • Translucent Tinting Pigment (for less vivid opaque colours)

Compatible Fillers

  • All dry filler powders
  • Metal Powders
  • Photoluminescent (glow in the dark) powders

Key Processing Information

  • Ease of Use: Suitable for professional and hobby use (follow SDS advice).
  • Odour: XCR Coating Resin is almost odourless.
  • Safety Precautions: Wear gloves and goggles and work in a well ventilated area. Always read the SDS before use.
  • Ambient Conditions: Can be used from 15 to 30°C although pot-life and cure time will be affected significantly. For best results laminating at an ambient of 20-25°C is required.
  • Degassing: Not necessary. Simply mix and use.
  • Mix Ratio: Mix 'Resin and 'Hardener' 100:41 by weight. Use digital scales.
  • Mixing: Mix thoroughly by hand for at around 1 minute.
  • Pot-Life: 8 minutes. Be sure to pour your casting(s) before this time.
  • Exotherm (Over-Heating): Resin will heat-up whilst it cures. Very large batches of mixed resin in a pot will quickly overheat (exotherm) and can smoke/ignite. Never leave mixed resin unattended
  • Maximum Thickness: Maximum thickness per layer is 1mm.
  • Overcoat Time: 2 hour 51 minutes at 20°C
  • Initial Cure Time/Demould: Initial cure time is 8 hours 33 minutes to touch dry. Full hardness achieved over 24 hours, ambient temperature dependent.
  • Pigments and Fillers: A wide range of pigments and fillers (including metal powders) can be added to change the appearance.

For more detailed process specific information, full instructions and mechanical data, please download the technical datasheet from the datasheets tab.

Carbon Fibre Skinning - Video Tutorial

To see how XCR Clear Epoxy Coating Resin is used as part of the XCR Carbon Fibre Skinning process, take a look at the video tutorial below for our XCR Carbon Fibre Skinning Starter Kit.

How to Cover Existing Parts in Carbon Fibre - XCR Skinning Tutorial

Overlaminating with Other Materials

In the same way that XCR can be used to apply a glossy, hard wearing 'skin' of carbon fibre to any part, it can also be used to apply a durable, glossy layer of almost any fabric or material to a wide range of objects including furniture, interior trim or even music instruments. Materials including natural fibres (coconut mat, coffee sacks, flax), fabrics (denim, printed fabrics) and technical materials can all be used to create stunning, unique surfaces to a wide range of objects.

Board Building and General Laminating

Not only does XCR provide a clear, vibrant finish to a range of reinforcements and substrates, it also has excellent mechanical properties comparable to most structural laminating epoxies and so can be used as a clear, UV stable laminating resin in conjunction with reinforcements like carbon fibre, glass fibre and natural reinforcements like flax and jute.

Its hard-wearing, fast curing properties make XCR ideal for a range of 'hot-coating' processes such as laminating EPS cores for surfboard manufacture. XCR is entirely solvent and styrene free and will not attack or affect EPS foam. Once fully cured, XCR's advanced mechanical properties offer excellent strength and damage tolerance.

The clarity and UV stability of the resin further enhance inlaid graphics or the natural appearance of the reinforcements used. When used in conjunction with appropriate grades of glass reinforcement, XCR can produce a laminate of excellent clarity.

Coating Wood

XCR has outstanding properties when used to preserve, protect, strengthen and enhance wooden surfaces. When applied to wood surfaces such as boat decking, traditional skis and boards or furniture, XCR can be used to create a hard-wearing protective layer which can be flatted and polished to a deep, glossy finish.

Exposure to Water

Do not allow the resin to be exposed to water until it has reached its initial cure (at least 24hrs at 20°C). Where XCR is cured with an open face exposed to the air, the very top surface of the resin may remain reactive to water after curing. For applications where the cured resin may be exposed to water, this reaction can be avoided by polishing the surface of the cured resin using a cutting/polishing compound before exposure to water. If unpolished resin is exposed to water and becomes hazy/cloudy on the surface, this can easily be removed by polishing with a polishing/cutting compound, restoring full gloss and also preventing any future susceptibility to water

Downloads (4)

This is a chemical product. Before storage or use you must download and read the accompanying safety and technical datasheets.

Safety Datasheet (SDS)1 MB
Dutch Safety DataSheet1 MB
Technical Datasheet (TDS)235 KB
Carbon Fibre Skinning Guide3 MB

Specification

Product Data
ColourClear
Chemistry / MaterialEpoxy
Viscosity1600mPa.s
UV ResistanceVery Good
BrandEasy Composites
Cured Mechanical Properties
Max Service Temp80°C
FlexibilityHard / Rigid
Tensile Strength68.0MPa
Tensile Modulus3.40GPa
Compressive Strength103MPa
Elongation at Break5.6%
Tg Onset (DMA)80°C
Impact Resistance38kJ/m2
Pot Life and Cure Times
Pot Life (Typical)8mins
Initial Cure Time8.5Hrs
Full Cure Time14Days
General Properties
Gross Weight0.576kg
Can’t find the answer you’re looking for?Ask our technical team a question.

This rather depends on the environment the sculpture would be in because you will need to consider the UV stability of the resin you use. Also, it's not clear from your question whether you need the resin to be thick (like a filler) so that it can fill gaps or whether a normal liquid viscosity would be OK.

I'll assume that this is either an indoor or a semi-shaded environment (not permanent direct sunlight) in which case our XCR Coating Resin is a clear epoxy resin that would be liquid in its normal state, allowing you to direct it into cracks or gaps in the piece. It also has excellent UV stability (for an epoxy resin) so providing you're not looking at permanent direct sunlight then it should be fine.

If you need a thicker consistency then you'll find that anything you add to make the resin thicker will affect its clarity (making it milky) which may or may not be a problem. If you do want to make the resin thick (like a filler) then you could add Fumed Silica which is a white powder that can be added to resins to make them thick and self supporting.

100% solids epoxy resins, including this one, don't contain any solvents and so they don't produce any fumes during mixing, use or cure. There is just the faintest smell but, as stated, this is not fumes and so there is nothing really to consider in terms of density.

No, we wouldn’t suggest Epoxy Resins for lining a fuel tank. In general, epoxies have good resistance to petrol and many of the chemicals and additives found within pump fuel however the ethanol in fuel is known to cause problems over time and so specialist tank lining resins (often novalac vinylester based) should be used instead. One such product is GTS 1750 which is sold by Caswell Europe.

No, this epoxy in common with other epoxies does not attack expanded polystyrene

We have not specifically saught FDA (or similar) approval for this resin system so if you were to make these plates commercially then you would either need to make a plate using this resin system and then have it tested and approved safe for food use or use a different resin system that has specifically been approved for food use. Mixed and cured fully and properly the resulting plastic should be stable and non-toxic but testing would be required to prove this. Regarding being dishwasher safe; a dishwasher is a very harsh environment (abrasive, high temperatures, caustic) and so I think it would be quite hard on any resin system. By all means conduct your own tests but I would strongly recommend that a carbon fibre plate was not marketed as 'dishwasher safe'.

Although generally cured epoxies are non-hazardous, none of the products we have are certified food safe and thus we cannot recommend their use with food products.

We recommend Acetone. The brushes must be cleaned before the resin has cured. If you can’t get hold of acetone it’s also possible to use methylated spirits or neat alcohol.

In really simple terms you can think of 1kg of the Epoxy Resin as being 1L. If you want to be really exact (for example if you want to mix the resin and the hardener by volume and not by weight (which we don't recommend because it's unnecessarily complicated) then the relative density of the resin and the hardener, and the mixed product, can be found on the technical datasheet.

We can send any quantity of resin to Portugal. We would use a TNT Road service. To find the shipping cost for any item, simply add it to your basket and then click the 'Estimate Shipping' button on the basket page. The price will then be shown once you chose your shipping country (Portugal).

Unlike other resin systems such as polyester or vinylester, it's very important to get the mix ratios accurate with epoxies. If you get the mix ratio wrong by a small amount (let's say a couple of grams on a small mix) then the resin will still cure but the mechanical properties won't be quite as good as they would have been if the mix ratio had been exactly right. However, if you were to be out by anything more than a few grams then you might find that the resin would not be properly hard when cured and/or may have a tackiness to the finish. This would result in a much weaker repair and needs to be avoided by careful measurements.

Above the HDT of a resin system it will soften slightly and its mechanical properties will start to fall away however a thermosetting plastic (like epoxy) is NOT a thermoformable plastic so it will not start to flow again such that you could melt it out of your part. It's more likely to become slightly soft and then possible more brittle again before eventually starting to burn if you too the temperature high enough. It sounds to me like you need a thermoformable plastic (aka a thermoplastic) with a relatively low melting point. I'd suggest something like PCL.

An elevated temperature post-cure is not required for parts made with epoxy resin however, post curing parts will improve the mechanical properties of the resin (and therefore the part) and so if you have the means to do it then it's certainly recommended. One major advantage to post-curing epoxy is that you will raise the HDT (heat distortion temperature) of the part meaning that it's less likely to soften or distort in higher temperatures. This can be particularly important for parts like a vehicle panel (i.e. hood/bonnet) which could get very hot in the sun. Without a post-cure there is a good chance that the part would effectively post-cure itself 'in situe' when it's in direct sunlight which can cause the resin to soften, sink and then re-harden. When this happens to a fitted part it's likely to distort the surface finish. A part that had been post-cured prior to installation would not have this problem.

Epoxy resins have very little odour and so it's quite viable to use them indoors (i.e. in your house) without upsetting anyone. The resin is almost completely odourless and the hardener has an amonia smell which doesn't really carry or linger.

In this respect epoxies are very different to polyester and vinylester resin which has a very strong smell and cannot realistically be used indoors. As always, you should still follow safety precautions and ensure adequate ventilation of your work area.

Uncured resins are classed as dangerous goods and would need to be disposed of correctly. For domestic users, usually your local council recycling centre will have a disposal service for such chemicals or containers.

Because cured resins are inert and safe for disposal it's often easiest to mix un-needed or out-of-date resin and hardener together to cure them. Once cured they can be disposed of with general waste.

Epoxy is sensitive to low temperatures so we would not attempt to try and cure the resin at very low temperatures such as below 15 °:C. At those temperatures, the cure time will be lengthened considerably.

One of the most significant problems caused by low temperatures (much below 20°C) is that the resin will be considerably thicker which affects its ability to self-degas after pouring.

Also, curing epoxies are hydroscopic so the low temperature environment may well leave the resin vulnerable to absorbing moisture, especially if the environment is relatively damp or high in humidity as can be found in some outdoor workshops or home garages.

As a result, for best results we always recommend working in an environment that is 20°C or above.

The B stage of the cure is when the resin has cured enough to be firm but still tacky. When touching with a gloved finger, the resin should feel tacky but not leave any residue on the glove.

This really depends on how thick you want to coating to be. Like any liquid, the XCR resin will use up 1 litre per square metre, per millimetre of thickness so if you want a 1mm coating then you would need 1 litre per square metre; for a 0.5mm coating you would need 0.5 litres (500ml). Converting litres to kilograms of the product is basically just 1:1 so 1 litre is 1 kilogram.

A thickness for a coating of XCR onto a wooden top would be around 0.5mm to 1mm, then flatted and polished for a mirror flat surface.

If you're looking for a thicker, self-levelling resin coating for a table then our GlassCast 3 Epoxy Coating Resin product would be recommended.

The XCR coating resin is a room temperature curing resin.  So you would want to do the initial cure at 20C then follow the post cure on the TDS which is 6 hours at 70C. 

Entirely depends on the environment and its use, eg an occasional use watercraft, permanent part on a car etc.  Certainly it will eventually begin to yellow, so a UV stable lacquer can be a good protective measure to improve lifespan.  The resin can be sanded back and recoated if needed to restore a good finish. 

XCR is primary a surface coating resin. However it is common practice in wet lay up processes to brush a layer of resin onto the mould surface before applying the fibre in that way. There is no reason why you could not do that with the XCR if you specifically wanted its properties over the EL2 you are using for the rest of it.

The Manufacturer states up to 40% bio derived content is used to make the epoxy. 

Yes the XCR can be painted once cured. The surface will need to be sanded to the paint manufacturers recommended level, then thoroughly cleaned and degreased prior to painting. Most modern spray paints will go straight on with no primer.

Yes, you could use XCR in this way. A more typical approach would probably be to sand the hull down and then spray it using a 2-pack polyurethane clear coat. The advantage to a paint system is the speed of application (because you're spraying it) and the smoother finish it will leave. Disadvantages are the requirement for spray equipment (compressor, gun, extraction/ventilation) and the fact that a paint finish won't be as tough as epoxy.

As an alternative to 2-pack paint, XCR would allow you to restore a tough, clear, glossy coating on the boat, and without the need for spraying. However, due to the fact that you'll be brush-applying the resin, if you want to finish it to a high standard (smooth and flat) you'll need to do some flatting and polishing. On a smooth shape like a kayak hull, if you have a dual-action sander and some abrasive discs (and ideally a foam interface pad to make following the contours easier) then this wouldn't be too much of a task.

Yes, our XCR Epoxy Coating Resin would be a good choice for this application. Outdoor UV resistance of XCR is very good. It's designed for things like boat decking where it's important to be super-clear to accentuate the natural appearance of wood so it will certainly work well in that respect. As for the temperature stability, this is always a tight call; the Tg (the point where the resin will soften and could mark) is 64°C after the resin has cured at ambient, however, it can be 'post cured' (i.e. exposed to a higher temperature) to increase this to 84°C. There's more information about this on the datasheet but I would suggest that several days out in hot sun before you put hot drinks on it would do a good job of post-curing the resin and raising its Tg to the 84°C front which is high for an epoxy and would be extremely unlikely to mark from a hot drink.

Although there is some leeway on the ambient temperature when working with resins and generally higher temperatures can be acceptable at the expense of working time (higher temperature = less pot life and faster cure time) the skinning process with the XCR resin would be one example where it's probably going to be simply impossible.

The biggest problem when skinning with XCR at higher temperatures is the viscosity of the resin. XCR would become so thin at 30°C and higher that it will tend to 'split' and not create a continuous layer over the part. Furthermore, XCR is such a fast curing resin already, at 20°C that at 30°C or more it will be almost unusably fast, giving you only a few mins pot-life before it cures in the pot.

So, unfortunately, the answer is no to anything higher than 30°C for XCR I'm afraid. Sorry.

You will need approximately 1kg of XCR resin per square metre of carbon fibre/skinned component; this allows for 3-4 typical coats. You might want to have a little more on hand because the XCR is very fast curing and has a habit of going off in the pot so you might have some wastage that way.

Yes, XCR would be a good choice for this, especially if you're looking for something that you can brush apply, rather than spray.

To get a professional finish you would need to key the forks first using abrasive paper, then apply the XCR - probably a couple of coats to build up a decent protective thickness, and then flat and polish it to get a really smooth, flat, glossy finish. The reason being that onto carbon never go down perfectly smooth and so to get a really professional finish you'll need to flat with wet and dry and then polish using a polishing compound, such as NW1.

XCR is not suitable for resin infusion as its viscosity is too high. For resin infusion, we would recommend our IN2 Epoxy Infusion Resin.

Most often, brushes are generally considered disposable but if you did want to re-use them then it would be a case of thoroughly cleaning the brush using a strong solvent like Acetone, thinners, white spirit or similar.

Although epoxies (including the XCR), in general have a good chemical resistance to fuels, the ethanol content in modern petrol does cause a problem. Epoxy is not highly resistant to ethanol within the fuel, so although small spillages, for example around a fuel filler or the outside of a motorbike tank are unlikely to cause issues, permanent and prolonged exposure to fuels is likely to be a problem.

In situations where the exposure to fuel (and its ethanol content) is permanent (such as a fuel tank) then specialist tank lining resins/coatings can be used. These are often novalac vinylester based. One such product is GTS 1750 which is sold by Caswell Europe.

...I would like to know if it is possible to pour a 2-3mm deep coat of epoxy / metal powder mix (various metal colours) onto a guitar body, to then be polished up to a shine? If not, which epoxy would you recommend for this type of application?

For coating objects around the 2-3mm, a better resin choice would be our GlassCast 3 Clear Epoxy Coating Resin for its clarity and finish. It can be easily sanded smooth and polished to an even higher gloss if needs be. At 3mm, you will either need to shutter the edges or build up in layers to prevent the resin flowing over the edge of the board.

Alternatively, you could create a convincing, polish-able metal coating using as little as 0.5mm of resin and metal powder, in which case this XCR coating resin would be suitable.

Yes our EL2 epoxy can be coated with XCR Epoxy. We would recommend a thorough key of the surface with sandpaper then a good clean and degrease before applying the layer of XCR Epoxy Coating Resin.

Yes you can, however due to the vertical nature, if you want to achieve a totally flat, glossy surface (rather than a penny-textured glossy coating) you would need to build up the resin in several layers to prevent excessive run off and then flat and polish it to a flat gloss but this would be quite a bit of work, especially on a vertical surface.

To get a better idea of how XCR can be flatted and polished take a look at the 'carbon fibre skinning' instructions for the XCR resin. Although the material underneath (carbon fibre, not pennies) is different, the process for flatting and polishing would be the same.

Yes you can add fumed silica to our XCR Epoxy Coating resin to thicken it to a point when it will brush in a thicker fashion on vertical surfaces however you should keep in mind, especially if you intend the XCR to be a clear coating, that addition of fillers like fumed silica will affect the clarity of the resin.

Once the resin has been allowed to fully cure, XCR Coating resin will form a hard, durable waterproof layer over the substrate. Along with its high levels of UV stabilisers, this is one of the properties that has made it popular for use on outdoor equipment such as surfboards and boat decking.

We would not recommend thinning down our XCR Epoxy Coating Resin as thinning agents/solvents would damage the resin itself and would be likely to affect the important properties of the XCR resin, such as the smooth glossy finish. This does mean that XCR would not be suitable for spraying.

Yes, XCR can be used to fill in cracked, chipped or flaked off lacquer or clear coat on carbon fibre parts. In fact. XCR clear epoxy will be stronger and more resilient than the original lacquer (although we wouldn't suggest using XCR instead of lacquer for clear coating parts in the first place). Make sure you lightly 'key' the area with some abrasive paper and take away any surrounding loose lacquer to ensure that the XCR is bonding to good material.

Some 3D printed materials, especially PLA, can be very hard to bond to, so we would not recommend applying XCR without first treating the surface. Cyanoacrylate can be used on PLA to seal and smooth the surface either as a primer for other coatings, such as our XCR, or as a coating in its own right.

For most applications a Composites Laminating Brush is good enough to get an even thin coat over a surface.

For very large and/or flat surfaces a Resin/Gelcoat Application Roller with Frame can be more suitable.

In either event, XCR is not designed as a self-levelling or self-finishing resin. It is designed to be flatted and polished once cured and so it is not necessary (or possible) to achieve a perfect finish straight from the brush (or roller).

The slight purple tint comes from the UV stabalisers it does lesson considerably once mixed, it is not usually noticable when applied over a fabric, however, in common with all resin systems it will slightly darken the colour of the hybrid fabrics due to the way the light is refracted through the resin.

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Customer Product Reviews for XCR Epoxy Coating Resin

4.5/5 Average rating
9/6/2023
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Sebastian S
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One word, in italic: Ideal. This stuff is great for coating 3D prints. Compared to the main 3D-print coating epoxy (XTC-3D) this stuff has a lower surface tension and flows more easily, cures to a more flexible (yet still transparent and shiny) finish, and still manages to smooth out layer lines (though not as well, owing to its lower viscosity.) If you want a coating for coating 3D prints waterproof, at a much more affordable price, this is what you should get. I have to also add- this stuff is much more tolerant of bad mix ratio than XTC-3D. I did some checks on a few PLA+ prints using 10:5 (millilitres) as the base example, then 10:4 and 10:6- both cured reasonably well and while not perfect, cured without*** being nasty and slimy like XTC-3D cures- a big improvement for when you're doing your mixes by eye (as I usually do prefer compared to using scales and pipettes.) Overall, fantastic product.

17/1/2023
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Jeremy M
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Your XCR epoxy from what little I’ve used so far appears to be a top notch product!! Thank you!

4/10/2021
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Rob G
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Used this as a final coating for a 1/144 scale model aircraft carrier. The finish is awesome, never seen anything like it, and a little goes a long way. I did not have access to digital scales and ratios have never been my strong point, so it was mixed by eye and worked for me Purists may wish to use the scales. I am over the moon withthis product.

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