Epoxy issues

Here's the deal.....I've built probably 8-10 sets of my own irons through the years using Golfworks Tour Set epoxy and never had an issue. I recently switched to Bramptons 20/20 long cure b/c of the positive reviews. i shafted the irons just as i have in the past, using a 50/50 mix of A & B with no shaft beads, and let them cure standing upright (grip up) in the warm garage for a day or so. I then noticed on the course about 3 rounds in that my grip labels had rotated and when i checked, i could rotate the head in the hosel with some minor twisting, though no heads have flown off....yet. It was about 90 degrees out when this happened but that shouldn't matter given the heat tolerance of this stuff. When i got home, it was much more difficult rotate the heads. When i heated the heads to remove and reshaft, it took about 10 seconds of heat before they came loose and the epoxy in the hosel was still gummy. Anyone have any insight as to why this happened? Seems like not enough hardening agent and user error but my ego can't let me believe that :# Any tips for making sure this doesn't happen again?

If you're SURE you got a 50/50 ratio, my first guess would be not enough mixing.

Also, things to check - did you clean hosel and shaft tip with alcohol or other cleaning agent to ensure clean surface?

I use Brampton's as well and have nothing but good things to say about it. My guess is either the hosels and shafts weren't properly prepped or not cleaned well enough to allow a proper bond.

> @chip22 said:

> Here's the deal.....I've built probably 8-10 sets of my own irons through the years using Golfworks Tour Set epoxy and never had an issue. I recently switched to Bramptons 20/20 long cure b/c of the positive reviews. i shafted the irons just as i have in the past, using a 50/50 mix of A & B with no shaft beads, and let them cure standing upright (grip up) in the warm garage for a day or so. I then noticed on the course about 3 rounds in that my grip labels had rotated and when i checked, i could rotate the head in the hosel with some minor twisting, though no heads have flown off....yet. It was about 90 degrees out when this happened but that shouldn't matter given the heat tolerance of this stuff. When i got home, it was much more difficult rotate the heads. When i heated the heads to remove and reshaft, it took about 10 seconds of heat before they came loose and the epoxy in the hosel was still gummy. Anyone have any insight as to why this happened? Seems like not enough hardening agent and user error but my ego can't let me believe that :# Any tips for making sure this doesn't happen again?

I just used Bramptons 20/20 two weeks and I was initially concerned. Re-shafted 5 irons and checked cardboard which I mixed epoxy on and it was slightly tacky after 24 hours. I waiting another 4 hours before I installed grips then waited until next day to hit them (40 hours). They've held up but I certainly was concerned. I've done probably 10 sets of irons and have had one failure as you have described - suspect it was a bad old batch/lot. With that bad batch, I was able to twist heads 24 hours later - don't remember what brand it was though. I know for certain it wasn't my mixing or prep work so it happens.

Gummy epoxy is ONLY caused by improper ratio or poor mixing. If you are not using a gun to get a proper ratio, the simplest method is to lay down beads of A and B and then mix. It is fairly easy to lay down nearly identical volumes. Another mistake is not mixing more epoxy than you think you will need. Always have some left over to verify the cure was proper. Mix thoroughly and when you think you've mixed it enough, mix it again scraping every last bit into the mix. Then and only then are you ready to apply.

Ignore anyone telling you the epoxy is bad or too old or whatever. That's just bad advice.

Thanks all. I doubt it was the prep or the epoxy wouldn't still be gummy after i pulled the heads. @Socrates, i believe you are correct that it was the mix. i generally put equal parts but it sounds like a small deviation makes a big difference.

Too much resin not enough hardened...gummy epoxy. Err on too much hardener if you make a mistake.

I use syringes to make sure I get an exact mix of Part A and Part B. Works great. I just fill empty 10 or 20 mL syringes with Part A and B and dispense as needed. If you're mixing up enough for several clubs, then medicine cups with graduations work well too. Just put in so much Part A, then put in Part B equally. Easy as pie.

I had this happen to me once with Bramptons. Shaft twisted inside hosel after 20 or so swings. I was lazy with getting the ratio correct (don't have the gun) but tried again while paying more attention to get the ratio correct and it worked perfectly as advertised. Since been having tips installed by a professional just to avoid my user error due to not having the proper tools

Had this happen as well with Brampton's long cure, I think it was most likely from a bad mix ratio or maybe not enough mixing. I had a club head fly off on the range, and had a clubbuilder re-epoxy that entire set. Out of doing maybe 50-60 clubs, that was the only one that failed, what a terrible feeling though.

Bead the two parts of epoxy on a flat surface, equal numbers of same size bead = good mixing ration.

The epoxy Don't need to be the exact 50/50 ratio to make it work, proximity measure is good enough. Unless the ratio is way off.

I suspect the epoxy had been sitting for awhile ( could be from the seller or the supplier ). This will also happen to older, improperly stored epoxy. Evaporation will reduce the volume and cause the hardener to reduce it's volume, and the resin to harden.

If you had done enough mixing of the two part epoxy in the past, then, you should know what a right mixture feels like. Too thin, add a little more resin, too thick, add a little more hardener until the correct consistency is reached.

I had used some old epoxy after fist opened more than 9 years ago, still worked fine, I you get to the right mixing ration.

It is always a good idea to save some of the leftover expoxy mixture , so you could tell when and if the curing process is complete. The leftover mixture will cure foster than the part inside the hosel because it's exposed to the air, still a good indicator.

I always like to use a small digital scale. Zero the scale, pour the proper weights of each, and Roberts your mother's brother.

> @MrFlapjack said:

> I always like to use a small digital scale. Zero the scale, pour the proper weights of each, and Roberts your mother's brother.

99% of the people don't know that A and B have different densities and therefore weigh different for the exact same volume. And every epoxy can be different. Easy if you know that information (not always available) and have an accurate enough digital scale (again, most don't).

If it's gummy, most likely not enough hardner added. Go by volume and not by weight and mix well..