dumb heater question

[coolair]

OK
I know you shouldn't glass under 65 degrees. but if i wanted to heat up my work area, would it be safe to use a kerosene heater, or will it cause the fumes from the resin to explode!

[CaptPatrick]

Matt,

Heating is OK, resin won't flash without direct contact with flame. Keep alcohol, acetone, MEK, & other volitile chemicals out the area.

I've been laying up both epoxy and polyester in my spray booth lately. Only shop space that I can effectively heat, being 8x8x14. I preheat with a propane radiant heater, then keep it constant with an electric space heater.

I hate winter...

[JP Dalik]

You shouldn't have a problem using standard resins down close to 50 degrees. You would have to use a bit more MEKP to kick it off is all.
Below that there is a special resin thats good to use well below that.

As far as a red hot surface surrounded by flammable gas, I'll let you be the judge of that. That being said, we've used kerosene heaters to warm the surfaces and then applied room temperature resins and glass to the warmed surface. After application and partial clean up we've re-applied warmth with a ceramic heater until kick off.

But if 65 degrees was the cut off we'd never get anything done. Hell I've used 205 and 105 mixed with fillers down to about 42 with no problems. Always was under the impression that the longer the cure the stronger the bond. Then of course Plexus came along and blew that out of the water.

[coolair]

Cool
Thanks for the info Ya, i was planing on keeping the heaters a ways away from the resin. We have a like 15x30 morgan building at our shop, going to use it as my paint booth.
Ya i dont much care for winter either, business slows to a crawl and latley its been raining, yards muddy, sucks. plus it never fells, i always get sick

[CaptPatrick]

I should have mentioned that in heating my glass wrea, 65ºF is the target temp. I try to hold it there or slightly above. Including the layup surface.