Not tying to start any arguments, but a day ago somebody asked about epoxy shelf life. The seller says it is six months. So is this six months from the time you get it, or was it six months from the time it was made bottled? And if it is from the time it was made and bottled, how do you know how long it sat on the dealers shelf?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/11/2018 04:32PM by Ken Finch.

At Flex Coat I like to talk about best practices, and on this subject we say that you should never buy a quantity of epoxy finish or glue that you can use in a year, though Flex Coat can last for much, much longer when stored in a dark, cool, dry place.

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

mix a sample and see if it cures..keep the sample at room temp...if you live in an igloo, you got a problem..lol.

The individual parts of the two part epoxies are stable for years. What does happen, is that the "hardner" portion yellows over time especially when exposed to light. I have never seen a 6 months shelf life warning on any of the rod wrap epoxies I use.

If you Google epoxy shelf life, you will find some say 2-3 years others " a long shelf life."

Due to the yellowing of the hardener, -- perfectly normal - I prefer to use any epoxy finish within a year.

For epoxy glues, I have used some that are 10 years old and have been perfectly fine.

I think that the rule about products being used in a year is a very good practice to follow.

Good luck

"Shelf Life" has to be from the time the product is made. There is no way to know how long a product has been sitting on a shelf and any such shelf life cannot possibly sit idly by and only "kick in" once the product is bought and shipped.

In terms of epoxies, there really isn't any appreciable shelf life in terms of the product setting and curing. As far as yellowing, that's going to happen either in the bottle or on the rod so I don't think it's something worth worrying about.

If you feel better about having what appears to be clear finish out of the bottle, don't buy large quantities. Buy only enough to do the rods you have planned or perhaps to last you six months. But it really isn't going to matter in the long run.

..............

I have Z-Poxy 30 minuttes epoxy bought 15 1/2 years ago. Good as new. The hardner is a tad yellow, though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/2018 07:08AM by Terje Bendiksby.

If properly stored i.e. Sealed, placed in a cool location preferably without light, for instance a closet in the house epoxy should last indefinitely.

However as with all questionable epoxy I would mix a small batch to see if it sets up and fully cures before I use it.

John