Devcon 10110 Steel Putty Expired?

[PbHurler]

I'm getting set to re-bed a Win. Featherwt. .308.

My Devcon's expiration date is stamped as 6/15/15.

I opened both the resin & hardener and both are still "fluid" enough to mix.

Recommendations as to use or not? I suppose I could mix a small batch to test for proper cure though.

I appreciate you thoughts...

[oih]

Epoxy does expire. It will survive longer if stored cold (refridgerator, and even deep freezer). I'm guessing the manufacturer's date is well within the lifetime of the compound, and that the 2 extra months shouldn't matter. Unless you stored it in a very warm place...

[MBTcustom]

If you just broke the seals, you're good to go.

If you opened it months ago, mix a small amount and allow it to harden and observe both the cure time and the strength. If it was mixed 24 hours ago, it should be hard as rock and a file should cut it without getting gummed up.

The easiest way to mix this stuff is with your reloading scale. Tare a small plastic cup on the scale, and put in the amount of filled part A that suits you. Observe the weight and simply divide by 9 to see how much of the part B to add. Put another cup on the scale, tare it, and weigh out the correct amount of part B, then scrape it out and stir it into the cup with part A.
I do this all the time and it works very well and gives me precise mix ratio.

I have had 10-110 go bad on me before, and when it does, the part B (I believe that's the cream colored additive) goes crusty, and while the finished product is very strong and usable, there are tiny specs of cream colored inclusions in the bedding which is unacceptable for sale, but worked just fine on my own firearms.
If the cream colored additive is still the consistency of petroleum jelly, you're good. Even if it has slightly separated, you're still good to go if you stir it up thoroughly before proceeding.

10-110 is pretty robust stuff as epoxies go, but its so hard to get out, it's best to just throw it away and buy a new can if the cream colored additive has gone crusty.

[PbHurler]

oih,

It's been stored in the house no cooler than 65 F, no warmer than 78 F. The tub's threads were cleaned after the previous usages, and were sealed tight upon opening.

Tim,

I've had this set previously opened for about ? 2 years. The part B IS still very soft, like petroleum jelly. The resin seems to be stiffer than I remember, but I was able to stir it up.

I'm gonna mix a batch for a cure test, but rather than risk any possible problems doing the actual job, I will probably take the smart road & purchase a new kit.

Thanks for your responses!

[M-Tecs]

Tim is spot on. I just used one that was 3 years expired. Until the cream colored hardener is crusty or dried out you are good to go. On the resin mix it before measuring. As you noted it gets stiff. The steel also settles to the bottom. Pre-mixing the resin fixes both issues.

[LAGS]

I was using some Construction Epoxy last night that I emptied from the caulking gun tubes into jars over 5 years ago.
The stuff still set up fine.
The seals on the jars are all corroded away and it has been stored in the garage or my truck all that time.
Sometimes I know it has been 115 in the garage, and the truck tool box I could only imagine here in sunny Arizona

[PbHurler]

Update:

Mixed a small batch & it cured just fine.

Bedded rifle yesterday AM. The best news: The action came out of the stock this morning (I love it when that happens).

Just a little clean-up to do this weekend.

Thanks all,

[pertnear]

After reading all the articles about guys using JB, 5-min epoxy & anything else that says epoxy on it, it's nice to see someone that knows the "right-stuff" to use.

Thanks for the update!

[W.R.Buchanan]

I get kind of annoyed with "Expiration Dates," as most times they are for CYA purposes. My wife throws so much stuff away that is perfectly usable it really gets me hot.

On Two Part mixed materials IE paints, epoxys, Devcon. if you are past the "shelf life" mix up a small batch and see if it goes off. Do this before you dive in and end up with a mess. if the container is not opened then it is probably good to go.

I have seen two part epoxies that sat in a hardware store so long they wouldn't work. But that is the exception not the rule.

I recently mixed some Polyester Resin to cover some fiberglass cloth on my Jeep body. It didn't go off and It was a mess beyond your wildest dreams to clean up. My bad. I didn't put enough catalyst in it and it didn't go off. The can was unopened and over a year old but subsequent batches I mixed worked fine. Bondo is the same way. I've got Bondo that is years old that works fine.

I paid a guy to paint my yellow Jeep because he bragged he was so good. We used DuPont Centari single stage polyurethane paint. It was a few years old. He was not current, and ended up making a huge mess with runs all over the body which took weeks to sand out, and the paint went off in less than 10 hours so it wasn't the paint. However it got blamed for the problems cuz everyone knows a 70 year old paint man is not capable of making a mistake like that.

However I repainted the body myself with the exact same can of paint and it came out perfect, and I made damn sure he saw it and when he tried to make other excuses I told him to STFU! That paint is still around and I wouldn't hesitate to use it tomorrow. As long as the can is sealed it is good to go, I'm sorry but that paint doesn't shelf out. They would have you believe it is only good for a few months mainly so you'll by more.

If you store it with the lid down it is sealed and air can't get to it no mater what. Guess where I got the idea to store it lid down?

From the DuPont paint store!

So test it, and if it goes off, it is good to go.

my .02

Randy

[fecmech]

I have some ProSeal two part sealant that a UPS mechanic gave me to hide when he was being audited. He forgot about it and I brought it home when I retired in 2005. It expired in 1995 and it's been in my basement fridge since I got it. I mixed some up about 6 mos ago and it sill cures out.