Epoxy Pump Contamination?

[Schilder71]

I put resin and hardener (MGS 285) in my new Adjustable Sticky Stuff Dispenser (Model SS-ADJ) for the first time and I'm getting some black clouds of contamination, primarily out of the resin side. I called Michael Engineering LTD. and Rob there told me that what I was seeing was some fine particles of aluminum coming from the pump body bore and that it should not have any affect on the epoxy curing or strength. I thought someone else mentioned something like this before but I couldn't find anything in the Cozy Builder archives. Anyone else come across this phenomena? Do you think this is a problem?

[Schilder71]

I think I may have answered my own question, I did a more thorough search of the Cozy archives and found a post from Doug Shepherd. He believed the contamination was from assembly grease but it never caused a problem.

 

Date: Feb 27, 2000 5:32 PM

 

From: Doug Shepherd <DougSheph@home.com>

 

Subject: COZY: Stuff in epoxy/Michael Engineering pump

 

I'm also using the MGS 285 epoxy, and the Michael Engineering variable epoxy

pump. I also noticed some minor traces of contamination when the pump was

new; the instructions said that this was a lubricant used to grease the

seals and the small amounts that get into the epoxy won't cause any

problems. I've been using the pump for a year now and notice the black

stuff only occasionally now. The pump doesn't leak, bind or otherwise

misbehave (as long as I use it frequently enough to keep it limber, anyhow),

and I've never rebuilt it or had to replace any of the seals, so I wouldn't

worry about the seals deteriorating.

 

I love my Michael Engineering pump, and I recommend it highly, but I have

one word of warning about it: be careful not to put any sideways pressure on

the reservoirs, either when you're filling it or when you shut the door of

your oven. They're not supported very well and they crack easily, as I

found out the hard way. That resin's expensive, and there's no point

wasting it on the floor of the garage.

 

Doug Shepherd