I was in the process of filling a small 1⁄16-in. by 6-in. gap in a granite slab with a two-part epoxy. I measured out the appropriate amount of epoxy from each container onto a piece of scrap cardboard and began the usual practice of stirring and stirring until the product was blended. At that moment, I was struck with an idea. I placed an 8d common nail backward in my cordless drill and then used the rotating nail head to stir. I was stunned at how fast and easy this method was, and at how much better it blended the epoxy. I have since used this method for other small epoxy repair projects, and the results have been excellent.
—T.E. Smith, Burlingame, Calif.
Edited and illustrated by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #262
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I do concrete foundation inspections and core sample extractions for testing. Quite often I need a small amount of reliable fast-cure epoxy for a variety of reasons. I purchased a 3M DMA50 gun (McMaster) + 3M's DP100 Plus 2-part cartridges (1.64 fl oz) and a bag of 25 mixing nozzles (Amazon). I keep these in my kit and whenever I need an epoxy adhesive I pull out the gun, load the cartridge, put on a new nozzle and away I go.
No need to measure & mix. Once done, I leave the nozzle on the cartridge. A portion of the epoxy will cure and harden at the end of the nozzle but the rest stays good. Next time around I remove the used nozzle, put on a new one and I'm good to go.
I will say it's not inexpensive. But 1.64 fl ounces goes a long way for my needs. Purchasing nozzles in bulk keeps their cost down. The bottom line is that my time is valuable and the convenience makes it a no-brainer for me.
Much easier to just use a freezer-type ziplock bag. You can squish and squeeze the epoxy until everything is mixed, and then cut off the corner and you have an easy applicator pastry bag that is more precise than popsicle sticks or whatever you’re using to apply.