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1. 

   baunvivant

   9 Kudos

   08/05/08

   Hey One Culm,
   
   I've been remiss in not getting this info on URAC 185 sooner. I've been busy -- not fishing as I would have perferred. At any rate, you ask me to share the info I have on URAC 185 mixing with you -- and to the board in general. WHile I agree that info should be shared far and wide, I am hesitant to do so as the information I received from Chris Raine was in a private email. I had thought it was public domain but it was -- thus I am sending this to you as a private email: Chris is a northern california rodmaker who lives in Dunsmuir.
   
   Here's the email i got from Chris Raine. I asked about how to measure it out and here's what he said....I asked if a balance beam was necessary and he began....
   
   
   > > A balance beam is nice to have. If your only need
   > > for the scale is to weigh URAC and its catalyst,
   > it
   > > is kind of similar to feeling the need to buy that
   > > Harley so you can go to the store for a loaf of
   > > bread.
   > >
   > > URAC 185 is available from Nelsons. Phone no. is
   > > 906.774.5566 . It is available in pints and
   > quarts.
   > > Buy two, as freight is almost as much as the
   > > material.
   > > Now: the stuff they send you in the bag to mix
   > with
   > > the glue is a mixture of the catalyst along with
   > > pecan shells or walnut shells or the like. Seems
   > to
   > > me that the catalyst could settle out. Or move
   > > around. Something like that. My point? I don't
   > > think nat's ass accuracy in the mixing ratio is
   > that
   > > important. It has to be worker bee proof to a
   > > point. Slightly overcatalyzing or undercatalyzing
   > > will be tolerated by the glue. The mix ratio is
   > NOT
   > > the 300 pound green monster under your bed when it
   > > comes to glue up. The real catalyst for the resin
   > is
   > > Ammonium Chloride. You can buy the super
   > > "catalyzing salts" from your supplier for the big
   > > bucks, or order from The Science Company at $11.95
   > > for a half pound, near lifetime supply. Phone:
   > > 800.372.6726
   > >
   > > 2 ounce plastic "portion cups" are great for
   > mixing
   > > it. They are sold at Costco, or any Cash and
   > Carry.
   > > Pour the URAC up to the line just below the top of
   > > the cup. That's 50 grams. Then measure out .5 gram
   > > on your reloader scale....or....put a popsicle
   > stick
   > > into the jar of Ammonium Chloride and bring out a
   > > rounded portion about an inch long. That's really
   > > close. Stir it in, wait 5 or 10 minutes for the
   > > glue to cross link, then glue up. Note that the
   > > ratio for using just the Ammonium Chloride is much
   > > less than the 10:1 for the factory supplied powder
   > > mix.
   > >
   > > You get about 16 rod's worth from a quart of the
   > > glue. Buck and a half to two bucks per rod. If you
   > > are worried about working time, just glue up one
   > > section at a time. Cleaning up the binder is not
   > > fun, but it isn't stressfull. Straightening three
   > > rod sections that are twisted, warped and set
   > > because you insisted on gluing up everything at
   > once
   > > IS stressfull. So I'm told. Mine come out of the
   > > binder perfectly straight every time. 'Cept for
   > > this one time....
   > >
   > > America has its own list serve for the advancement
   > > of bamboo sticks. Is this a great country or what?
   >
   

   08/06/08

   Reply from oneculm:

   Thanks when I first began to build I used resorcinol and like so many switched because of the glue lines. I tried URAC after Hoagy told me about it years ago. I had a few failures so stopped . I then realized my shop was to cold and on a couple the cane was too dry. I had glued some right after they came out of the oven. I like the idea of a little better chance of making a "quicker" rod. It ended up with quite a few different thoughts as to best way to use URAC. thanks dave
   

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