Re: [Consdistlist] A Replacement for Araldite 1253.
It's been a real problem to find a replacement for this carvable epoxy. The prospect of getting together to buy a bulk quantity doesn't really work, due to the prohibitive cost of re-packaging and shipping. Also it has a really short shelf life when not properly sealed. George Bisacca from the Met tried bulk purchase and can fill you in on detail, if you haven't already spoken to him. I did find an alternative manufactured in France called Axson SC258, which according to the data sheets is similar to Araldite 1253 in handling characteristics, i.e. epoxy, 1:1 component mix, density, colour, working time, cure time, shelf life, etc. It is available in minimum quantities of 10 kg, (5 kg hardener + 5 kg resin), which is probably a much smaller quantity than Huntsman are prepared to supply. Even 10 kg was way beyond our requirement, but I did manage to get a small quantity from a supplier in Belgium, which I think was the tail end of a larger order. The only problem was, that the packaging process should I think be oxygen free (dry nitrogen) and the components in the batch we received were already drying out and next to useless for making a soft paste consistency. You can make enquiries about Axson SC258, to "[email protected]" their North American office, but can't guarantee it would be up to exactly the same standard as Araldite 1253. I will be very interested to hear of any progress you make in your search for a replacement and whether Epocast 1645 is a viable alternative. Ray Marchant. London studio Hamilton Kerr Institute. Simon Bobak Conservation. UK. ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/
