Mixing and Using HXTAL to Laminate Glass

Mixing and Using HXTAL to Laminate Glass

WHAT MAKES HXTAL SO GREAT?

Many people wonder why they should use HXTAL over other epoxies or adhesives. The first and best reason is longevity. HXTAL has been around the restoration and art glass industry for about a half a century now so its track record of holding pieces together and maintaining clarity is unsurpassed in the industry. HXTAL was made to hold pieces together and keep them held together over time, temperature, weather, and exposure. It has the lowest and slowest amount of yellowing of any other adhesive on the market today and is capable of both filling cracks and replacing larger missing areas of pieces. It can bond glass, metal, stone, precious minerals, ceramics, porcelain, and wood. HXTAL can be used for water white joints and repairs on pieces and it can be tinted to match the color of your glass or porcelain.

FIRST STEPS ARE IMPORTANT

One of the most important aspects of using HXTAL is correctly mixing it. While HXTAL is not extremely strict about its 3:1 ratio, it is important to get as close as possible in order to get the best results from your bonding. If you are working with small amounts you can work by the dropper full, but if you are mixing any quantity you really need to use a digital scale to keep close to the correct mixture ratio. HXTAL will work best at room temperature of around 68–72 degrees F and a relative humidity of around 46%.

TINY BUBBLES

Bubbles are the bane of working with any adhesive. If you trap a bubble in your joint then it shows up like a spotlight in your piece every time the light hits it. While you can leave HXTAL for a few hours to de-gas on its own after mixing, you can also invest in a low cost vacuum pump setup to quickly and easily de-gas your epoxy and continue working.

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO... WELL, YOU KNOW

If mixing is vitally important to getting good results with your HXTAL, then cleaning your glass properly ranks right up there with mixing. If you don't clean your glass well, then HXTAL is going to bond to whatever is on the surface of your glass and not to the glass itself. Our favorite cleaner is Whiting as it is inexpensive, easy to use, and does a phenomenal job of cleaning everything off the surface of your glass