How to Mix 4152 Resin and Hardener

Prefere 4152 is a versatile urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin system, suitable for all veneering work and compliant with most timbers, plastic laminates, timber veneers and boards. 4152 resin and hardeners are commonly used across many industries including joinery, furniture, fire doors and more.

To control the resin and reach your desired results, combine the solution with an appropriate hardener, filler or extender. Knowing how to mix resin correctly and efficiently will conserve time, money and resources. It will also help resolve common frustrations on the job, such as adhesive bleed-through on veneers.

Choosing the Correct Hardeners

Prefere 4152 should be mixed with the required hardener to control the properties of the resin. Take your pick from the following powders to determine the setting time and adjust the thickness of your resin solution.

Hardeners:

Choose from fast, medium or slow powder hardeners to regulate your assembly and set times. See below to find a hardener that matches your preferred setting speed.

Fast: Prefere 5689 is a fast-setting powder hardener.
Medium: Prefere 5602 is a medium-speed powder.
Slow: Prefere 5611 is a slow-setting powder hardener.

Note that the slow-setting Prefere 5611 also incorporates an extender that helps counteract adhesive penetration through decorative veneers.

Filled hardeners:

Use filled hardeners to adjust the thickness of the resin mixture for specific applications.

Combined hardener and filler, Prefere 5610, is designed to control the flow of glue into absorbent surfaces. It’s ideal for edge-banding or lipping and is suitable for radiofrequency and low-voltage equipment use.

Extenders:

If you’re experiencing issues with adhesive bleed-through on veneers, extenders are a must-have product. They are excellent for counteracting adhesive penetration, especially when working with porous timbers.

As previously mentioned, the slow-setting Prefere 5611 hardener incorporates an extender ideal for hot-press veneering applications. Another extender is Prefere 5912, which is suited to bonding thin and porous veneers to plywood, blockboard, particleboard and MDF when using multi-daylight presses.

If adhesive penetration is a particular pain point in your work, please see our ‘How to Prevent Adhesive Bleed Through when Bonding Timber Veneers’ article for more ways to tackle this challenge head-on.

How to Mix Resin and Hardener

Follow these instructions to ensure the resin and hardener are mixed correctly. You can also use our ‘How to Mix 4152 Resin and Hardener’ video as a handy visual guide.

What You Will Need:

Prefere 4152 resin
Powder hardener
Curing sheet (provided with the product or available to download from the ‘DATASHEETS’ tab here).
Mixer paddle and drill
Empty container
Scoop
Bench scales

Mixing Instructions:

Place the empty container on the bench scales, and reset the weight to zero.
Take your Prefere 4152 resin and carefully weigh out the desired amount of product into the empty container.
The next step is to add the powder hardener. Refer to the curing sheet for precise ratios of powder hardener to be added relative to the total weight of the resin. Here you can also preview the pot life.
Use the scoop to collect the powder hardener and add it directly to the resin, making sure to adhere to the ratio provided on the curing sheet.
Finally, attach the mixer paddle to a drill and stir the resin and hardener thoroughly until it reaches an even consistency.

It’s advisable to carry out sample trials to help determine the ideal solution. In certain instances, you can also add water to fine-tune the viscosity. However, using only a minimal amount is recommended to ensure optimal adhesion.

Application Tips:

Ensure you’re ready for professional-grade application by having the right tools to hand.

Apply a consistent layer of resin using either a brush or a roller, such as the Gupfo Pfohl glue spreader available from our range of adhesive applicators. When dealing with larger areas, employ a mechanical glue roller to streamline the process and maximise efficiency.

Lastly, after application, clean all your equipment with warm water. This practice maintains the longevity of your tools and upholds their performance for future tasks.

Get in Touch with the Adkwik Team

Overcome challenges, optimise your productivity and keep your business running smoothly with practical products and recommendations from Adkwik. Find out how to make your process with glues faster, safer and more cost-effective today.

To speak with our team of experts about your specific challenges with glues or for a review of your glue processes, simply fill out our handy online contact form or call us directly on 01223 412373.

Don’t forget you can also visit the Adkwik blog for professional insights and relevant industry information.