{"id":3228,"date":"2021-03-04T09:53:39","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T14:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/?p=3228"},"modified":"2021-03-09T14:28:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-09T19:28:06","slug":"best-practices-and-results-for-application-of-vettec-adhesives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/best-practices-and-results-for-application-of-vettec-adhesives\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Practices and Results for Application of Vettec Adhesives"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Larkin Greene<\/em><\/p>\n

The increased moisture and lower temperatures associated with Winter and Spring present significant challenges to successful adhesive applications.\u00a0 Adhesives prefer warm and dry, along with clean. Anyone who regularly picks up a horse\u2019s foot knows that none of those characteristics happen without effort.<\/h2>\n
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Larkin Greene demonstrates application of SuperFast to create a shoe for hoof wall protection.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Effects of Cold
\n<\/strong>Vettec products perform optimally when used between 60 and 80F, in other words, room temperature.\u00a0 When temperatures fall below that optimum range, adhesives become more viscous, harder to dispense, and take longer to set.\u00a0 Both methacrylates and urethanes produce an exothermic cycle that is critical to their final set.\u00a0 Colder temperatures inhibit that heat cycle; if the adhesive cannot generate that heat, the set will be softer, and the bond less reliable.\u00a0 While many users are familiar with the need to warm up the adhesive, it\u2019s also important to warm any surface it touches, including mix tips, any glued-on device, and especially, the surface of the foot itself.\u00a0 If you forget to warm a surface, applying heat after the adhesive is on the foot can help, but does not guarantee success because the exothermic cycle is a chemical reaction formulated into the adhesive.\u00a0 For temperatures below freezing, a heated workspace is essential to achieving predictable results.<\/p>\n

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Vettec SuperFast<\/p><\/div>\n

Keeping materials warm is easy enough; most keep them in the cab of the truck, in an insulated container, or home-made hot box that contains a light bulb or warming pads.\u00a0 The worst thing one can do is store them in the rig in cold weather, then try to warm them up prior to using them. \u00a0It takes time to warm up cold material, and it is best done slowly. \u00a0It\u2019s easy to heat up the plastic cartridge, but it takes a while for warmth to penetrate throughout the material inside the cartridge.\u00a0 Best practices would dictate not letting the material get cold in the first place; however, if quick warming is necessary, putting cartridges on the dashboard with the defroster running works well, or perhaps on the floorboards with the heater on.\u00a0 Some have even reported success putting them in the engine compartment for a while after arriving at the barn.<\/p>\n

Within the preferred temperature range, SuperFast sets in 30 seconds for non-weight bearing applications, and requires a minimum of 2.5 minutes before bearing weight on bottom applications.\u00a0 Adhere sets in 45-60 seconds for non-weight bearing applications, and needs 3.5 minutes minimum before bearing weight in direct glue-on applications, five minutes would be better.<\/p>\n

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Any time adhesive products are used, it’s strongly recommended to make sure the hoof is as dry as possible. This handy moisture meter gives you a very accurate check of the moisture level. (shoot for less than 10%).<\/p><\/div>\n

The Effects of Excess Moisture
\n<\/strong>Excessive moisture is the most common cause of adhesive failure in equine applications.\u00a0 The inability to get the foot dry enough remains a challenge for many hoof care practitioners.\u00a0 Fortunately, there are tools and techniques that allow us to conquer this problem.\u00a0 Some methods work better than others. For example, a hair dryer is louder and less effective at drying a surface than a heat gun.\u00a0 A heat gun is much quieter and more effective, held a few inches away, and kept in motion.\u00a0 Another tool equal to or superior to a heat gun, is a hand-held propane torch with a soft flame.\u00a0 The torch has the advantage of not requiring power, is also quiet, and produces great results if the same technique is applied: inches away and in constant motion.<\/p>\n

Adding a moisture meter to your adhesive tool box is the best way to know that surfaces are actually dry enough for bonding.\u00a0 Typically, the moisture meter must read below 10% for successful bonding, though single digits is desirable, and very attainable.\u00a0 Once the foot surface is dry enough, the adhesive should be introduced in as short a time as possible for best results.<\/p>\n

Effects of Excess Moisture After Bonding
\n<\/strong>If all protocols for proper bonding are followed at the time of application, excess moisture afterward is less detrimental, but can still lead to failure.\u00a0 We know that horse\u2019s feet swell when the ground is wet, and shrink when it dries out.\u00a0 If that change happens during the weeks when an adhesive is in place, you can expect it to be a contributing factor in the failure of that application.\u00a0 Frequent sessions at the wash rack, standing in an irrigated pasture, muddy paddock, or any other saturation conditions can contribute to shorter longevity, or early failure. \u00a0No bond can withstand immersion for any length of time beyond passing through a creek.<\/p>\n

Following these guidelines for storage and handling of adhesives can dramatically improve success rates, and reduce the level of frustration users often experience when weather turns cold and wet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Larkin Greene The increased moisture and lower temperatures associated with Winter and Spring present significant challenges to successful adhesive applications.\u00a0 Adhesives prefer warm and dry, along with clean. Anyone who regularly picks up a horse\u2019s foot knows that none … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3228"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3228"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3258,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3228\/revisions\/3258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farrierproducts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}