Can I extend pot life by thinning the mix with plenty of extra solvent at the start?
No! Adding thinner will lower viscosity, but will not extend pot life in any way. Diluting your mixture may, however, mask the point at which your mixture has exceeded its pot life. You will stall polymerisation, which will lead to other defects. If the mixture has too much thinner in it, then the reaction will not progress through to completeness to give the desired film properties. Your thinned coating is also likely to be too low in film build, causing further problems. Read more.
