Does it have to be west system epoxy?

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Dougy

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50gm west system kit £29. eBay 1kg non west system £8.95, ok no mat or little plastic cups or 20p brushes. But does it have to be west system. Is this cheap stuff ok to use on unseen repairs? If I was glassing my hull or deck I would use West, not because I know it's better, it just seems to be the biggest brand, because of that....does it automatically mean it's the best?
 
West is the one with the best marketing :)

There are other equally good brands; some say others are better (less susceptible to amine bloom than West).

That said, £8.95 seems suspiciously cheap. I would be looking very carefully for a catch.

Pete
 
Dougy said:
50gm west system kit £29. eBay 1kg non west system £8.95, ok no mat or little plastic cups or 20p brushes. But does it have to be west system. Is this cheap stuff ok to use on unseen repairs? If I was glassing my hull or deck I would use West, not because I know it's better, it just seems to be the biggest brand, because of that....does it automatically mean it's the best?
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Research the other manufacture and try and find people who have used it.

Alternative, dig a wee bit deeper into your pocket and use West knowing that there is a lot of experience and guidance out there with the product.
 
There are cheaper alternatives around but, is this very cheap stuff the same type of epoxy? Some epoxies are made to be used as an alternative to varnish or other finishes, don't know what their structural strength would be for repairs.
 
GrahamM376 said:
There are cheaper alternatives around but, is this very cheap stuff the same type of epoxy? Some epoxies are made to be used as an alternative to varnish or other finishes, don't know what their structural strength would be for repairs.
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Didnt know that... And I need some strength...more research required or as the village people say...go west..
 
Maybe see what EC Fibreglass have on offer - I'd trust them to sell quality stuff and their site generally has a bit of information about what uses each product is suitable for. They're also happy to give advice on products and techniques.

Pete
 
prv said:
Maybe see what EC Fibreglass have on offer - I'd trust them to sell quality stuff and their site generally has a bit of information about what uses each product is suitable for. They're also happy to give advice on products and techniques.

Pete
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I will do that, thanks Pete.
 
Dougy said:
more research required or as the village people say...go west..
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As prv suggests, that mainly because West and it's 'system' offers convenience and, above all, availability. The stuff's simply ubiquitous. I would never use West for coating applications in the UK because of its propensity for the amine bloom prv also mentions. For laminating work, this needn't be a problem (but can be if the resin cures between laminates).

There are many excellent alternatives out there, such as this lot: https://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk

As for e-Bay stuff: it may be OK but the usual caveats apply (especially the one ending 'emptor'). Provenance is important.
 
macd said:
As prv suggests, that mainly because West and it's 'system' offers convenience and, above all, availability. The stuff's simply ubiquitous. I would never use West for coating applications in the UK because of its propensity for the amine bloom prv also mentions. For laminating work, this needn't be a problem (but can be if the resin cures between laminates).

There are many excellent alternatives out there, such as this lot: https://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk

As for e-Bay stuff: it may be OK but the usual caveats apply (especially the one ending 'emptor'). Provenance is important.
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Hi Mac. As Pete suggested I have literally just got off EC fibreglass web site and will be going through them, great web set very informative and ybw site's not bad��, within 30 mins problem solved and I have a lot more understanding of resins now.... Thanks all....
 
macd said:
West and it's 'system' offers convenience and, above all, availability. The stuff's simply ubiquitous.
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Not so much these days - Force 4 in particular seem to have switched to SP, and they're the dominant chandlery chain around here and the only "walk-in" source of epoxy I'm familiar with.

Pete
 
prv said:
Not so much these days - Force 4 in particular seem to have switched to SP, and they're the dominant chandlery chain around here and the only "walk-in" source of epoxy I'm familiar with.
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You'll be more familiar with UK chandlers than me, Pete. Nonetheless, the ubiquity, past or present is the reason West has almost become a generic for marine epoxy. It's still pretty much the only epoxy you'll find in chandlers in much of mainland Europe (often out-of-date, which is the first thing any purchaser should check).
 
Dougy said:
50gm west system kit £29. eBay 1kg non west system £8.95, ok no mat or little plastic cups or 20p brushes. But does it have to be west system. Is this cheap stuff ok to use on unseen repairs? If I was glassing my hull or deck I would use West, not because I know it's better, it just seems to be the biggest brand, because of that....does it automatically mean it's the best?
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I used a supplier from Northern Ireland, very reasonable prices & quick del.
cant find info at the Mo but will check later, they are on ebay but after the first del i went direct & saved £s
 
Also look at Blu Gee. i have used their products successfully for many years for all types of repairs and new build work. Like West you can choose different resins and fillers to suit the job in hand.
 
Here in the US I’ve used generic boatyard epoxy for years, on wood and fiberglass repairs. Always worked superbly at much less price than West epoxy. West epoxy might be ideal for certain types of new strip plank construction where you are using very specific types of wood, as it is specifically formulated to penetrate grain in new boat construction. Otherwise I’ve thought it to be overly expensive, and not particularly better for classic boat repairs.
 
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