epoxy brands

[tyce]

hi,
following advice from formites i am about to epoxy the hull of my 27ft hunter horizon, i have been in contact with wessex marine who do the west system epoxy (very helpful), it is going to cost about 550 quid, so i was wondering which brands other people recomend or have used and also if anyone knows the aproximate costs involved with each brand
thanks in anticipation

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[Robin]

It is a long time since we did it but used Blakes SFE200 on our last boat which is a solvent free epoxy that can be applied at 200 microns thickness per coat. We put on 4 coats (preventative) and each time put a coat on a small piece of formica (12" square) as well then could measure this and confirm the thickness applied, our 4 coats totalled 850 microns.

Blakes was easy to apply by roller, it came in two colours so you could alternate between coats and it seemed to be 'self levelling' as the roller finish flattened into a very smooth surface as it dried. It was relatively user friendly in terms of temperatures and times between coats but you do need to plan it carefully to give you the best chance of getting it on on successive days without having the need to rub down. We were lucky and found a warm dry 5 days at the end of March.



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[oldsaltoz]

G'day Tyce,

I seem to recall an article that advised there are only 4 manufacturers of epoxy resin in the world.

The may brands we all out there are from the same stock, all the distributors do is apply their own additives.

The end result is that some resins are better than others under a given set of circumstances, some are more tolerant of low temperatures others of high humidity and some, have a variation in quality from batch to batch.

So, there is no short answer than can be applied to all conditions; however, as a bloke who has spent the last 40 years moulding, sanding, painting, filling, fairing and laminating, to mention a few of the activities, I can say this......
I have found the West System epoxy to be the most consistent in all aspects, easy to control, easy to work with, compatible and reliable.

I am not saying you should use this and nothing else, but I have tried most and always come back to it.

And........NO I have no connection to the company, just a great respect for their quality control.

Avagoodweekend.



<hr width=100% size=1> Old Salt Oz /forums/images/icons/cool.gif Growing old is unavoidable. However, growing up is still optional.

 

[charles_reed]

I\'d second that

besides you'll find little difference in prices.

You need a low-viscosity epoxy specially for wood use rather than any old epoxy.

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