Epoxy suppliers/rudder foam

Iain C

Iain C

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Where's cheapest these days for buying a few kilos of epoxy and associated fillers/cloths? I saw places at various boat jumbles but I've lost their business card unfortunatly. Or are any potential savings not worth it and I'm better off buying West or SP from a chandlery? Matrix Mouldings used to be pretty good but hazardous substance carriage charges started to negate the savings...

Also, can anyone point me towards the right stuff for filling the void in a rudder? I've split mine open for tang repairs and I need to fill it with foam when I've re-assembled it. It cannot be the expanding builders stuff as it will probably force it apart. Any recommendations?

Cheers
 
How about drilling some holes for the excess expanding foam to escape from and then filling these holes.

When we made our rudder we used polyureathane foam sheet sanded to shape to fill the voids and fibreglassed around that.
 
East Coast Fibreglass seems a pretty good firm to deal with, and its prices seem competitive. Often recommended on here.

I placed my first order with ECF recently and was happy with the prices/delivery.
 
You will need a closed cell foam if you want a lasting job.

Simple method is to purchase a sheet and stick it together and shape as required, then glass over with epoxy resin and cloth designed for use with epoxy (Not chopped strand mat).

Leave a hole by the tangs and fill it with epoxy resin mixed with Micro-fibres, this will provide support between the tang and the outer casing.

Don't forget my 'O; ring trick on the rudder stock to prevent water getting in via the shaft.

Good luck. :)
 
I used West System when I rebuilt my rudder but Bobobolinsky's link looks better value and they have had good recommendations on this forum before.

I applied Oldsaltoz's 'O' ring trick to seal my rudder. Because the GRP at the stock entry and exit points was too thin to fit 'O' rings, I glassed in some hefty PVC bushes and put 'O' rings in these. I used three rings at each entry and exit point - 6 in total. The rudder was still dry at the survey two seasons later so it does work.

I did use builders foam in the rudder. I had added some through a hole many years previously and it seemed to have survived without becoming waterlogged even though the rudder itself was full of water. During the rebuild I only cut out a panel from the side of the rudder. I didn't split it like you have done. When I added the foam after refitting the tangs, I filled the bottom third of the rudder with foam and waited several hours for it to expand and set, then added another third and waited then the final third. I left the panel off until the following day before refitting it.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'd rather try and get hold of a foam that I can "pour" in some holes, in stages if required, rather than a solid sheet of divynicell if that is what is being suggested...just seems like a bit of a faff.

Oldsaltoz, can you elaborate on your O ring trick please? I'm guessing this will seal the two shaft exit holes but it would be interesting to see how you have done it!
 
Iain C said:
Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'd rather try and get hold of a foam that I can "pour" in some holes, in stages if required, rather than a solid sheet of divynicell if that is what is being suggested...just seems like a bit of a faff.

Oldsaltoz, can you elaborate on your O ring trick please? I'm guessing this will seal the two shaft exit holes but it would be interesting to see how you have done it!
Click to expand...

Remove the top 30 mm of glass around the rudder stock, take care not to damage the shaft.

Slip 2 'O' rings over the shaft and locate them so that they will be covered on fibreglass when the repairs is complete. now work a little Vaseline under and between to 'o' rings and remove all excess with some Acetone.

Now use an epoxy resin and cloth (Not CSM) and re-build the top end of the rudder, the Vaseline will prevent the epoxy sticking to the shaft under the 'o' rings and they will prevent any water working it's way down the shaft.

Good luck. :)
 
If you set the rudder firmly in clamps and strong backs, you can use tinned builders foam, but make sure that the surfaces are sprayed with water, as if you apply the foam too thickly it can take days to cure. Normally you leave the clamps in place for at least 24 hours, that is to ensure the centres are cured. As previously, you can fill in stages
 
Oldsaltoz, thanks for that, I will give that a go.

Placed my order with ECF yesterday and it all arrived today, very impressed. But why, oh why, oh why am I so excited about a load of resin and associated kit? Could it be because I'd had enough of cracking out old epoxy out of pots that were already held together with masking tape, rummaging in bins for a lolly stick to mix with, and swearing as yet another rather old examination glove explodes in a hail of rubber and talc as I pull it on? Or could it be that my huge order that included of a box of a hundred (never to be recycled) mixing sticks, mixing pots galore, acetone, peel ply and the like also contains the all important professional grade shears, meaning I will never have to answer the question that strikes fear into the heart of all DIY boat repairers?

"Darling, have you seen my really expensive kitchen scissors?"
 
Thinking on this thread, I had a close look at this today....

foam.jpg

Neither the details on the tin nor the store staff could advise whether this produces 'closed' or 'open cell' foam.

A call was placed to HQ by a helpful and quite engaging young assistant, with beautiful green eyes. The relevant HQ employee with the knowledge wasn't available/at lunch. I tried again later by phone, to be told by some snotty jobsworth I couldn't be put through as I was 'a member of the public'.

'Green eyes' phoned me an hour later, having apparently been subjected to a HQ borrocking ( a laurawurd ) for using her initiative ( with her line manager's encouragement ). She'll try to get the info tomorrow for me.

If this product generates closed cell foam, then I'll post that on here, and use it myself. :)
 
grafozz said:
http://www.ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk/default.aspx

I have used them for years , good company .
Click to expand...
East coast good supplier , but living in the North of Scotland postage is always an issue, and found their postage costs high.

Re-skinned my rudder blade on a first class 8 last year and learnt all about styrene in the final coat so it dries properly and you can rub down and polish - never knew that before

Splashman237
 
SAWDOC said:
Great link ! thanks for posting - enjoyed the rudder repair as i shaping up for something similar!
Click to expand...

My rudder has a different design to the one in that link and I repaired the tangs by cutting a panel out from the side. See here - scroll the page down a bit. In the previous link, the rudder needed to be completely split and most repairs that I have heard of do involve splitting the rudder.
 
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