The 'West System'

Re: The \'West System\'

Excellent stuff always use it not found a better alternative. Did my decks about 6 years ago still as good as new .

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Re: The \'West System\'

i use west epoxy, and would recomend it as an excellent product.

for bonding and for finish, it's great. one coat epoxy followed by a rub down, and some decent coats of varnish are all that's needed to bring the timber to life.

mind you, i've not tried many other epoxy products... sort of, what you know!

give it a try, see how you get on...

and one more point, the pump dispensers are worth the extra £12!

all the best, steve.


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Re: The \'West System\'

Great Stuff. The whole system of epoxies hardeners fillers is worth its money.


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Re: The \'West System\'

Must add my pennyworth and agree with all that has been said that's good. Might seem slightly dearer than some but is definately a superior product.


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Re: The \'West System\'

G'day Jeep,

I have been using 'West System's epoxies for many years and it's my first choice, quality in consistent and the range is excellent, to find out a little more have a look at the link below.

And, no I have no interests in the company.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/intropage.htm


Andavagoodweekend. Old Salt Oz...



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

Very tough material - used it last year with excellent results.

Just a tip, make sure when mixing that ideally you mix on a flat tin or similar - this helps dissipate the natural heat that results from the reaction of mixing the resin and hardener. I mixed up a small amount in one of the measuring pots (supposed to be just used for measuring out the resin) and after smoking with heat it set in about half an hour or less!

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Re: The \'West System\'

My epoxy of choice over all the others - though more expensive than most it impregnates wood well, forms an effective bond and is very tough.

However there are certain drawbacks.

1. It's very subject to UV degradation, if you use it in sunlight make sure it has some protection (epoxy paint is best)
2. If you're using the standard accelerated catalyst. Don't mix up large quantities at a time >200ml, or it will produce an exothermic reaction which will blister your hands and cause it to cure in-pot in about 20 mins.

It would do the task you're proposing perfectly well, subject to the above two, but I can think of many superior methods of doing what you propose, dependent on the size and structure at which you are looking.
The lack of detail you give makes it impossible to be more precise.

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Re: The \'West System\'

I have used it and it appears foolproof if you follow the instructions. I splurged out and attended one of their one day training courses. really worthwhile as it allows you to make the mistakes and observe the results. A smoking pot of mixed resin after being left too long is quite interesting.
Along with the others replying, I have no commercial arrangement with Wests (but would not say no to a discount!)

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Re: The \'West System\'

I have to fix (glue and screw) a piece of hardwood about 2ft long into an L shaped cutout in my engine bearers (ready for new engine) The cutout means a piece of wood about 2ins square. Hope my description is clear.

What is the strongest waterproof adhesive for this job?

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Re: The \'West System\'

they also send me some west system hint sheets...all looked very helpful and professional.Certainly lends to the view above that these guys are the experts.

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Re: The \'West System\'

Thanks all for so many replies. I am definitely thinking of going down this route.

For those of you who want more detail (and I could certainly do with as much advice as possible) I am sheathing the wooden deck of a Folkboat. It appears to be caulked planking (very light colour, could even be softwood like pine though I hope not), it is currently covered in a very thin and brittle plastic sheet which isn't bonded to the wood and has let in a lot of water (rain) which is then trapped, there is definitely at least a little rot around the stern area. I am quite happy removing all the deck hardware and stripping/cleaning/preparing/filling everything but want to get a good idea of all the options if the deck is sound. I have considered canvas or sand-paint but am not a traditionalist and am more concerned with strength and durability (I'd like to do this only the once!).

Thanks in advance

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Re: The \'West System\'

The problem may be that if you are going to make the deck rigid but the hull remains flexibe you could be creating a whole new set of problems.Even if the sheathig is thin it won't take much to become unstuck if there is movement in the deck.
On the other hand there are many classic wooden boats with sheathed decks.

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Re: The \'West System\'

Using epoxy is the best way of avoiding problems in this case.
The resin will stretch up to 17% before cracking, as opposed to 3% for polyester. This, btw, is the only reason why epoxy-glass structures are stronger than polyester-glass ones. The glass fibres will stretch up to 15%, so with polyester the resin strain is the limiting factor on the strength of the laminate. With epoxy, the glass is the limiting factor enabling a higher load to be carried before failure.

Regards

Richard.


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Re: The \'West System\'

A common wood for decking is larch. That was originally fitted to my 1890 one rater.

Iain

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Re: The \'West System\'

Thanks for all the advice, I am going to take this over to Classic Boats as I need all the help i can get!

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