West or SP or International Epoxy

H

hmm

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Having always used West, I was wondering what others' thoughts are on the alternatives.

Are they as good / better? Will SP adhere to wood and plastic aswell as West does? Does SP still create a waxy bloom on curing?

SP 106 fast is a bit cheaper than West. (I will Google in a minute to see how fast that is).

Will West powders etc mix ok with SP? They do mix with Polyester resin ok.

Thanks.
 
West powders will mix with any epoxy or polyester resin, they are inert. I like west, but that's a personal thing, I just happen to stick with it because I have pumps etc. But I guess epoxy is epoxy is epoxy!
 
Thanks - I never forked out for the pumps (hence lots of rubber gloves and sticky measuring containers everywhere).

When I finally settle on a brand I will definately get the pumps - bound to be more economical aswell as cleaner!

Just found out the SP 106 fast goes off in about 15 mins - ok for a quick job only.
 
It is also thought that fast set epoxies are more brittle and give less life ... due possibly to the chemical chains not setting up slower and more dense.

may be true ... may be not .... but for serious structural work where epoxy is called for - I stick ( /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) with normal set-time epoxy. Keeping quick-set stuff for those little repair jobs that can't wait !! Like my Auto-helm tiller-pin .....
 
G'day Hmm,

You may find 106 cures a bit too fast for some jobs, bearing in mind that epoxy hardener should be mixed at the same ratio in all conditions, adding extra or less hardener will effect the final strength.

Last time I researched this subject I found only 4 manufacturers of epoxy resin in the whole world, and well over 40 brands, no doubt the figures have changed, but the basics will remain the same, few makers, and lots of smaller groups adding their own additives to improve the characteristics or the end product.

Like they say 'Oils ant oils', well likewise not all brands of epoxy are equal.

I use west system for no other reason than the fact I have never had a problem when using it, consistently good over many years. I have thinned with Metho to penetrate timber and heated it with high powered lamps to get an extra bond on composites (heating causes the epoxy to flow more freely into small crevices and holes.)

I have used other brands but found most to be less predictable and more temperature critical, resulting in pot life variation.

Because 'SP 106 fast' cures faster than the standard West System I would suspect the penetration into timber may be a little less but not to the point it's critical.

I hope this helps

Avagoodweekend......
 
Oldsaltoz, you are spoilt down there.

When we did all the work on the boat we used 2 different suppliers of epoxy. They were in the Brisbane area. One was called Acme fibreglass (they race boats) and the other is in the same industrial estate just by the overpass.

Both supplied very long cure time epoxy that was really runny and thin. I remember one was an Araldite brand. Both were excellent especially in the Australian summer heat. Without their help the boat would never have got its refit.
 
I have used west and sp106 but both are very basic. I like sicomin resins from france . Their laminating resin has about 6 hardners wich will give from 8 hrs to 15min open time at 15c.
And youcan coctail them to your own design. Peel ply is allways a good idea as it removes blush .
 
I am currently using SP with their "slow" hardener for a fairing job. Seems to work OK. Temperatures round here have been in the high 20s and it seems to remain workable for 20 - 30 minutes and takes about 24 hours before I can sand it.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Oldsaltoz, you are spoilt down there

[/ QUOTE ]

35*c and humidity at 89% with a 40+ foot Catamaran to fair with a torture board standing in the sun. Yes we are lucky, please send snow storm soon.

Glad to hear you got your craft back in the water.

Avagoodweekend......
 
[ QUOTE ]
Oldsaltoz, you are spoilt down there.

When we did all the work on the boat we used 2 different suppliers of epoxy. They were in the Brisbane area. One was called Acme fibreglass (they race boats) and the other is in the same industrial estate just by the overpass.

Both supplied very long cure time epoxy that was really runny and thin. I remember one was an Araldite brand. Both were excellent especially in the Australian summer heat. Without their help the boat would never have got its refit.

[/ QUOTE ]

Australian Fibreglass Supplies and the other brand I suspect is Twin Pack Resins, a Sydney based formulator.
 
Or use a brand that is 2 to 1 or less (i.e not 5 to 1) and buy a set of thin digital scales for the galley and weigh it. You put the scales inside 1 gallon sealable bags. Just swap the bag before a days work.

A lot less messy and the resin stays sealed most of its life.
 
Thanks

Some interesting points there.

I have used the SP 106 fast today.

Luckily it is not as fast as the tin says. (assuming I'm doing it right - and I think I am - it does cure eventually)

Pot life of 5 - 10 mins they say. up to 30 mins at least - even longer I reckon - and that is on some of the hottest of July days about 28 deg C I'd say.

Cheers
 
Re: Thanks

Interesting! I was thinking of getting some fast hardener when the weather gets a bit colder.

Also, OldsaltOZ, what effect does humidity have? Is it just the "bloom" that sometimes develops when it sets or is there something more serious. I think we're about 75% here these days.
 
Re: Thanks

G'day Avocet,

Most epoxy manufacturers advise humidity should be below 72%, this means starting about 10 am and applying the last coat around 2:30 pm or risk blooming and have to sand it all off and start again, if moisture is very high the resin may not cure at all or not fully cure, leaving you with a weak lay-up.

Hope this helps

Avagoodweekend......
 
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