Has anyone used it in Stitch and Glue construction? Was it worth the extra money?
Have not with S@G but no better
than regular for anything else. … nor is the SB112 any more UV stable than std. epoxys … in fact it broke down faster than the 'other ’ well known brand’s stardard … test panels on the roof for years. with all varietys of colors, pigments materials etc.
Silver Tip Epoxy
I didn’t use it on a S&G but I did just finish a strip built kayak and was pleased with the results. See the link for some pics of the final results…
http://www.thomassondesign.com/post.aspx?id=1168453639
To answer your question, I decided to pay the additional $$ for the silvertip because it is advertised as being completely clear and blush free. This was the second strip built kayak I’ve built. I used MAS epoxy the first time, and didn’t like the amber tint the epoxy gave my mostly white pine kayak.
Overall, I was pleased with the results, but I would recommend that if you use it, to wash and lightly sand between fill coats if you wait more than a few hours between coats because regardless what is advertised, I did experience a couple of spots of blush. As you can see from the pictures, it does cure completely clear!
I hope this answers your question…post here or email me if I can help in any way!
Tripp
blush
yep,it seems that Systems three advertises as no blush but it seems to develop it more than MAS at high humidity.
epoxy test
worth checking out. No mention of Silver Tip but there’s a few repeating themes that render the brand of epoxy irrelevant.
http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Epoxresl.htm
lots of great info in there for to
compare brands … way more than the last time I read it …
I like to joke that WEST 207 is more UV stable because it is already yellowed out and no one could tell anyway.
Another real nice super clear resin is TAP Plastics 314 almost zero blush in warm, humid conditions untested in cold … this one MUST be coated ASAP though. This is a very ‘tough’ resin.
Recommendations for hot/humid/1st time?
As in very hot, very humid, zero glass experience…
Slower makes sense, and I get the viscosity issues - but I’m usually a fast learner, and many days to cure each coat would drive me nuts.
Vaclav’s info is good stuff (I have his book too), and he made his choice for beginners pretty clear. Do you concur? Have other suggestions?
At 90 degrees…
– Last Updated: Jul-23-07 11:33 PM EST –
Slow is not slow..
The first boat I rented a warehouse and built it in the winter.. worked well
Next two I built in my apt. at 75 to 80 degrees using med.
You can hurry up slow but not slow it down...
How much rain did you get this week?
Try MAS
Greyak,
I also live in hot and humid S. Florida. I’ve built two strippers so far and I’d like to build another this winter. I started with West Systems (207 hardener) on my first kayak, but ended up switching to MAS. WS is a great epoxy, but there are a couple of things I didn’t like. It’s a bit fast for our warm temperatures, it has a honey color, it’s more viscous than MAS (less viscosity = easier wet out), and it gives out some really nasty vapors. I wore my respirator and still had a severe headache at the end of each day.
For large jobs like glassing the hull/deck and also for fill coats, I use MAS slow. Even in warm temperatures, it still provides plenty of time to work and doesn’t take forever to cure. It’s also completely blush-free. For smaller jobs where I want a quicker cure time, I use combinations of their slow and fast hardeners.
I’m guessing that you’re planning to build your first wooden boat. Is that correct? If it is, let me know, I live in Miami. I’m certainly not an expert, but I can share the mistakes I’ve made and what I’ve learned from them.
Pedro Almeida
RAKA or MAS
Systems three kicks off sooner than the above two. Don’t mix up more than 6oz at a time. Experiment before hand. For interior sections it’s ok to use multiple pieces of cloth without concern for cosmetic perfection or getting a huge piece of cloth to lay up.
Many days to cure for no blush is a fact of life. If it’s very hot it’ll cure near hard in a couple days but still give a week before varnishing. Laminating epoxy is not 5minute epoxy. Adjust expectations accordingly.
Thinking about it…
– Last Updated: Jul-24-07 12:31 PM EST –
... but need to do a good bit of design work first.
Build, if any, wouldn't be until Fall/Winter - though I doubt the practicality of doing this at all in a carport/patio area.
I might have to look into renting workspace as Grayhawk mentions. Other option would be to have it built for me by someone set up to do so, but I'm not that smart or wealthy!
Any insights you care to pass on would be much appreciated.
Supposedly sags less
But when I asked a local System Three dealer, he said there isn’t a huge difference from the regular epoxy. There IS a huge price difference, though. I stuck with the regular stuff. Epoxy gets sanded anyway. The last coat of varnish, on the other hand…