Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

[atengnr]

Im wondering if this stuff is good restoring wood, particularly a transom with minimal rot. No noticeable flex, cracks, but water has gotten to it in the past...

Thanks.

 

[Manipulator]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

What is the difference between this stuff or just using good ol poly resin epoxy by 3M?

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

InTheory,........ It'd be Great,..............

In Reality,...........It's a Waste of Time,+ Money...............

IF the wood was 100% Dry,...... It Might work..........

But,...... You Can't get the wood that Dry..........
And,.. The Epoxy Won't displace the Water.........

 

[tmh]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

I wouldn't put much stock in the "it won't work" stuff you'll always hear from folks who....have never tried it, of course. NOT pitching the stuff Rot Doctor sells, but my experience is many folks discount ideas/products they don't know at all just because they don't know about it!

I have found several non-affiliated people who used it and swear it solved their problem with minimal work - compared to wood replacement. Do a web search on CPES and/or rot doctor.

The CPES stuff he sels is supposed to be a better penetrating epoxy material, but I have no idea if 3M, etc. sell a similar product.

Email him from the web site and describe the issue you're working on. The guy answered my question in 1 day. I haven't bought any product because I haveen't torn my floor up yet, but unless i hear from someone who knows a better/equal - cheaper product I can buy local I'll likely get some from Rot Doctor.

As for drying the wood, yes, with time and dry air flow it dries out enough. It would still be weak though - that's where the penetrating epoxy material comes in.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

I wouldn't put much stock in the "it won't work" stuff you'll always hear from folks who....have never tried it, of course.

As for drying the wood, yes, with time and dry air flow it dries out enough. It would still be weak though - that's where the penetrating epoxy material comes in.

2 Things,............

1,....... I Have Tried it,............
In a Perfect World,... To fix a Very Small piece of Rotten Wood,..... That you can get Perfectly Dry,...... And can get into a Position that'll allow the stuff to Flow in the Proper direction,........(Remember,..... Fluids Flow Downhill)

It Can be a satisfactory repair,..........................
But,...... If any 1 of the points i made above Aren't Done,..........
It Won't Work............

2,............Wood Rot is a Creature,..... An Organism,.........

If you Don't Remove it,...........

You Haven't really Fixed Anything..................


And,........... That's ALL I Do is Fix Things......................

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

I wouldn't count on CPES strengthening compromised, degraded wood. At very best, IF you can dry it out, CPES will stabilize it. I've purchased CPES several different times for use in my Gulfstream Resto project. It is very expensive and it's relative ability to penetrate good wood is questionable. After reading the following article, I would probably do it differently next time.

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/penetrating4u.html

Here is another interesting approach:

http://boatbuilding.com/article.php/ChemotherapyforRot

 

[WoodDragon]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Just today I finished tearing out the old transom
on my project. If I had went with CPES I would
have scooped it out until I hit firmer wood a little
more to make sure.

But I would have been mislead, there was a 6"or
so section across the middle that was in not
to bad a shape, but down under that was the
wrost of the rot where the transom had soaked
up from the bilge.

I'll post picks on my website tomoroww and
show what I'm talking about a little better.

http://tejascreations.com/Magnum/BoatRetoration.html

CPES would have been a bad patch that
would have had to be redone soon.

Wood Dragon

 

[tmh]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Bondo, what application did you use CPES on? How did you use it? DId the Rot Doctor guy walk you advise you on your application?

Interesting that you didn't originally say you had used it - that would certainly been nice to know. However, you still haven't given any type of details as to HOW it was unsuccessful for you. How long had you dried the wood in the treated area? What drying method?

Again, I recommend emailing the rot doctor dude and seeing what he says about the application.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Bondo, what application did you use CPES on? How did you use it? DId the Rot Doctor guy walk you advise you on your application?

Interesting that you didn't originally say you had used it - that would certainly been nice to know. However, you still haven't given any type of details as to HOW it was unsuccessful for you. How long had you dried the wood in the treated area? What drying method?

Again, I recommend emailing the rot doctor dude and seeing what he says about the application.

I guess you'd rather rag on bondo than to read the links I posted?

 

[strizzy]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

IMHO there is only one way to fix rotted wood... I like to over do things, so you dont have to worry about it later, I hate to do things twice... Peace of mind.

Interesting links boomyal.

 

[tmh]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

boomyal, I DID try and read those links - but when the author started talking about using anti-freeze to kill the nasties under his TOE NAILS I had to quit!!!!!!!!

Of course, any flowable poison will KILL rot/bugs/organisms. That isn't some new revalation. But will CPES harden the wood back to a strength that will serve the purpose - THAT is the question here.

As for "ragging on Bondo", I guess asking him what appliation the CPES failed him on is being too tough on him!?!?!? I don't get that.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

tmh, CPES will not restore rotted wood back to anywhere near its original strength. It's the continuous fibers that give wood it's strength and CPES cannot restore that.

If the whole timber has periferal rot and has not yet been compromised, then CPES would help to stablize those areas and in effect remove future food for the bacteria to nosh on.

And yes, toenails or not, antifreeze does work to kill and subsequently retard the progression of rot. It is especially effective if you can't get the wood dry enough to use an epoxy product.

 

[dhatcher]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

wow things you learn, I would have never guessed Antifreeze

 

[tmh]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Boomyal, OK, lets drop the toenails discussion! My bad for bringing THAT up.

Antifreeze, dry out, then epoxy fill. Sounds like a plan to me!

Remember guys, some of us here don't always want the perfect fix if it requires more work/money than our boats "deserve". Sometimes an "inferior" fix can be plenty good enough to last 5-8 years or more. For my 1985 boat, that's good enough for me - as long as it's not a major safety issue, of course.

 

[klos]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

My opinion is if its sounds too good to be true, it probably is. There is nothing easy about boat repair. You would'nt want a half a$$ repair done to the car that your family rides in so why would you do it to your boat.
At least if your car fails you can walk home.

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Some of us can walk home if our boats fail too... cause we boat where it's shallow

CPES isn't really that special. It's epoxy resin thinned down with solvents and sold for as much or more money than a comparable amount of epoxy. The solvents thin the epoxy so it flows and penetrates better and retard the cure process significantly giving the epoxy time to flow but also reduces final cure strength. One could buy a quality epoxy and follow the manufacturers directions for thinning it and make thier own CPES and save some bucks.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

Ok time for a reality check, wood rot is a bacterial infection, very much the same as cancer. If there was inded a fix or cure for this problem it would be advertised and universally acclaimed.............. but there is no such following.................. your gonna have to cut it all out .........the upside the boat will live if you let it.

 

[biggy boy]

Re: Rot Doctor Epoxy - Opinions?

I just finished replacing my transom on my 16' ski boat.
I noticed it was wet,, water came out of screw holes and the transom would move when I pulled on it.
I bought the CPES and was going to drill holes into the top of the transom wood and pure it in.
Once I got the top of the boat off and removed the inner transom glass I decided to do the job properly.
I was able to take the wood out in one piece, it had come delaminated from the out transom shell.
The wood weighed a ton and two weeks later it is still wet. I did however use the CPES to treat the new transom wood before installing it.
In all I think it was a waste of my money.

One thing else I did was over size drill the holes( used a hole saw), that would be going through the new wood for the transom.
I then filled these holes back up with cabosil thickened epoxy. Then when the holes are drilled to mount the motor and ..... there would be no exposed wood for water to get in.

Glen