Another sticky subject....

[swimmin' for shore]

I don't pretend to know....well, anything. With that in mind, I'm just wondering what makes west system, us composites, etc...so much better than other epoxies. General consensus seems to be that all epoxies consist of the same basic ingredients, and that all "marine" epoxies find their roots in industrial epoxies. There are a lot of other products online, mostly for industrial epoxies, and many of them are somewhat less expensive. If an industrial epoxy contains the same ingredients and solvent amounts as other epoxies, why are we paying so much more money for something that says "marine" on the label? If you have an idea, I'd love to hear it.

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Another sticky subject....

I think there are small differences between different epoxies. Some blush more than others, some have lower viscosity and are better for laminating, some have greater flexibility, some industrial epoxies require heat to cure and probably a couple dozen other characteristic differences. <br /><br />Because there are a lot of variables, I believe the boat building/boat repair lines of epoxy are designed to be effective for these uses and application techniques. I am sure you can use some industrial epoxies, but you should really look into the designed purpose of that epoxy before you decide. <br /><br />That said, there are some excellent second tier "house" brands that are very nice to work with. For example, Marinepoxy from www.boatbuildercentral.com is very good and comparable to System Three in many ways. <br /><br />West System epoxy is good, but about the most expensive of the group. It also tends to blush the most.

 

[BillP]

Re: Another sticky subject....

Look at it this way. The cheapest, most inferior epoxy is probably superior in glassing, gluing and tenacity to the polyester your boat is made from. Will the extra "whatever" of WEST give you any practical benefit? I don't think so.<br /><br />The only way I've been able to tell differences in epoxy is to make solid epoxy cubes and smash them with a hammer. Some are harder than others...and there IS a big difference.