How thick can resin be poured?

[jimmywayne]

Hi everybody. im working with uscomposites epoxy resin with the 3:1 hardener. my question is how thick can this stuff be poured and not be brittle and break off. i would like to make a ramp out of resin. my goal is to make a surface flush to the bottom edge of the bilge drain hole so all the water can drain out at the back of the transom and not stay inside the boat. The "distance" from the bottom edge of the drain hole to the bottom of the bilge area inside the boat is about 3/4 of an inch. the boat is a V- hull design. What would be the best way to do this? any advice would be greatly appreciated. thank you.

 

[tommays]

Re: How thick can resin be poured?

I went really thick in these places as i wanted it to stay still

The only limit is the % of thickener the resin manufacture has as at some point it will not adhere any more

In this section i used milled glass as i wanted it to flow well to set the stern tube in place

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: How thick can resin be poured?

Welcome to the iBoats Dry Dock.

You can use Cabosil and milled fiberglass fibers to thicken the resin and it wil be fine. Mix the resin and hardener first. Then mix in the Cabosil and fibers. You need to be pretty quick... You'll have about 10 mins after you put the catayst so make sure you have everything ready for the pour. Wipe it all down with acetone first so it will adhere properly.

 

[BWT]

Re: How thick can resin be poured?

Regarding the thickness of the pour, working temperature is a big variable. The warmer it is the faster the chemical reaction will happen (creating a faster and more aggressive exo reaction). Cooler days (60 or so) can have a little thicker pours than 80 degree days. As a general rule for safety I typically limit my pours to 1/4" in thickness. As that pour starts to set (gels and gets tacky) I'll pour another layer (as long as you don't miss this window between gelling and curing you'll still get a chemical bond without having to sand).

I've had containers 1/2" thick with resin smoke and melt cups (hot day), and also had 2" thick containers kick off without any problems (cool day). My attitude is better safe than sorry; you'll never have an issue when laminating thinner pours. Hope this helps!

 

[jimmywayne]

Re: How thick can resin be poured?

Hey guys i appreciate the advice and it was quickly replied. i believe ill add the cabosil and the fibers like you said woodonglass. it makes sense. it give the resin a lil more strength. i will pour it in layers like you said BWT. Again. thank you all for the advice.