Any West Epoxy experts?-gctid389990

[Guest]

I just finished Epoxying (West Systems) my 8' piece of laminated plywood into a boat transom when I've come to realize I mixed with too little slow hardener.

The mix ratio was supposed to be 3.5 parts to 1.

I mixed 12 ouches or resin to 1.5 ounces of hardener with adhesive filler added for thickener. (about 6 batches)

The bad part is I used the regular fast cure with metering pumps on the outside edges and it has already cured. (Been about 4 hours now)

Am I doomed or will it eventually cure?

[Guest]

I mixed up a batch with too little hardener once. I used a hair dryer to heat it up and it eventually did harden. You might try it, got nothing to lose and it might just work.

Good luck.

[Guest]

So it is mixed correctly near the edges, where it matters for strength? The improper mix you have is just for coating? It is my understanding it will eventually cure. You might try the hair dryer suggestion.

[Guest]

No, it's epoxy. It will only cure to strength if mixed correctly. All it will do is "dry out". That's the only drawback of Epoxy you have to live with. I never use polyester as it looks OK but has pretty poor characteristics. Unfortunately its cheap and can be sprayed with glass fibers which is the reasons they build boats with it.

You can try to wash it off with MEK (careful: nasty stuff, use a GOOD respirator or even better breathing apparatus with remote air supply) and then coat over it again with the right mixture after the MEK has evaporated. Not good but better than nothing. If Epoxy isn't cured with the right amount of hardener it is as bad as polyester in terms of vapor barrier.

[Guest]

The epoxy I am speaking of is the adhesive coat inbetween the hull fiberglass (transom) and the new piece of plywood. I used the "fast hardener" epoxy (mixed correctly) on the outside edges of the wood as gap filler.

I have not yet covered or skinned the "outside or bilge/engine side" of the plywood yet, with cloth or cloth to hull, just "glued" the wood to the hull.

The "wood" is made up of two pieces of 3/4" plywood, properly epoxied, cured, resanded, very solid.

[Guest]

I have used both resin and epoxy for sailboat repairs when I raced and my advice would be to tear it apart, clean it well and start again. Whenever I tried to "fix" this sort of problem (liking using old materials) it just got worst and I ended up with a bigger cleanup and redo project.

Sometimes you just have to bit the bullet and learn from the mistake.

[Guest]

lolar3288 wrote:
I have used both resin and epoxy for sailboat repairs when I raced and my advice would be to tear it apart, clean it well and start again. Whenever I tried to "fix" this sort of problem (liking using old materials) it just got worst and I ended up with a bigger cleanup and redo project.

Sometimes you just have to bit the bullet and learn from the mistake.

As you used it to glue the two layers of plywood together I fully agree with the above. This is structural and needs strength. If it's just a surface coating the washing and re-treating is an ugly fix but works (don't ask why I know).

You have to get all the wrongly mixed resin off the surface of your transom before you try again. Hopefully mixed right this time....... I always use Raka.com Epoxy as they are usually cheaper and have a wide variety of types. West Marine is always my way to find out what the absolute worst case price would be for something I want to buy.....