sealing a new sgx

[mark james]

Hello all,I am in the prosess of sealing my boat and useing west system 105/206.

Its a lot of sanding even after useing a razor blade to take off before sanding it...just wondering if there a better system so I have less sanding to do after....

Q. do you use west system and thim it down???

tell me what you would use,,,thanks for any help.

mark

 

[John Palica]

Hello all,I am in the prosess of sealing my boat and useing west system 105/206.

Its a lot of sanding even after useing a razor blade to take off before sanding it...just wondering if there a better system so I have less sanding to do after....

Q. do you use west system and thim it down???

tell me what you would use,,,thanks for any help.

mark

Mark, I also use West Systems epoxy for sealing. I've not found better but as you indicated, the sanding between coats is a task. I've resorted to using a good grade of aluminum oxide paper in 60 to 80 grit just to knock off the real rough areas and then go back with a finer grade to finish. I have used both full strength and reduced with MEK. I prefer the reduced method. Some people like to heat the mixture to thin it. That also works.

 

[Dr Hydro]

Hey Mark....I would definitely thin it and afterwards get a rag and try to wipe off the excess epoxy. Let it soak in for about 15 min and then wipe it down. The finish will look like h__l but it will sand easily and you will not have to knock down the high spots. There are none. If you could spray it on that would be even better. For a poor mans spray gun, go to your local building supply house and see if you can find a setup that consists of a spray can that screws onto a glass jar. They spray fairly well. Need to thin it a bunch. I just bought some Klass Kote epoxy paint and they reccomend equal parts paint and thinner. The thinner is laquer thinner I believe. God bless and good luck!!!

 

[Brian Blazer]

Here is my method:

Put the epoxy (I use MAS) on, wait 15 minutes, then scrape it off with a playing card or old credit card. Once dry, I use a razor knife and use it like a sander. I use a back and forth motion, always pulling the blade. You will see white shavings of epoxy come off the boat..this is good. When you don't see any shine, you are done. This method creates a very smooth surface, ready for clearcoat. The problem with sanding is you can take too much off too fast and sand thru the first layer of plywood until you see the nasty next layer.

West System is great epoxy, but it is somewhat thick. MAS epoxy is thinner than West, which means it flows better. A nice part about MAS is you don't have to sand between coats. Simply wipe the first coat with water after it dries, then apply a second coat if necessary. If it is good enough for Larry Lauterbach, it is good enough for me. You can read more about MAS on my website, or go to www.masepoxies.com

Brian

 

[Don Templeton]

I use the 105/209 West Systems, put it on with a foam brush, wait a few minutes and wipe with a sheet type wrag. Very little, very fine wet sanding between coats.

 

[mark james]

Well thanks guy for your input!

I did thim the west down and it seems that theres not so much laying on the surface so it should sand nicer. I will see shortly!.

Its the part I love the most about the hobbie...sand and sand some more!!!lol

 

[SteveSpear]

Well thanks guy for your input!

I did thim the west down and it seems that theres not so much laying on the surface so it should sand nicer. I will see shortly!.

Its the part I love the most about the hobbie...sand and sand some more!!!lol

how much did you thin and with what?

 

[mark james]

Well thanks guy for your input!

I did thim the west down and it seems that theres not so much laying on the surface so it should sand nicer. I will see shortly!.

Its the part I love the most about the hobbie...sand and sand some more!!!lol

how much did you thin and with what?

I used a small bit of acetone to slightly thin the west system but went to my old way on the other sponson..

I mixed it without any thinner and just used a hair dryer to warm up the wood and also to slightly warm up the epoxy...It flows on real nice and soaks in without leaveing a build up...I goes on thin as to keep the weight off..

I plan to do this the rest of the hull,finish sanding and just GET HER DONE!!!....NOW,IF I CAN ONLY FIND SOMEONE THAT WILL PAINT IT FOR ME!!!! HINT,HINT!!!!

 

[Mark Bullard]

You guys are working to much on this.

I use West System the same as you all are using. I brush it on with a acid type brush and then turn around and wipe it all off using these blue shop towels that you can buy a Walmart. Why I use the blue towels is because this is what I have in the shop that we use all of the time. After the West system dries I lightly sand the parts with about 180 paper to knock off the fuzz of wood that the epoxy lifts up. Then I do it again. The parts are ready to paint from there. A nice coat of automotive epoxy primer. Wet sand with 220 paper and then let the boat parts dry for a couple of day. Now for the paint. I recoat the parts with a very thin coat of epoxy primer, then I clean my gun and mix the next color and then paint it. If I am going to use two colors, I put on the next color the next day and after that I mix my clear coat and apply it.

The trick is to apply the layers in the shortest time as you can to make the layers lock together. The paints that I use are PPG automotive Concept DCC Acrylic Urethanes with DDH525 Hardener. The clear coat is PPG's DU1000 with the same hardener. This clear coat is so hard that when is is cured pure nitro will not touch it. The biggest problem that I have is that there is so much things flying around in the air in my shop and I do not a have a paint booth that it finds its way into my paint job. I used to hate to paint because of the sanding now I hardly sand at all.

Mark

 

[330T]

my boat is so fast it leaves the paint behind, so i just finish with epox and clear

 

[DON MAHER]

" My boat is so fast I can be in the next heat and still beat you!!"

( quote from Richard Fish - 1978 )

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[mark james]

LOL You guys are to funny! So fast I blow the paint off!!!lmao....Well I hope my boat it as fast as that when it hits the water...I am sure it will be!....

As I always say,,,my quote......IT NOT HOW FAST YOU GO BUT,HOW WELL YOU GO FAST!!!!

i DO THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR INPUT AND HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT SEASON!!!!!

MARK....AKA..HAWKEYE