Re: Calling Swimmin For Shore
Hi Phyllis. I'm confused as to why you called on me, specifically, but I'll try to answer this. However, you've asked a question that has an answer that would be no less than an hour of writing, so you may want to be more specific. Also, there's a red search button on top of the page, and if you do a search for polyester vs. epoxy, you'll find no end to the information. <br />There are 2 resins that you should learn. Epoxy is the first. Polyester is the second. <br />Both resins are 2-part resins. That means that there's an accelerator. When you mix part A and part B together, it begins a chemical reaction. The resin heats up, and then hardens. If you add too much accelerator or move too slowly, it will heat up in the mixing container very quickly, and has even been known to catch on fire. It's very important that you follow mixing instructions and times. <br /><br />A very short answer on the difference vs. epoxy and polyester resin:<br />Epoxy: Like glue, this is considered to be the highest standard for resins. Epoxy sticks to everything, including old epoxy or polyester resin. It has very high tensile strength. Epoxy will last for a very long time in any environment. It is a better product, but it is much more expensive than polyester. For the average boat builder, epoxy is a great product that is unnecessary. <br />Polyester is the product of choice for every boat builder that I'm familiar with. It may be inferior to epoxy, but it is much less expensive. Inferior or not, polyester has been used to build boats since fiberglass was invented. You're aware, by now, that many of those boats are still in the water, look wonderful, and operate as well as the day they were first launched. There is no reason for you to assume that you could not get many years of use out of anything built with polyester resin.<br /><br />Personal opinion: If I can afford it, I love epoxy. Thus far, I've always been able to afford it. That's me, though. Still, for repairs, gluing applications, and applications that are most likely to be abused, I'd use epoxy. For replacing a floor, fixing a large hole, building a boat cabin, etc...I'd be happy to go with polyester. <br /><br />Either epoxy or polyester resin, applied to fiberglass cloth or woven roving, gives you a strong, flexible piece that we call "fiberglass". The resin hits the cloth, and when it hardens, the cloth has given strength and structure to it. You know what the outside of your hull looks like, and I don't know of a better way to explain it. It's going to give you a fairly smooth, water resistant finish. With the application of paint, or gelcoat, over polyester resin, it's considered to be waterproof. <br />This description is so far from adequate, but it's a basic. <br />You can buy either product from a thousand different sources. Here are a few: Fiberlay and westsystem have excellent product descriptions, uses, application, mixing, strengths, weaknesses, etc...I started there. Between those manuals and this forum, I'd imagine that you could get every answer you will ever need, and then some. From this forum, I would say that the resident expert here is ondarvr, but there are a dozen others who know quite a lot. Anything else I, or we, can help with-please ask. <br />West system-
www.westsystem.com<br />uscomposites-
www.uscomposites.com<br />fiberlay-
www.fiberlay.com<br /> <br />Useful threads from this forum:<br />
Link 1 link 2 <br /><br />You could certainly add to this search. The same search option will allow you to search for a user profile. This will give you any thread the user has been in. I'd positively suggest that you search threads for "ondarvr". This is his subject of choice, and you'll find him in many of the epoxy vs. poly threads. Good luck
Thanks for the vote of confidence.