Re: Plywood for Floor - Resin Coating
I did change it, it didn?t seem worth arguing about, but if you would like to discuss it, we can.
All research done on the subject of thinning resins (either type) shows the physical properties drop rapidly, even the sticky at the top of the page done by West Systems shows the dramatic drop in water resistance and strength of epoxy when just 5% of a thinner is added, yet you suggest 25% thinner.
It seems that the chemists and technicians that formulate and test these products recommend against thinning them, yet you appear to know better and recommend thinning them to a very high %. Thinning for penetration and rot prevention is worthless, rot prevention has nothing to do with penetration, it?s all about encapsulation with a waterproof barrier, plus the amount of increase in penetration minimal.
Because you have done it this way for years doesn?t mean it?s the correct way to do it, it only means redoing the poor workmanship of the original build (which may have lasted 20 or 30 years) with much better workmanship and attention to detail will allow it to last at least the same amount of time, even though the resin has been thinned.
Thinning resins was a fad a couple decades ago, but the results were poor and although there are still some that sell thinned epoxies, they are about the only people that promote this method. Builders of large custom epoxy over wood boats/yachts abandoned thinned epoxies long ago.
I don?t doubt you try to supply the best information and methods you are aware of, and much of it is very helpful, but there are areas where the suggestions aren?t correct or accurate.
I had 30+ years of hands on fabrication before going to work for companies that actually formulate, test and produce these products, I thought I had most of it figured out until I was shown how the products were designed to actually be used and compared it to what I had learned coming up through the industry. What I found was that much of what?s considered "common practice" in the fiberglass industry is not how the products should be used, and that these practices lead to many of the common failures seen in boats built during that time period. It wasn?t until composite engineers were hired into the industry that things started to improve, but breaking those old habits and beliefs has been slow and difficult.
I will say that for many years (decades) the suppliers of these products did a poor job of passing on how the products should be used.
