Monthly Archives: April 2014

cold-temperature bonding

Cold-Temperature Bonding & Coating with Epoxy

Strategies for successful application and curing of epoxy at low temperatures

Epoxy behaves differently in cold temperatures. These handling tips can guide you in obtaining optimum performance from epoxy in this fall and winter.

Epoxies reach a higher percentage of their potential physical properties when mixed and applied at temperatures above 60°F. However, you can use epoxy at lower temperatures and still obtain a dependable bond. The key is adapting your handling and application techniques to cold temperatures. Whether you live in a Northern or Southern climate, it is helpful to know how temperature affects epoxy chemistry, how epoxy handles differently in cold conditions, and what steps you can take to assure dependable bonds in cold weather. Continue reading →

WEST SYSTEM Instructions

Instructional Materials Provide Epoxy Basics

By Grace Ombry

Epoxy users can find out almost anything they need to know about using WEST SYSTEM Epoxy through the instructional materials we produce. We frequently update these publications to give you easy access to the latest information on using epoxy for construction and repair. You’ll find these publications filled with explanations and illustrations covering virtually all aspects of marine repair with epoxy. Continue reading →

Rigid Wing Sails

by John Holtrop

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Cover Photo: John Holtrop sails in Kern County, California with a rigid wing sail he built.

Rigid wing sails offer high aerodynamic efficiency. They have been used in defending the America’s Cup, and are seen on some other high performance catamarans. Continue reading →

What All Those Tests & Numbers Mean

by Captain James R. Watson

If you were to inquire about the physical properties of WEST SYSTEM® epoxy, you’d receive a physical properties data sheet. To some, the information is very meaningful, but I was having a hard time figuring out what all those tests and numbers meant and how they applied to my projects. After I found out for myself, I decided to write an article explaining how the tests are performed and what the resulting numbers mean. Continue reading →

G-32

Gougeon 32 Update

Gougeon Manufacturing Corp. continued to fine tune the design and production of the Gougeon 32 sailboat in 1993, adding a sporty, wrap-around window look. Continue reading →

Epoxy Shelf Life

by Captain James R. Watson

If you’ve had quantities of left over WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy after completing a project, you may have wondered how long the material would remain usable. Epoxy users have asked us these kinds of question regarding older epoxy:

“I bought some of your epoxy at a rummage sale, it’s old, is it still okay to use?” Continue reading →

Build Your Own Billiard Table

by Brian Knight—GBI Technical Advisor

I thought a billiard table would be a nice addition to my basement rec room but began to rethink the possibility after talking price with the local pool table dealer. Since I had the necessary skills and tools, I decided to build my own. The result was a high-quality billiard table at a fraction of the price of a new one. Continue reading →

Air Quality

VOC Testing, epoxies, and your shop

By Tim Atkinson — Senior Chemist & Glenn House — Director of Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance

Many materials used in large manufacturing processes and even small do-it-yourself jobs, emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other air pollutants. Paints and other coatings, adhesives, resins and cleaning solvents are all sources of air pollution. Each product emits different types and varying amounts of air pollutants. Federal, state and local governments have passed legislation (e.g., the federal Clean Air Act) to reduce air pollution and prevent the depletion of the ozone layer by regulating the emission of air pollutants. Continue reading →

Liner Repair on SHARP CHEDDAR

by C. Joe Parker

SHARP CHEDDAR needed her liner repaired. This San Juan 24 was badly damaged in a storm  blew her out of the Saginaw River. The boat bounced on the bottom of her slip for about 18 hours. When SHARP CHEDDAR was removed from the water a couple of days later, the keel actually wiggled back and forth. The keel to keel boss joint looked fine, with absolutely no sign of cracking or damage. There was little indication of the severity of the damage, but when the keel wiggled, the bottom of the boat flexed in and out. My friend John, who has owned the boat for about 15 years, was pretty upset. He was afraid it could not be repaired. Continue reading →

The Whalebone Arch after restoration with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. The monument, built in 1933, stand outside the Christ Church Cathedral in Stanley, Falkland Islands.

Restoring the Whalebone Arch

Courtesy of John Smith

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Cover Photo: The Whalebone Arch is a historic monument in the Falkland Islands, restored with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

The problem of how to restore two tons of decaying whalebone daunted John Smith, curator of the Falkland Islands Museum in Stanley. The Falkland Islands Company had built an arch of four enormous blue whale jawbones to commemorate the Centenary Celebrations in 1933. Fifty-eight years later, the logistics of restoring the historic monument added up to a whale of a headache. Continue reading →