Monthly Archives: November 2014

Swift Solo

Building for Long-Term Competitive Performance

by Bram Dally

Above: The Swift Solo in action. The complicated rig is designed to be managed by one person while they hang from the side of the boat.

Swift Solo, a single-handed skiff built by Bram Dally.

When Meade Gougeon asked me if I’d write a piece about what I’m up to for Epoxyworks, I was honored. He had read the January 2002 article on my single-handed skiff in Sailing World and offered the assistance of GBI (Gougeon Brothers, Inc.) to do some extensive testing for us on several composite samples. Continue reading →

US Customs Fiberglass Boat Repair

by Rich Simms, NMSC

Above: The US Customs fiberglass boat that was damaged while interacting with suspect violators and repaired with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

Vessels used by the Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) can be subjected to severe conditions during law enforcement operations. Occasionally, the intense interaction between law enforcement vessel and suspect violators can result in unwanted vessel damage. The damage on this ICE interceptor was the result of an intentional impact by a suspect vessel (Photos 1 and 2). Continue reading →

Epoxy’s Adhesion to Wood

Woods of the World Epoxy Adhesion Testing

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Epoxy’s adhesion to wood is the focus of this study of dozens of wood varieties from Africa and the Philippines.

We recently purchased a 154-piece wood sampler from Eisenbrand Inc., Torrance, California. The 3″ × 6″ × ½” specimens originated from points all around the world. Each specimen was provided with its common name, scientific name, and country of origin. There were several specimens we’d never heard of in this study of epoxy’s adhesion to wood. Continue reading →

Chopped Strand Mat and Epoxy

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Wet-out chopped strand mat and woven fabric test samples are prepared for moisture uptake testing.

Chopped strand mat, in fabric form, is sold on the roll and in small folded packages. It is made up of 1″-2″ long fiberglass strands that are randomly oriented and typically held together with a styrene-soluble binder that acts like glue connecting the fibers. The binder is designed to dissolve upon contact with styrene in polyester resin or vinylester resin. Once dissolved, the fabric softens, allowing it to drape around curved shapes. It comes in a variety of weights between .75 oz to 3 oz per square foot. The most popular weights are .75 oz and 1.5 oz. Continue reading →

Epoxy Adhesion Over Stains

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Testing of epoxy adhesion over stains was done with a number of different stains.

We have occasionally reported results of adhesion testing of WEST SYSTEM® epoxy to wood coated with various stains. In “Varnish Over Epoxy,” we touched on the topic of wood stains under epoxy and warned that some oil-based stains would cause an adhesion problem for WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. Since then, we have done some additional adhesion testing of epoxy over a number of stains. Continue reading →

Adding Pigments to Epoxy

by Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Our study of adding pigments to epoxy.

We often get asked ‘What can I use to color my epoxy?’ The intended application is as varied as our customers. Often it’s simply to make it easier to paint over or to provide a color indicator between layers. Sometimes it’s to match a particular colored material in a repair. Maybe it’s for an art or craft project. The point is, people are often looking for a color other than the black 423 Graphite, 501 White or 503 Gray Pigments offered in the WEST SYSTEM® product line. What are some options for adding pigments to epoxy? And what are the pigment’s effects on the performance of the epoxy? Continue reading →

A Better Way to Prepare Fiberglass Laminates

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: The Rapid Strip Brush™ is a great tool when you want to prepare fiberglass laminates for epoxy adhesion.

During a recent inspirational hardware store visit, I discovered a rotary wire brush made by Norton™ called the Rapid Strip Brush™. It is used with an electric drill and produces results comparable to bead blasting or a needle scaler. The package says it can be used to abrade metal, masonry, and fiberglass. I immediately thought of a fiberglass application that I wanted to try it on. Continue reading →

Furniture Repair with G/5

A good method for particleboard furniture repair

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Particleboard furniture repair can be tricky when screws strip out. G/5 Five Minute Epoxy Adhesive offers an easy solution to fixing inexpensive furniture when this happens.

I recently broke the leg off an old workshop table. The tabletop was made of particleboard covered with Formica®. The screws holding the leg in place had pulled out and taken chunks of particleboard with them. Continue reading →

Repairing Machined Holes in Fiberglass

Technical Staff Report

Above: When repairing machined holes in fiberglass, whether screw or a through-hull fitting like the one for the pictured seacock, your strategy will depend on the size, purpose, and location of the hole.

First, we will classify the types of holes we are discussing as ones that are round and have been machined, probably with a drill, as opposed to punctures and cracks incurred from damage. The reasons they may need to be repaired are numerous: refitting, resizing, removing obsolete equipment, or mistakes. When repairing machined holes in fiberglass boats, the challenge is to determine an appropriate repair strategy. You want a repair that is safe and adequate, but also realistic. You want to ensure that the repair is strong enough for the anticipated worst-case load and err on the side of being conservative. Other things to consider include the costs in time and money and the skill required to perform the repair. Continue reading →

Repairing a Cracked Plaster Ceiling

by Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Tom’s approach to repairing cracked plaster involves Drilling into the lath and injecting thickened WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.

A 100-year-old friend called in tears because her living room ceiling had cracked and she was afraid that the plaster was going to fall. I did my best to calm her and offered to come over and take a quick look. Continue reading →