Monthly Archives: February 2015

Accelerated Testing: Hot Soak Moisture Uptake

by Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor

Above: Batches of epoxy samples awaiting accelerated testing in the hot water bath.

We are constantly testing our products to fully understand and characterize them, and this is important both for ourselves and for our customers. A test method will usually produce results in a timely fashion, but there are times we must use an accelerated testing method so we can get the results before we take that last lonely boat ride across the river Styx. This article describes some of the accelerated testing we do here. Continue reading

Appledore IV makes her way upriver after a cruise on the Saginaw Bay with her restored topmasts in place.

Repairing Rotted Topmasts on Appledore IV

by Randy Zajac

Above: Appledore IV makes her way upriver after a cruise on the Saginaw Bay with her repaired topmasts in place.

The Appledore IV is an 85′ LOA topsail schooner owned by the non-profit organization BaySail, based here in Bay City, Michigan. She is licensed to carry 52, including a captain and crew of three, on educational tours of the Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron. The main topmast and the fore topmast on Appledore IV were found to have rotted wood when they were inspected in the spring of 2006. Once the topmasts were taken down from the boat, they were brought into the Gougeon boat shop for paint removal and further inspection. Continue reading

Methodist Church window repair

Revisiting a Church Window Restoration

by Captain James R. Watson

Above: The United Methodist Church in Ludington, Michigan where window restoration was completed with WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy.

Those working on projects that use epoxy for restoration and rot repair often ask, “How long will this last? Will the rot return?” At Gougeon Brothers, Inc., we have lots of in-house test approaches that can analyze tension, compression, shear, and fatigue. We can also predict the consequences of ultraviolet, arid, tropical, and cold conditions. Still, there’s nothing like real-world performance over time to tell us how long a repair will last. Continue reading

Citrus-based hand cleaner is great for removing uncured epoxy from your tools.

Removing Uncured Epoxy from Tools

by Glenn House — Director of Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance

Above: Safely removing uncured epoxy from your tools starts with a citrus-based hand cleaner. Photo by Mariya on Unsplash 

Removing uncured epoxy from tools used for applying epoxy often involves solvents that have strong odors and are flammable. A WEST SYSTEM® user suggested an alternative that does not have these problems: a solution of citrus-based hand cleaner and water. This solution will remove uncured epoxy from tools and can remove epoxy that has started to gel if the tools are allowed to soak for a few hours.
Continue reading