Author Archives: ewadmin

G/Flex Weds Wood and Glass Crystal Goblets

By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

David Black is a creative boat builder, woodworker and artisan living in San Diego California. He is very familiar with all the WEST SYSTEM Epoxy resin/hardener combinations but recently has become a huge fan of G/flex Epoxy.

I love it when David calls because his projects are always interesting. He pushes the envelope of how epoxy can be used. His clients appreciate him too for his creative abilities. Do you have an idea for a new table for your mega yacht? Call David. Need a unique teak deck for your yacht that no one else will even consider installing? Call David. Need someone to design and build a one-of-a-kind interior for your new motor coach? David is your guy. If it is out of the ordinary and it tests the realm of possibility and good reason, count him in. Continue reading →

Dirt Bike Loading Ramp

By Daryl Brunette

A dirt bike loading ramp is very bulky and heavy but important for loading everything you need in motocross. You can just use a wooden board thick enough to support the weight of your bike, or you can buy expensive aluminum ramps. But I (Daryl) wanted to build one and give it a personal touch, making it lighter and stronger. Continue reading →

Epoxy Fairing Basics

Creating a smooth surface with epoxy fairing compounds

By Jeff Wright — Vice President of Technical Services

An epoxy fairing compound should be of a consistency that can be troweled onto a surface without sagging. Add 407 Low Density or 410 Microlight filler to mixed epoxy, checking the consistency as you stir in the filler to determine if the mixture has the correct viscosity for your application.

Continue reading →

FIBERwave PAVILION

By Alphonso Peluso and his Spring 2014 IIT Architecture Students Joseph Bertucci, Cecilia Campos, Dijon Dunmore, Xinyun Huang, Jared James, Ryan Kim, Dakotah Lucas, Jeffrey McQuiston, Nick Rienstra, Teresita Pineda, John Seaman & Jeffrey Wigen

The FIBERwave PAVILION was designed and built as part of a student-based design research studio. Carbon fiber was used because when coated with epoxy it can become as hard as steel, and added layers enhance its strength. It offers designers great control over structural properties and is incredibly lightweight. Continue reading →

G/5 Five-Minute Adhesive

A Versatile Glue

By Tom Pawlak

G/5 Five-Minute Adhesive is a fast curing two-part epoxy that allows 3-5 minutes of working time. It has an ideal viscosity which allows it to penetrate porous surfaces yet is viscous enough to bridge gaps when gluing broken objects. It adheres to a number of surfaces including wood, ceramic, metal, leather, plaster, stone, fiberglass, glass, cork, some plastics, and paper. G/5 is an excellent choice for quick repairs around the house, high-end crafts, and much more. Continue reading →

Skiff Details

By Captain James R. Watson

A skiff is a shallow, open boat with a sharp bow and square stern. After building some skiffs of various designs and having the opportunity to observe them over time, I have found details that have worked nicely that might be of value to others. Continue reading →

Aluminum Adhesion

By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Because a newer epoxy formulation we offer is great for aluminum adhesion, we stopped offering the 860 Aluminum Etch Kit in the WEST SYSTEM product line in 2015. Before making that decision we ran a series of tests that compared bond strength of 105 Resin/206 Hardener and G/flex 650 Epoxy on aluminum surfaces prepared a variety of ways. As usual, we used the PATTI (Pneumatic Adhesion Tensile Test Instrument) to test aluminum adhesion. Continue reading →

creativity drum

Drumming In Circles

By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Epoxyworks 39

Cover Photo: A variety of drums made by Technical Advisor Tom Pawlak.

In 1991, during testimony before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart stated:

”Typically, people gather to drum in drum ‘circles’ with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together.” Continue reading →

Rough Rider

Smiles All Around

Repairing the ballast-hull crack

By Mike Barnard

For some sailors, there is a common maintenance ritual that occurs every spring—repairing the ballast-hull crack or cracks where the leading edge of the ballast keel meets the hull. This annually reoccurring crack is sometimes referred to as a “Catalina Smile” because it often occurs on Catalina sailboats. But we’re not here to pick on Catalinas because ballast-hull cracks are hardly exclusive to them.

The crack can form due to a number of causes but probably the most common reason is the hull isn’t as stiff as when it was new.  Continue reading →

The Flying Dutchman SURCEASE restored to its former glory.

Flying Dutchman Restoration

By Douglas Heckrotte

Surcease is a late ’50s International Flying Dutchman Class sailboat. The Mahogany hull was cold-molded in Holland and imported by Paul Rimoldi of Miami Florida. Mr Rimoldi made everything else, including many pieces of hardware. He raced the boat on Biscayne Bay into the ’60s and sailed it for many years. He rebuilt the boat in the late ’80s but died before he finished. We bought the boat in August 1992 from his widow and sailed it for almost a season before we discovered that the hull was in very poor condition; the Urea-resin glue between the veneers had begun to turn to dust. We stored the boat and bought another Flying Dutchman.  Continue reading →