Author Archives: ewadmin

Gluing Plastic Dimensional Lumber

by Patrick Ropp—GBI Technical Advisor

More people are using recycled plastic/wood composite lumber for decks and other various projects. Although each manufacturer of recycled plastic lumber has his own blend, we found that most are using very similar ingredients: an equal amount of melted recycled plastic mixed with recycled wood chips or sawdust and then extruded in the form of dimensional lumber. Since the wood is encased in plastic, the plastic/wood composite boards are supposed to last longer than traditional decking materials and carry a good warranty. Many of these boards are not intended for use as structural members, but they Continue reading →

Garbage Disposal Repair with Epoxy

By Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor

If your kids are like mine, they manage to break stuff you didn’t even think could be broken—constantly. As parents, we can either get inventive at repairing things we know little or nothing about, or we can get second jobs and pay someone else to fix everything. I like the first option better. Continue reading →

Fiberglassing a Woodstrip Hull

By Ted Moores

The WEST SYSTEM User Manual describes the basics of fiberglass cloth application and coating for clear finishing over wood. This article is the ultimate guide to applying fiberglass over a woodstrip hull to achieve a perfect finish. Ted Moores is a master of the perfect finish, author of CanoeCraft and KayakCraft and co-owner of Bear Mountain Boats. Continue reading →

Bear Mountain Boats

Bear Mountain Boat Shop, owned by partners Ted Moores and Joan Barrett, is well known for pioneering effective methods of woodstrip epoxy small boat construction and for sharing that expertise with amateur builders around the world. CanoeCraft and KayakCraft, written by Ted Moores, have encouraged thousands to build light weight wooden craft with professional results while using the most advanced materials available. Ted’s fascination with canoes and heritage craft began in 1972. Since that time, the company has built and restored numerous boats from mahogany runabouts to the fastest sprint racing canoes on the market. Continue reading →

Cruiser

Readers’ Projects, Issue 16

Eric Molsted’s 26′ cruiser

Eric Molsted of Sisters, Oregon recently completed and launched this 26′ cruiser. The hull is strip-planked 1″ x 7/16″ hemlock, fiberglass inside and out. Eric used WEST SYSTEM Epoxy throughout. With a 25 HP outboard, this cruiser will do 14 knots. He hopes to scale the boat to 31′ or 36 ‘ with an inboard engine someday. Continue reading →

Oak and Walnut Staircase

EW-15 cover

Dean Wolfe of Manchester, California constructed this spiral staircase of red oak and black walnut.

This unique spiral staircase was designed and built by Dean Wolfe of Manchester, California. Dean used WEST SYSTEM® 105 Resin with either 205 Fast or 206 Slow Hardener, depending on the time need to assemble a part. 403 Microfibers was the adhesive filler for all bonding operations. Continue reading →

Mahogany Masters II – Morin Boat Works

By Bruce Niederer — GBI Technical Advisor

The beauty of a wooden boat is undeniable. It doesn’t matter whether it’s sail or power. When I see one, my response is both cerebral and primal, and I know I’m not alone. I began racing sailboats in the late 1970’s and, without exception, it has always been aboard FRP production boats. In 1980, I was invited to crew on my first long distance race, hosted by the Buffalo Yacht Club near the northern end of Lake Erie. Continue reading →

Restoring the Gaff Rigged Sloop REEB

By Chris Maples

The gaff-rigged sloop REEB (Beer spelled backwards) was one of three wooden day sailers built in 1922 for a resort in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. My father purchased it in 1953 and raced and day sailed it for several years along the Door Peninsula. In 1958, he obtained a job at the Defoe Shipyard in Bay City, Michigan; with no means of trailering the REEB, he decided to sail it to Bay City. Continue reading →

Varnish over epoxy

Testing House Paint Primers

By Tom Pawlak — GBI Technical Advisor

Gougeon Brothers, Inc. regularly engages in testing to support those who use our epoxy in architectural applications, both in new construction and repairs. In the past, we have tested the compatibility of house paint primers over WEST SYSTEM® epoxy and found that a variety of primers worked well. Latex primers especially performed well when applied over cured epoxy, even when the epoxy was marginally prepared prior to painting (Epoxyworks 7, Spring 1996). Continue reading →