Tag Archives: Epoxyworks #8

Sharp fiberglass corners

Sharp Fiberglass Corners

by Jim Derck—GBI Technical Advisor

It’s difficult to prevent cloth from lifting when fiberglassing around a sharp wooden corner. Even if you were able to lay glass tightly around a sharp corner, it could easily be dented. The slightest compression of the underlying wood could leave a void, and an invitation for moisture and the problems it creates. To avoid these problems, we always recommend rounding over the corner so the glass will lay flat against the surface. However, there may be times when you need a sharp corner. Here’s a method to make sharp fiberglass corners that are strong enough to prevent dents and protect the underlying wood. Continue reading

Other Uses

Other Uses Manual — Free Download

Are you a boat owner wondering what to do with some left over epoxy? Or are you a homeowner who has recently discovered the strength and versatility of epoxy? Have some projects around the yard that need a permanent fix? Other Uses is a free downloadable 16-page manual to some of the most common uses of WEST SYSTEM epoxy around the home and yard. It provides tips and techniques for using epoxy for home repairs, modifications and renovations.  Continue reading

Calculating Epoxy for Fiberglass Laminates

By Joe Parker

Customers frequently ask us how to calculate the amount of fiberglass fabric or epoxy necessary to build or repair a fiberglass laminate. My son Brad and I are about to build a fiberglass canoe, so I will use that as an example to describe how to determine material needs for a project. Continue reading

Olympic Kayak Repair Team

By Max Wellhouse

Our volunteer boat repair crew at the 1996 Olympic Whitewater Slalom event was well prepared with a generous supply of WEST SYSTEM® 105 Resin and 205 Hardener. Our job was to fix the damage that the rocks and hydraulics of the powerful Ocoee river inflicted on the 120 boats competing in the Games. One hundred and thirty five athletes from over 30 countries came to test their skill at the 25-gate Whitewater course. Located in southeast Tennessee, it was the only medal event outside of Georgia. In this 400 meter event, paddlers are timed from start to finish, with minor time penalties for touching the poles and major penalties for missing gates entirely. Continue reading

Effects of Cool Temperature on Adhesion

By Captain James R. Watson

Many shops are heated only while working on the project. Often a bonding application is allowed to cure after the furnace is turned down and the shop cools off overnight. The question arises, does this temporary suppression of the cure affect adhesion. Continue reading

Jean-Yves Poirer's Zinnia

Readers’ Projects, Issue 8

Jean-Yves Poirier’s Strip-Planked Boats

Jean-Yves Poirier of Atyre, France, built these strip planked boats with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. Above— ZINNA, a half replica of an English 19th-century racing dinghy, 18′ long, 177 sq. ft. sail area, 400 pounds. Below—NYMPHEA, an ultralight Thames rowing skiff, 23′ long, 145 pounds. Continue reading