Tried a gallon of Dion Iso resin the other day. Worked it just like silmar 249a. Really liked working with it. Did some test on it, and it seemed to be a bit more durable. Only a few bucks more per gallon. can someone tell me again why no one uses this stuff.
In Socal the styrene level is to high and MOST (not all) everybody is too cheap. Sluggo
Chris The board you glassed for me last week has no heel prints or dings of any kind after the first week of use. I am really happy with the board. most new boards I have gotten have at least heelprints on the first day. I think dion is well worth the extra couple of bucks. Michael
And if you think your board is strong, think of how tough it would have been with the Dion of old. After Doin sold out to Coppers Corp., the formula changed, it isn’t the bullet proof resin it was 35 years ago. Another good iso is McWhorters, it is very reminessent of the old Dion, only used a few drums of it, but the gel phase is very predictable, doesn’t accellerate to a set up condition until later in its cure, but then is sandible quicker than the Silmar.
how many diff types of surfboard resins are there? silmar, iso, ortho? this would make a great article for the resource section.
Thanks Micheal, It’s to bad I can’t get the old dion. I’ll probably start using this newer version. U.S. fiberglass has it. problem is I’m going through five gallon buckets so fast, I need a drum of it and that’s all they have. I’m really happy to hear how the board is holding up. Nice shape!
When the EPA forced the polyester industry to reduce styrene content from 45%+ to 35% or less, all the old poly formulas were dramatically changed. None are what they were. Today there is not a significant difference in the strength characteristic of an iso and a good ortho in surfboards. Don’t beleive me? Do this test. Take two scrap pieces of foam. Laminate a piece of scrap glass to each. After the samples kick and are hotcoated put each in turn on a bathroom scale and press a phillipshead (were these named after Jim?) screwdriver until the sample fails noting the failure weight. Since I’ve done this I’ll save you the hassle. Less than 5% difference. 5% is insignificant. The real advantage to dion is that it has better resistance to chemicals in tank linings. So unless your surfing in some seriously polluted waters (listen up Texans) I don’t think the extra money is worth it.
Greg, I would love to try your epoxy. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I wonder if that would eliminate having to build boards in a industrial area. What does your epoxy clean up with. I get tired of using acetone. This stuff can’t be good.
Greg, The product in question is a revamp of the clear surfboard Iso that was being made a few years ago, not one of their corrosion products. I know Iso’s are used in corrosion, but this isn’t the target for this product. Personally I think anything is better standard ortho.
T-1, We wear disposible gloves and brushes and clean up the rest with soap (GoJo type) and water. Cleaning sqeegees can be done with scrap fiberglass. We haven’t used clean up solvents in over 10 years. I think your always going to have to do board building, at least on a professional level, in an industrial park. There are zoning laws about that. Sluggo, I would tend to agree but when I did the test above I was shocked that the iso didn’t fair a bit better. I was not aware that this Dion was not used for tank linings. That was the main use for the old Dion. So I guess it’s not really the old Dion at all. Marketers are just slapping a name on hoping to draw some attention.
Got your number greg, You’ll be hearing from me soon. Can’t wait to try it.
Greg, The other Dion resins are available, its not Reichholds fault that surfboard makers want water clear laminates and quick gel times in ultra thin laminates. This is an Iso designed for surfboard making. Back in the day when everybody wasn’t as spoiled they used what was available. Personally I think your biggest barrier for growth with epoxies is the lack of willingness from the glass shops to change. Especially with the piece worker mentality. Sluggo
I totally agree, Sluggo. Looks like they’ll change soon or later whether they want to or not.
Know I’m going back to a real old thread but do you know where I could buy this McWhorters Resin in the states? Or Dion in the states?
Thanks!