I like RR epoxy, but I may drop by FG Hawaii in Vta. tomorrow and if I do I'd like to get some epoxy resin, but they don't sell RR they have their own brand. Anyone try it?
It’s great. been using it for 15 plus years. I go 2:1 volume ratio. only use short pot life hardener 99% of the time. Use additive F(generic/home made) for initial filler coat and final coat. In Hawaii it is the least expensive of all epoxies available here and one of the best backed by service, and convienent store hours
I was waiting for this response.
Years ago when the RR stuff started showing up here in Hawaii we went to see Jeff Johnston who was working with Eric Arakawa and Jim Richardson. He was comparing Epoxies by whiteness, clarity, and thermal issues. I think he had the FH a little bit ahead of the RR, based on thermal issues, but maybe the RR was clearer or whiter. That was about 2005.
I use both the FH surfboard epoxy (2:1 mix) with fast and slow hardener and the marine epoxy (4:1 mix). The 4:1 will turn yellow brown from the sun, but a lot of hardware stores here sell it. It’s a great way to make a new old board. Just glass with FH 4:1 and let the sun turn it brown. I actually had guys ask me if a old style gunny board I made was an old brewer gun.
FYI… bb30 taught me how to use epoxy resin, and back then it was all FH 2:1 surfboard resin.
Funny you should ask this Huck, I was just about to ask the same question. Did you pick some up? Looks like RR is a fair bit cheaper from what I can tell ($178 for 3 gal from Fiberglass supply, not sure how much shipping adds though), but the convenience of being able to drive down and pick some up in ten minutes is pretty tempting. I’ve only used RR and I’ve gotten the hang of it finally. So I’ll be curious to hear if you think they act much different.
I thought it was a bit spendy myself, but don't remember exactly what I paid for RR. It cost me a bit over $50 for a quart of resin with hardener and sanding additive, but I had cash and was right there. You have to buy way more additive than you'll use with the quart of resin, but "that's the only size we sell it in", and RR's additive F is not compatible.
As the posts here, and a phone message from McDing confirm, the stuff is apparently a good quality product. I mixed up a little last night, I wanted to glass the tail on a board with 2 oz. before I installed the fin plugs. My initial thoughts were that it was more thick and gooey than RR, and the hardener is more runny. So mixing is a bit more work. Also, as everysurfer pointed out in his thread, the mixing ratios are goofy. The containers says 2:1, but they tell you its not, and they give you a printout on mixing ratios, and I think is something like 2.5:1.
I like RR Quick Kick, and I bought the fast hardener with the FH epoxy, but its still much slower than the Quick Kick. The resin set-up fine, 'tho, and so far so good, like I said, it seems like a good quality product. They told me it has uv blockers, and dries clearer than RR.
Huck I always use 2:1 volume. If you go by weight it will be different. Most of the “pro” glassers I know say to use weight, but I don’t have a scale. I have a 7 gallon+ kit from the local XTR guy here who said his resin is superior, but I don’t have a scale and I haven’t tried it yet.
The resin is thick and the hardener is like water. Mix for 2 minutes and try not to get it all full of bubbles. I like to use a stick with a flat bottom and sides to get it all mixed well.
I’ve never used a sanding additive for that resin. Usually do a thick filler then sand it down, and pau. I’ll use a spray if I want to add a finish coat. Or I get this epoxy gloss that they sell at the hardware store and it’s super glossy. But that takes all night to dry, so you better have a good place to glass, and prepare it right.
I just used FH epoxy for the first time last weekend and usually use RR. RR additive F seems to work fine with FH resin, I used it with and without for comparison. FH fast is slower than Quick Kick but a bit faster than RR fast. When I was in there last week they told me the same that FH is clearer/brighter than RR. After using both RR was definitely clearer/brighter - maybe not in compariosn to older RR epoxy.
man huck you spent 50 bucks on just a court
i just got some more epoxy resin from surf supply (they make there own resin and its decent stuff )
for 60 bucks for a gallon kit and 16 bucks for a court of additive F
i wouldnt claim its the best stuff but it does come out nice and clear
In hawaii FH resin is less expensive than RR. I get wholesale pricing so maybe retail is different. Additive F brand works perfectly fine with FH. To make your own additive F, xylene cost under 20 dollars per gallon in paint stores( sherwin and williams) and parafin is dirt cheap.
When you buy small volumes of resin you are paying double price or more.
The newer Green epoxy resin is 10 dollars per gallon more than FH in Hawaii
Pitch in with your friends and by a drum and get the price to $30-40 per gallon.
yeah, I know all that. I was in a situation where I had a board ready to glass for several weeks now, no resin, no money on the card right now (hence, no ordering over internet like normal when I buy RR by the gallon) a bit of cash, and was gonna be going through Vta.
kinda like buying milk at 7-11, you know you're not gonna pay grocery store prices. I don't like it, but at that point it was a trade-off in convenience. yeah, they jack the price, but its expensive to do business in Ventura, I know, that's why I don't live there anymore.
anyway, seems like a good product, I'm pretty sure I'll go back to RR after this.
cool, thanks Huck! If you ever want to split a big batch of RR, let me know. Looks like a 7.5 gal kit of RR would run about $51/gal pre shipping.
Hello Huck, I'm going to stray off topic here....
I have a good supplier for fiberglass cloth and Resin Research resin. I don't pay shipping. I go out of my way to buy in bulk and network with other Swaylock people to split the cost......There's a small core of people in the San Diego area that I work with...I met every single one of them through this website....
There's a core of people in North LA / Ventura that post on Swaylocks......
You guys just need to post up a few Bar-B-Ques...meet up and work it from there...If I buy fiberglass cloth by the roll it is 1/2 the cost of buying it by the yard.....and anytime I buy RR it is a 3 gallon kit with hopes that someone will split it with me........Funny you started this thread because I just bought resin....but it's already split up....
and Mr Huck....I have a friend in Oxnard....so I will be up that way from time to time if you want to make a deal.....
Stingray
Thanks Ray, I would love that. Back to broke for now, but things do get better sometimes. Cycloxslug sounds like he could use some RR too, so hopefully we can work something out later. I've been meaning to catch up to him soon anyway. And, I hope to make a trip down to S.D. soon to meet up with a friend and get some info on a board that interests me. It all hinges on $ right now for me - had a housepaint job lined up, then I realized I have to get lead paint certified with the EPA to do the work, so once again, income is on hold. Class starts Wed. Gotta love that gov't regulation, making Calif. safer for you and me!