Ok guys …here’s an uninformed question. How is the styrene used in the gloss coat different than the styrene sanding agent with wax. Can it be used to thin lam coats also? Never used it…just curios from reading some of the gloss coat archives. How does it affect catalyst ratio and kick times.MLC
good question… wish i could help.
Krokus: Styrene monomer is a major component in surfboard resin. It is also used to suspend the parafin/wax in that you buy as “wax solution” or sanding agent. Used alone Styrene can help revive some old resin that has had some of the styrene evaporated out. It can also be added to sanding resin to “thin” the resin for glossing. (the archives have lots of mix guides for making lam resin>>>hotcoat resin>>>>gloss resin). So, styrene is in all types of surfboard resin from lam resin, sanding resin to gloss resin. It is highly volatile(most of the fumes in your glassing bay are from Styrene) and most likely to be carcinogenic along with MEK catalysts. I think there is a thread down below mentioning a new Silmar 249A formula that has a modified Styrene formula to comply with EPA regs. Tom S.