I’ve used RR, Composite, and Fiberglass Hawaii a few years ago. I liked the composite the best but haven’t used it in a few years either because I get a better price on RR and I’m a garage guy goofing off and having fun, not a pro. Vacuuming is a good idea. Flat spot in my forehead where my palm hit it saying, no shit! I also use polyester. In the winter. I like it just fine. Better color work with polyE. Poly E on styrofoam is a big no. Have fun. Oh, a good idea is a good idea whether you’ve seen a fucking board or not. Just saying. Mike
Maybe with a clean brush attachment?
A new attachment is even better.
Clean before and after every use.
surprised no one mentioned ResinX
If I didn’t get sensitived I really liked using that one especially after BammBamm showed me how.
System3 slow smelled awful but for bagging it gave you allot of time
Resin Research seems to be the defacto although the NC one has allot of followers here
Haven’t tried the new entropy clear sap but that seems to be something of interest
I think Stretch and Fletcher use resin research and they have been doing epoxies for a long time.
I have used Entropy Supersap ONE on my last two boards, i like working with it, plenty of open time to glass around rails and swallow tails sands really good too no clogging paper
Does anyone have experience with Prolink Epoxy? I saw it on the Fiberglass source/surf supply website. It is a little cheaper than RR but I was able to find much about how it works.
J3, I use ProLink pre pigmented on my carbon boards to hide the black. The guy that runs it is super nice and happy to mix customs for you. They made a mistake on the color on my order and cheerfully took care of it. Per their website, their mechanical properties are not as good as RR, but they are close.
Personally, it would be hard to get me to give up RR Kwik Kik for my regular use. It’s mechanicals are great, it’s fast and I love how it handles in B stage. I can tape my wet corners and reduce sanding and make a much better lam there.
used a shop vac on EPS blanks since Blake Case taught me in like 92. Gets the stringer dust out of the voids, especially now with the colored appelcores. Compressor blows the dust , especially the colored dust, in. I want the dust out.
Never gouged a blank.
Using system 3 general purpose and SB112. I find it’s highly resisitant to fish eyes. Also has high elongation I use addititve F with it as well. seems to be working well.
mask and ventillation is important.
Resin research no matter how OCD I am will suddenly and catastrophically fish eye on me.
tried two batches, same result. probably something in the air in my garage but I’m done with that stuff.
I’ve not heard of 112B. How do you use it?
All the best
System3 SB112 is their Surfboard resin designed with some UV stability and used to, in its product description, say that it was designed to allow proper bonding of polyester resins atop it, although I do not see them making this claim anymore.
https://www.systemthree.com/products/sb-112-surfboard-epoxy
Pretty easy to work with and never saw a fish eye, but like all system 3 resins is not cheap. I’ve used it to glass most of my hollow cedar boards and the oldest and most used is still holding up pretty well. I do prefer their clear coat resin for initial wood saturation and lamination and using the SB112 as the fill coat, then after sanding, the gloss coat. just do not try and polish it too soon after laying down the gloss coat. I had it turn cloudy after applying some meguires car wax a bit too soon and had to redo the gloss coat
It seems System3 is pretty much just pushing their newest Silvertip Epoxy lineup over their other epoxies. I’ve not used it.
Hi Harry-
I have a gallon of the CPD epoxy here that I need to try on something. The factory is 40 miles from me in Minnesota so I get a kick out of hearing that their stuff is out in Hawaii making surfboard. I want to say it’s an infusion formula so longer working and set times. For my situation that would not be such a bad thing and buying a minimum order would make it very affordable per gallon.
I though about doing a test of all three (RR KK, GR Old#7, and CPD), some sort of basic strength and UV resistance, both as laminated, but it has not rose to the top of the list. If anyone wanted to contribute some PU rail bones to the test, I’d stage them next to wood and EPS, laminate them with cloth and color-printed logos, and stick them outside facing south for a couple months (for UV). For strength, I am not sure about a good homemade test. Maybe I’d send some samples to Massive_Swell and see if he can get out the Bend-o-nater and Dent-o-Nater for a more ‘scientific’ test.
jrandy, a lot of the testing you are talking about has been done here. Check that out before you launch. Might save you some time. But as I think about it, maybe it is dated.
Also, the mechanical properties are available for most epoxies. There will be some variabilities in reported data, so don’t get hung up on it, as long as they are close you should be good.
The hard part to evaluate concerns how the epoxy handles in lamination, spreading, finishing, etc. All those subjective qualities.
Good luck. I’m interested in what you come up with.
all the best