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Author	Message Text
opolka	03/17/2015 06:18PM   Couldn't find a thread on this already. What kind of epoxy do you use for your canoe? Be specific, and tell me why it is your preferred brand. And how much should i purchase to do my canoe? I prefer to not have to store a lot of excess, rather just buy more for my second build whenever that may be. Ready? Go!
opolka	03/19/2015 02:55PM   quote 1JimD: " Opolka The mix ratio is 2-1. 2 parts resin to 1 part hardener. Biggest thing people do wrong is, not mixing long enough ! Jim" By weight or by volume? And I kind of gathered some people struggle mixing enough. I understand epoxy is a chemical reaction, so a good mix goes farther then it just "looking" mixed.
1JimD	03/19/2015 06:48PM   Volume. RAKA goes by volume. I mix and apply by myself, so anything I can do to safeguard my batches, I go for it. Just having one pump does that for me. Another trick when I'm wetting out the cloth, I fill 4 or 5 cups with resin, and when I need another batch of resin, all I have to do is add hardener to the mark, and mix. Jim
KarlBAndersen1	03/19/2015 08:14PM   West System. I am thoroughly pleased.
opolka	03/19/2015 10:45PM   I see RAKA has the 127, 900 (medium), and 1500 (thick). Obviously I'd get the 127 with the non-blush hardener for the hull. But for the stems and gunnels where you want thickened epoxy, should I get the 900 or 1500 resin with the Medium cure, or stick with the 127 and thicken it myself with woodflour/milled fiberglass?
1JimD	03/20/2015 04:09AM   I've not used either the 900 or the 1500. I go with the 127, and the 350 Non-blush. The 350 is a little more expensive, but well worth it. One thing about RAKA, you can call and talk to someone. It used to be Larry, but he might have retired. They will ship your cloth "Rolled", much better than folded. In the past I always ordered the black foam roller covers, by the dozen. They work great, but on this last build, I used their white "CIGAR" rollers, they are a dense foam, and in my experience work better, they seem to use less resin. Go with the 6 1/2" rollers. Also you need a roller frame. You can get the foam rollers at Menards, but RAKA has them cheaper. While on the subject of supplies. Add Milled glass, and Cab-o-sil type thickener. These work great to thicken, and strengthen epoxy for gluing, and fillets. Wood flour is great also, but if you save the sanding dust when sanding the hull, that works too. Jim
opolka	03/19/2015 12:27AM   Will the fiberglass from RAKA come on a roll or will I have to specify? How do you get your mix ratios, anyone use and like pumps or what not? Obviously get 6oz fiberglass for my canoe, but what do you guys recommend for paddles?
Cedarboy	03/19/2015 07:31AM   I have used Adtech Probuild for years and like it no blush. Mainly because I get it local from Northwest canoe. They have add MAS to their product line. I may try MAS for my next build. CB PS 4oz for paddles
1JimD	03/19/2015 08:41AM   Opolka I use one pump for my hardener. And pour from my resin container. In this manner, it prevents me from mixing the two up. I buy plastic drinking cups and mark them. You can buy cups that are already marked from RAKA, if you wish. The mix ratio is 2-1. 2 parts resin to 1 part hardener. Biggest thing people do wrong is, not mixing long enough ! Jim
tumblehome	03/18/2015 07:18AM   Make sure you use a hardener that is designed for clear coat wood boats as others have said. If not, you might end up with a waxy surface that forms as the epoxy cures called blushing. It's not noticeable when you do your layup but will become evident as the weeks and months go by. Epoxy cures for weeks. The blush will look like translucent streaks in your epoxy and will never come out. You can see these boats all the time when you look around at wood canoes. West System is probably the most respected product on the market. Most of the big commercial boat/yacht companies use thier products. It's all I used myself over the years. Their 207 hardener is made for clear coating. I've tried Raka Marines epoxy but I found it too soft and flexible for my taste. When it comes to glassing a canoe, the cheapest epoxy you can find is not what you're looking for. Tom
1JimD	03/17/2015 08:34PM   I 'm a RAKA user also. I usually order the three gallon kit. With the Non-blushing 350 hardener. Three gallons is way plenty, but I use it for a lot of other things. And if I screw up a batch while mixing, I've got plenty in reserve. This time how ever, I'm giving their UV inhibited epoxy a try. I'm a guinea pig on this one. I'll let you know in a few weeks how it handles. Jim
Wables	03/18/2015 12:23PM   I have built 2 with RAKA and the non-blushing hardener, and one with US Composite's epoxy. I have been happy with the RAKA, but not with the US Composite's. Make sure you get some additives such as milled fiberglass for making a paste for minor glue jobs!
DeterminedOrange	03/17/2015 07:42PM   System 3 Silvertip with slow hardener. One gallon resin, half gallon hardener and still had over 1/3 left when building my NWC Passage Solo (15 ft.). Perfectly clear, great working time and low outgassing. Stick around for an hour after you think you have it topped off to make sure no more bubbles appear.
1JimD	03/18/2015 08:27AM   Though I've not done a comparison between West System, and RAKA. I've used RAKA for at least 5 of my builds, and have had no problems. Soft epoxy could be a result of improper mix ratios. If you add too much hardener, you can get a soft epoxy. A hard epoxy might not be what you want on a canoe hull anyway. Just my 2 cents. Jim
Alan Gage	03/17/2015 08:23PM   Raka 127 with slow or non-blush hardener. I've used it for 5 boats so far and it's worked fine. Low viscosity for easy wet out and good price. The 6 quart kit should be enough for one canoe. I'd recommend buying a small kit with fast or medium hardener as well. There will be lots of little epoxy jobs during the build and it's nice to have something that will setup fast. Never tried anything else. I started using it because of the price and because so many other builders use it and like it. It's done well in head to head epoxy tests like this one. Another positive is you can order your cloth from them at the same time as the epoxy and save some shipping. Alan
HighPlainsDrifter	03/18/2015 09:19AM   System III Silvertip with slow hardener. 1 gal resin, 1/2 gal hardner. I was introduced to Systems III at a North House Folk School Cedar Strip building class. Since then, I have built 2 canoes using Systems III. I have never tried another product. If I was to build a 3rd, it would be with Systems III. I have also ordered my fiberglass from them......... rolled NOT folded. Good company and excellent products.