Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Hi Everyone,

I just ordered the 3gal kit from Raka and had a few questions for those of you who have used it. I ordered the pumps with the kit.

1) Are the pumps accurate, or do you need separate measuring cups?
2) Did you glass your seams, or just apply the epoxy directly over them?
3) Larry at Raka recommended the fast hardener because I'm in SC and the temps here are still hovering around 90. Are their claims for cure time accurate, or should you figure less or more.
4) I ordered the non-blushing hardener. Was it worth the extra $13?
5) How long do you have to wait between coats before applying the next?
6) Did you wait until the first coat cured, then sand and apply the second coat, or did you just apply the second coat while the first was still curing?
7) How many coats would you recommend, and will there be enough epoxy in the three gallon kit to achieve them?

If you glassed the seams, did you apply a coat to the wood first, then lay the glass on it, or just lay the glass and wet it out?

I'm sorry for all the questions, but I'm really a bit confused here. I believe that when I hit 50, all cognitive thought processes ceased. I've never worked with fiberglass or epoxy so this is all new to me.



Anyway, any and all advice, suggestions, tips or curses will be greatly appreciated. I plan on starting at either the end of this weekend, or next, depending on the outcome of the sanding I'll be doing this weekend. I'm sure I'll have a bunch more questions before this is over.

As always, thanks for your patience and assistance. It is always appreciated.

Have a great week.

Brian

Brian, I used the same kit with the non blushing hardener, so lets see if I can answer some of your questions.....

1) the pumps are way accurate enough and highly recommend...
2)I didn't glass the seams per se...what I did was cover the sides with a camo material, embedded in the epoxy, used AL for the top and standard RV trim with putty sealant on the edges...
3)I used their regular non blushing hardener and got a good 30 minutes pot life...the epoxy will stay "workable" after that time but it has lost most of its "adhesive" capabilities after that....
4)I can't recommend their non blushing hardener enough...I worked under an open shed in very high humidity, even getting rain/mist on the freshly laid epoxy with never a sign of blushing...
5) wait at least 4 hours before applying additional coats...the epoxy is VERY self leveling and if you put the next coat on too quickly, it will "pull" on the underlying coat or even just run off the sides...
6) if you apply the next coat in less than 24hours, sanding is not needed and may even be counter productive...if after 24 hours, you need to sand first...
7) use a minimum of 3 coats...you may possibly need more...you will be able to tell...the 3 gal kit should give ya plenty to cover seams and the whole tear...since epoxy has an indefinite shelf life, you can save the rest and use for additional projects around the shop/house
8 ) I would highly recommend getting some phenolic micro balloons for filler...the addition of this will make a wonderful putty or thickener out of the epoxy...
9) I had no experience with epoxy resins before this project and ordered their sample pack first and did some experimentation with it and I must say that the overall experience did not have that high a learning curve and I was very very pleased with the product...
madjack

...some tips...
1) work on the horizontal instead of the vertical if at all possible...
2)getcha a batch of the cheap bristle brushes in the 1 and 2 inch sizes...they basically can only be used once...
3) getcha some foam rollers...use some whole and cut some in thirds to use on a small roller frame...you can also cut some (the thirds) down their length and use with a spring clip to "tip" runs and such...
4) the epoxy will not stick to most plastics so use butter bowls or plastic pan liners for mixing...you can use the same bowls to mix up a second batch without cleaning if done immediately...epoxy which has hardened in the bowls can be popped/peeled out for subsequent batches...
5) NEVERNEVERNEVERNEVER mix up more than a quart at a time...24oz is better...the larger the batch, the hotter it will get and the quicker it will kick off...I learned this the hard way!!!!!!
6) I used wood grain or de-natured alcohol for most of my clean up...most solvents will work but the alcohol was probably the easiest for skin contact...
7) the RAKA has virtually no volatiles in it, so masks/respirators are not needed in a well ventilated area when applying...I highly recommend some sort of dust/nuisance mask while sanding...at first, I tried wearing nitrile gloves while applying the product but found them more of a hindrance than a help...
8 ) wear OLD CLOTHES...you will get epoxy on them and it is impossible to remove from clothing...
madjack

Jeremy,

I don't have the experience MJ has, but I used Raka - one coat - as waterproofing on my sides and top before I placed the aluminum, and found it pretty easy to work.

The only thing I would question is the fast hardener. I used (and am still using) the medium hardener. Our temps now are slightly higher than yours, but I would say the medium is "fast enough."

It's probably my inexperience, but I did have some mixes "flash" on me using the mediium hardener. I did pour the batches into a large tray, but my guess is that I was mixing too large of a batch at a time. I'd say start with a small batch first and then move up in size until you find a size that you can apply before the epoxy starts to set.

Tom

Nosty wrote: If you glassed the seams, did you apply a coat to the wood first, then lay the glass on it, or just lay the glass and wet it out?
Brian

The way i did the seams was to measure out how much fiberglass tape that i would need for the seams and judge how much I could apply before it before the resin/ epoxy kicked off. I'd then roll up the fiberglass cloth strip and immerse it in the resin/ epoxy - making sure it was saturated fully - then apply it to the seems, smoothing it out as I went along. of course for this method, it works better to wear disposable gloves!

I used the non blushing and loved it. In the summer I could recoat in about 6 hours. I didn't wait to sand, unless I couldn't get back to it in time. I did use cloth over all of the top and sides (woody) and 3 coats, 4 in some places. I used vinegar for clean up on hands and equipment. Worked great on uncured stuff. I never mixed more than 8 oz at a time, didn't want to waste it and just didn't want to take the chance it would go off before I was done. very happy. my first epoxy experience

debbie

Madjack, I was hoping you'd respond to this. I know you're the resident Raka enthusiast. I've read through a lot of your posts regarding Raka epoxy. Thank you, Sir.

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate it. I think I've got the pre-performance jitters. Your replies have given me that shot of confidence I needed. With all the work that's gone into the TTT this far, ruining the finish would be just about as bad as it gets.

I'm sure I'll have further questions in the next week, but between your great responses, and the literature I've read, I may just get through this without having a nervous breakdown.

Thanks again.

Brian

One thing I always did with my epoxy, with the pumps installed, was to keep it indoors at night.

Barb

That's a given, Barb. It's still hovering in the 90's down here. I can't wait for the weather to break. It'll probably happen next weekend when I'm planning on applying the epoxy. That's about my luck.

Thanks for the response. I do appreciate it.

Have a great week.

Brian

One thing I learned that is seldom mentioned. don't hold your mixture in your palm. You will set it off faster that way. If your temps are kind of warm maybe even an ice bath might be considered.

Randy

Nosty wrote:Madjack, I was hoping you'd respond to this. I know you're the resident Raka enthusiast. I've read through a lot of your posts regarding Raka epoxy. Thank you, Sir.

Thank you all for your responses. I really appreciate it. I think I've got the pre-performance jitters. Your replies have given me that shot of confidence I needed. With all the work that's gone into the TTT this far, ruining the finish would be just about as bad as it gets.

I'm sure I'll have further questions in the next week, but between your great responses, and the literature I've read, I may just get through this without having a nervous breakdown.

Thanks again.

Brian

Brian,
Are you glassing everything or just taping the seams? It sounds like your just sealing with epoxy and taping the seams.

Madjack and others have given you plenty of good info. I will just add a few of my own from my experience with Raka.

BTW/ I hope you bought Raka's non-blush hardener


I have one big tip that I use all the time: "Work Clean'

Mask off all areas you don't want epoxy to get on even if it will get epoxy later. I buy vinyl wallpaper at the dollar store. I cut the rolls into shorter lengths depending on what I am doing. I use the wall paper as masking paper. Epoxy won't soak into the vinyl. Use blue painters tape and the wall paper to mask just beyond the edge of your seam tape.

If you just allow epoxy to build up in multiple layers that are not evenly applied, you will have lumps and bumps that will have to scraped or sanded off.

I am assuming your just taping the seams and not glassing everything, I would try to put a radius on outside seams edges as fiberglass doesn't work well over a right angle.

With a helper roll out your seam tape, which I don't use. I use Bias cut strips cut from FG cloth. Stretch the tape by gently pulling on it and don't let it hit the ground. Stretching the tape will help puckered edges lay flat.

There are several methods to apply the tape, one that might be best for a first timer is this:

Wet out the area where the tape will go with a thin coat of epoxy. Remember to mask everything else. let the epoxy set till its tacky and no longer wet. Your finger will stick to it.

You can now slowly apply the tape. It will stick to the tacky epoxy and not move around. You will have to work out wrinkles as you go along. I like this method because it allows you a lot of time to get things straight without the tape sliding around.

Once your happy with the tape being flat on the surface, you can wet out the tape with epoxy, squeegee and soak up excess with paper towel. You want just enough epoxy to throughly wet the tape. Later fill coats will bury the tape. BTW/ I rarely mix more than 4 oz. of epoxy at a time when working with glass, no matter how big the project. Small batches allow me plenty of time to properly apply the epoxy without rushing.

Keep an eye on the tape job for the next couple of hours, revisiting it frequently. Tape doesn't like curves and can lift by it self. Keep pushing it back down. If it just wont stay, you may have to cut slits at the pucker, this usually solves the problem. Remember, pre-stretching the dry FG tape helps here.

Another tip: if you get excess epoxy in a spot and can't squeegee it off easily, just soak it up with a paper towel.

Always remember.... with epoxy "less is more" use the least amount that will do the job, it's better to apply several thin coats than one thick one. Sanding cured epoxy is not a fun job, so the time spent applying even coats without runs (paper towel trick) will save hours of sanding later on.

I suggest you try this on some scrap to get familiar with the process. and remember "work clean"

Good luck and keep the questions coming.

Larry C

Thanks for all your help, folks. I really do appreciate it. If all goes well with the prep today and tomorrow, I hope to be applying the epoxy on Sunday. I don't know how long this hot weather is going to hold out. The nights have been getting cooler so I'm hoping to get it done while the weather is just right.

Wish me luck.

Brian