Resin Questions

[Pwfyrcat1]

Is there any reason I cannot use this type of resin?



I was looking through my garage, trying to stay on the thrifty alternative down low

I have it and FG cloth left over from another project.

I will be using it to seal the wooden seams of the "box" insert for my build.

[Rick Tyler]

That is probably polyester resin. Just say no -- it's not epoxy, and will not work as well. It's also far more likely to give you headaches and other problems. A friend worked for a boat manufacturer for two years and says he cannot remember anything from that time of his life.

(There is a longer explanation for this, but it's safer to say that epoxy will work better for almost anything you want to build.)

[tony.latham]

I quit polyester resins years ago. And if I recall the stuff couldn't sit on the shelf for years without it starting to go off without the catalyst.

I think The Mix would do a better job since it would soak in. That goo would sit on the surface.

But... mix up a tiny batch and try it on a piece of scrap plywood. Opinions are cheap.

Tony

[Philip]

Both poly and vynal resins have a self life. Most of the time its a year or less. Both of those resins also outgas. You don't want to use them on an interior surface.

[Pwfyrcat1]

Watched a video on epoxy resin vs polyester resin. Feeling much more knowledgeable about the difference, and why use one over the other.

[Philip]

Watched a video on epoxy resin vs polyester resin. Feeling much more knowledgeable about the difference, and why use one over the other.

The problem with some of the video's is there is a lot of conflicting information out there. One video says one thing. The next one is the opposite of the first one. So watch every one you can and ask questions in forums.

Also different MFG's use different ratios in the resin. So that makes comparing different brands hard to do. The few MSD sheets I have seen do not tell strength when hard. Most over the counter resins have wax in them. Its not needed when the batch ratio is adjusted properly. Wax is cheaper than the other chemicals used in resin. So throw more wax and save the expensive chemicals for a better profit margin.

[rowerwet]

Polyester resin will eat foam from what I hear, epoxy will not, though it can melt XPS foam if it has a big enough amount in one spot from the heat of curing