Does Epoxy go "OFF" after a few years?

[Paul D.]

In the ongoing restoration of typhoon #1178. I plan to use some West System from my old cedar strip canoe project in '92. I did mix some up and it seemed to kick, though taking an awful long time. Is this stuff OK to use for repairs to my newly beloved or should I spend another unit for more epoxy? Also, planning on using silicone for rebedding all of the deck fittings. Other than that. the project is in motion;the teak is all scraped, sanded and oiled, the toerails are tightened and bunged, she has a new taffrail which we are all quite proud of and the brand new seacocks are in. Any support is appreciated as always. Hoping for an April launching.

Sincerely,
Paul Danicic
Typhoon HORNET
MPLS



nyeme001@tc.umn.edu

[john churchill]

In the ongoing restoration of typhoon #1178. I plan to use some West System from my old cedar strip canoe project in '92. I did mix some up and it seemed to kick, though taking an awful long time. Is this stuff OK to use for repairs to my newly beloved or should I spend another unit for more epoxy? Also, planning on using silicone for rebedding all of the deck fittings. Other than that. the project is in motion;the teak is all scraped, sanded and oiled, the toerails are tightened and bunged, she has a new taffrail which we are all quite proud of and the brand new seacocks are in. Any support is appreciated as always. Hoping for an April launching.

Sincerely,
Paul Danicic
Typhoon HORNET
MPLS

i use system three rather than west, but they say the shelf life is more or less forever. try heating it to speed up ( 10 sec in microwave if wife does see me)
john churchill

[Paul]

In the ongoing restoration of typhoon #1178. I plan to use some West System from my old cedar strip canoe project in '92. I did mix some up and it seemed to kick, though taking an awful long time. Is this stuff OK to use for repairs to my newly beloved or should I spend another unit for more epoxy? Also, planning on using silicone for rebedding all of the deck fittings. Other than that. the project is in motion;the teak is all scraped, sanded and oiled, the toerails are tightened and bunged, she has a new taffrail which we are all quite proud of and the brand new seacocks are in. Any support is appreciated as always. Hoping for an April launching.

Sincerely,
Paul Danicic
Typhoon HORNET
MPLS

Were your containers closed tight? With my experience using West System its usually the hardener over a long period of time that goes bad if the container is not well sealed against oxidizing. I've never had a problem with the resin but have had to discard different hardeners that have been kicking around for awhile, even they would "kick" but they wouldn't give a complete cure. They tend to be darker in appearance when they have aged to the discard state. Don't take chances, use fresh hardener. I'm sure the guys at West can give you shelf life expectancies for full and partially full containers.

[Robert M Paterson]

In the ongoing restoration of typhoon #1178. I plan to use some West System from my old cedar strip canoe project in '92. I did mix some up and it seemed to kick, though taking an awful long time. Is this stuff OK to use for repairs to my newly beloved or should I spend another unit for more epoxy? Also, planning on using silicone for rebedding all of the deck fittings. Other than that. the project is in motion;the teak is all scraped, sanded and oiled, the toerails are tightened and bunged, she has a new taffrail which we are all quite proud of and the brand new seacocks are in. Any support is appreciated as always. Hoping for an April launching.

Sincerely,
Paul Danicic
Typhoon HORNET
MPLS

Paul
I have used West System for years and find that when left for some time the epoxy resin tends to thicken, and the hardner,(I use # 205)tends to turn darker in color,other than that, this expensive product is to precious to throw away.Somtimes I add fresh material to the old,and mix in.One thing that caught my attention was the use of silicone for the rebedding of all the deck fittings.Be shure to use a marine sealant formulated for that porpose.Personaly I dont let silicon near my boats. For a lasting bond I use 3M - 5200 on all my deck fittings.Any penetration of water in to the deck core can spell desaster. Best of luck on your spring launching.
Bob P



wskyr3d@aol.com

[Russell]

Bob P writes, "Personaly I dont let silicon near my boats. For a lasting bond I use 3M - 5200 on all my deck fittings. Any penetration of water in to the deck core can spell desaster. Best of luck on your spring launching."

(1) I do not believe that the choice of sealant is the way to keep the core safe. The important thing in this regard is that all holes in the deck should have the core cleaned out for a larger circumference than the fiberglass is cut, and epoxied to seal the core. Bedding leaks should NOT endanger the core. If they do, you have already lost the most important battle. (2) I think silicon is much prefered to 5200 for all deck hardware that is periodically removed and rebedded, or that *might* be removed at some later date. Many winches, for example, must be removed to be thoroughly serviced, because you cannot get them apart without the bottom exposed. If they are bedded with 5200, they will likely stay there until the boat is scrapped.