Hi all,

The plywood dinghy I'm building is close to the painting stage, I still have to fair and sand the hull (amongst other things). The thing is I'm running low on epoxy and want to know if there are any good alternatives that aren't too expensive.

Does standard automotive "bog" stick to wood? Primed? With what primer?

I've been using west system epoxy and have a bag 410 fairing filler thickener. I could probably use the 410 in a cheaper epoxy as it is cosmetic rather than structural, but which one?

Something I can click and collect in Melbourne would be a bonus.

Thanks, I appreciate your help.

How much Mike? How much quantity of epoxy and / or powder do you need?
I have some here.
I have 3L of epoxy and a cup of powder.
Once or twice only, in the past I have used sawdust and once I used plain flour, on the basis that they were cellulose/carbohydrate similar to wood, as a filler to epoxy.

Would very strongly suggest you don't use automotive "bog" as it will surely be a polyester formulation and in general terms this doesn't adhere to epoxy well. Epoxyworks.com have done trials adhering polyester gelcoat over West epoxy and suggest it can be done but surely in your case it is absolutely best to stick with an epoxy based filler. Whitworths Melb have International HT9000 250ml epoxy resin and ~80ml hardener for about $50 (have used this extensively) and this would probably be compatible with 410 but would suggest you call them on Call 1-800-251-431 to confirm - but I would just buy the smallest quantity of West resin and hardener and use it with your 410 - they have many agents in Melbourne.

www.westsystem.com.au/find-a-dealer/

Norglass do a Norsystem epoxy resin 1l kit for ~$60 which is excellent - I am using it now - check with the tech advice line if 410 will be compatible I expect it will be. If not they have the Norcells light filler.

www.norglass.com.au/find-a-stockist?postcode=3000

As far as I remember shrinkage of polyester and epoxy fillers is different. Septone polyester fillers are great for decks and topsides of grp boats and the lightweight one is easy to sand. The fibre filled one is obviously harder and stronger. But they are intended for grp boats not wooden boats.

I have nothing to do with any of the above 4 companies.

I used this stuff for laminating and making glue and filler.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/132952251631?hash=item1ef4925cef:g:i58AAOSwBOladjlr

For glue I used this as a filler. I bought the bucket size though.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/131772036077?hash=item1eae39b3ed:g:X4YAAOSwKtVWuojm

For filler that I was to sand I used this.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/141092454271?hash=item20d9c3ff7f:g:O8sAAOxywCJRbOSG

You could also use Q cells as well. This stuff sands easily. www.ebay.com.au/itm/141092451681?hash=item20d9c3f561:g:LXQAAMXQySpROOSz

The company is in Queensland and their service is fast. Their resin is first class. I used the slow set hardener most of the time but the ordinary stuff is good too.

Mike, by the sounds of things you've done the hard yards, stick with what you're using your familiar with it and know it should bond to your substrate. I use Q cells for easy sanding type of work, but I must admit I seldom get that fussy. Car bog/ builders bog will work in a pinch but it will haunt you later.

Allnex in Centre Road Clayton sell all kinds of resin supplies to the trade and retail. Not sure of their epoxy prices, but I bet they'd be way below West System. FYI, some searching will lead you to previous threads on this forum that discussed various resins, and whether the big names were worth the big bucks.

Cheers, Graeme.

On my fishing vessel I regularly used body filler to repair any scars on the Oregon planked topsides. Sometimes the surface was coated with paving paint, sometimes bare then over painted with paving paint. Body filler like fibreglass is porous and needs paint. On a dinghy that's not on the water 24 hours a day body filler is fine. Just make sure the filler you use is easier to sand than the hull substrate.

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Ramona said..
I used this stuff for laminating and making glue and filler.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/132952251631?hash=item1ef4925cef:g:i58AAOSwBOladjlr

For glue I used this as a filler. I bought the bucket size though.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/131772036077?hash=item1eae39b3ed:g:X4YAAOSwKtVWuojm

For filler that I was to sand I used this.

www.ebay.com.au/itm/141092454271?hash=item20d9c3ff7f:g:O8sAAOxywCJRbOSG

You could also use Q cells as well. This stuff sands easily. www.ebay.com.au/itm/141092451681?hash=item20d9c3f561:g:LXQAAMXQySpROOSz

The company is in Queensland and their service is fast. Their resin is first class. I used the slow set hardener most of the time but the ordinary stuff is good too.

I use that resin as well but the only thing I don't like is that the harder and resin are the same colour so it is not possible to visually check that you have mixed it well.

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julesmoto said..


I use that resin as well but the only thing I don't like is that the harder and resin are the same colour so it is not possible to visually check that you have mixed it well.

Most 5 to 1 epoxy packs are the same. It's not a real problem as the working time is long and a couple of minutes mixing is nothing.

These guys are local to me in Lake Macquarie. I have used a few hundred litres of this stuff. For most applications, WEST is not necessary. These cheaper resins have good laminating and glue making and fairing qualities. This is a good resin with good mechanical qualities.

trojanfibreglass.com.au/product/500-series-epoxy-laminating-resin-51/

I don't know why you would want a dye in epoxy. I use cut down milk bottle jugs to mix my mixes in and don't have an issue stirring for a minute or two. If you look closely you can see the two parts mixing. I like the clear varnish finish of epoxy because I leave some surfaces just clear - like inside a locker or similar. I don't have issues with bad mixes if I use a nice electric scale, covered in plastic. I don't use the pumps for measuring as they can go a bit skewiff after a while.

WEST is nicer when you want to coat a piece of ply and lay a thick layer of epoxy on. The cheaper resins tend to bead up a little. However I still don't use WEST. The number of times I want to saturate large pieces without glass or fairing is so rare that I save the money and make do.

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FabulousPhill said..
How much Mike? How much quantity of epoxy and / or powder do you need?
I have some here.
I have 3L of epoxy and a cup of powder.
Once or twice only, in the past I have used sawdust and once I used plain flour, on the basis that they were cellulose/carbohydrate similar to wood, as a filler to epoxy.

Thanks for the offer Phill, I think I can get by with just buying a small amount of West System. It seems like a good idea to keep using the same brand. If I was starting a new build or needed more than 1/2 a litre it'd be a different story. And I know it works with the filler.

Mike

Thanks everyone for your replies, I think I'll be using a different epoxy for my next build, if I do one.

In the meantime I'll bite the bullet and get a small amount of West to finish the job.

Cheers,

Mike