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Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
By:Don Flowers
Date: 3/13/2003, 12:53 pm

I've been using RAKA with straight fast hardner. I use a maximum of three pumps per batch and go like mad (and when I goof and have the shop around 80, I'm practically a blur). I find I'm able to get three coats per day and no problem with blushing with that kind of time spread. I live in a semi-arid climate and am using wood heat so humidity is not an issue. I've been happy with the process and the wetting out (using six ounce cloth). It wets out about the same as West System and is a bit faster set up than System 3. I also find less outgassing possibily because of the fast set up time (and an improvement in heat control). For a person who has everything but patience, it is almost perfect. I may have to get a bit of slow for some fussy stuff but am more likely to use System 3 or West System for that (I have a bit of each left over which I keep in ketchup bottles with baby syringes for measuring small quantities)
good luck
don
: Jack-

: I used RAKA 127/350 (slow hardener) last spring/early summer in an unheated
: garage in New Jersey. I had some fast hardener left over from my first
: boat but never used it. I'm a slow builder, so setting time for the epoxy
: never seemed to be an issue. The non blush feature of the 350 was a
: definite plus, but probably not an issue if you don't anticipate long
: breaks in your work schedule. I often had to place the resin/hardener
: container on ice to gain enough working time. You may be a faster worker.
: Apply the seal coat when you have enough time to come back frequently to
: check for air bubbles (I had many bubble appear regardless of rising or
: falling temps). I used 5 oz outside with either 3.25 oz tight weave or 5
: oz for 2nd layer in selected areas. The 5 oz glass is a little more
: difficult to work with compared to 6 oz. It takes a little more time and
: squeeging to wet out compared to 6 oz so you're going to appreciate the
: extra working time. It doesn't drape as easily as the 6 oz. There were
: some places where my cloth didn't want to comform to the shape of the deck
: and those were the places where the cloth floated and resulted in waves in
: the cloth. Other than that I didn't have a problem with floating the
: fiberglass. With judicious use of the squeege, even the 3.25 tight weave
: behaved itself. The weave on the 5 oz cloth can be easily filled with 2
: coats (1 coat for 3.25 tight weave). I think I used about 4 fill coats
: with the 6 oz cloth on my first boat.

: wes

Messages In This Thread

Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow hardener *LINK*
Jack Sanderson -- 3/12/2003, 10:50 am
Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
Jason Gray -- 3/12/2003, 9:06 pm
Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
Jack Sanderson -- 3/13/2003, 11:47 am
Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
David Hanson -- 3/12/2003, 4:12 pm
Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
Wes Tanaka -- 3/12/2003, 2:22 pm
Re: Epoxy: Tips on using Raka fast and slow harden
Don Flowers -- 3/13/2003, 12:53 pm
Resin on ice... that's nice!
Malcolm Schweizer -- 3/12/2003, 2:33 pm
Re: Resin on ice... that's nice!
Wes Tanaka -- 3/12/2003, 5:28 pm
Re: Resin on ice... that's nice! *Pic*
Paul G. Jacobson -- 3/13/2003, 12:13 am
Doesn't Raka fast hardener blush?
Brian Nystrom -- 3/12/2003, 12:57 pm
Yes, the Raka fast hardner does blush
Ken Sutherland -- 3/13/2003, 2:17 am
606 slow hardener *LINK*
Mark Normand -- 3/14/2003, 2:21 pm