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[John W E]

Hi there

I am putting this post here because I didnt want to interrupt Orby1's pictures of the buildup of the hydroplane and he was wondering about high gloss finishes.? This photograph shows a type of finish that can be achieved with Epoxy SP system.

This is just two coats of Epoxy Resin.

Aye
John E
Bluebird

[Eddy Matthews]

Hi John,

Can you give some more info on this please? Where is this epoxy available from? What methods and materials are used when applying the epoxy?

I assume the underlying finish has to be virtually flawless before applying the epoxy?

Regards
Eddy

[John W E]

Hi ya there Eddy

The Epoxy System was bought from a yacht chandlers shop - any good yacht chandlers shop should stock this.

Its used in the process of building and repairing full size yachts and boats.

There are numerous other products of the same standards SP & the West System seem to come out on the top for durability.? It is fairly straight forward to apply and like any other epoxies or resin as long as you adhere to the mixing instructions - it is fairly easy to use.? ?The SP system, I found, was virtually odourless.? However, having said that, take care, because some people are very allergic to this stuff - when it comes into contact with skin.? ?So.... Wear protective gloves and stuff.

The hull was double diagonally built and on the first layer of planks I corrected any uneveness with P38 car body filler and smoothed off to a near smooth finish - no lumps or bumps.? ?I then applied the outer diagonal planks, glued in place with standard pva - when the hull planking had all dried, I rubbed this down with various grades of sand paper.?

(One mistake I did make? I never filled the little pin holes left in the planks, where I had pinned them in place with dress makers pins).? Consequently when I put the first coat of epoxy on, it did not fill the tiny little pin-prick holes and it left tiny circular marks around each pin prick hole.? ?I therefore ended up going back with a small brush filling all of these holes in? :-[ LESSON LEARNED!? Bloody hundreds of the holes.

I left the hull for two days, to go on a drinking binge, and when I got back the epoxy had 'cured' and I rubbed this well back with various grades of wet'n'dry - starting with coarse and working back to fine.? Repeated this procedure, applying the epoxy, allowing it to 'cure' and rubbing back 3 times.

The photograph shows, just before I rubbed it back.? So, I could then paint the first undercoat of grey on.

Hope this is of some help.

Aye
John E
Bluebird

[orby1]

John, this looks lovely - just the sort of info we need !  Please feel free to post in my build-up thread though, any and all advice is always welcome!
(Please tell me you didn't put grey undercoat on top of this!! )
Cheers, Julian.

[John W E]

hi there this is what the hull looked like a couple of weeks ago - are you not intrigued with 'Mountbatten Pink' .

aye
john e
BLUEBIRD

[Too Large - attachment deleted by admin]

[orby1]

Wow, you did cover it up!  Were you not happy with it?  John it looked beautiful on the last photo, it brought out the grain and pattern of the wood.  But yes, I must admit to being intrigued by the Mountbatten Pink!

[Eddy Matthews]

Superb John, thanks... Can you tell me the manufacturer and name of the product you personally used?

I'd like to give it a try on a planked yacht hull, which will simply have a high gloss finish over the planking, no paint...

Regards
Eddy

[John W E]

Hi ya there Eddy,

will try again,,, as the computer just crashed....here goes


it is:

SP SYSTEMS, COMPOSITE ENGINEERING MATERIALS

The Company are based at:  SP Systems, Newport, IW, UK
Telephone: 01983 828000

Might be good to do a google search or something, they may have a website.

I am impressed with the finish I got, shame I had to cover it, but that's the model I am making, had to paint it. 

Hope this Helps.

John
Bluebird

[big-geoff]

SP Systems dont sell direct to the public.

I bought mine from a local Yacht Chandlers, there are several grades based on curing time.
I use SP106 and it takes between 20 to 40 mins depending on the ambient temprature.

There are a few adatives that can be used from micro balls to micro fibers.

Well worth the investment, but if you do get some get a dispenser pack this will accuratly measure for you.

Geoff

[John W E]

Hi ya there,

Yes that's where I got mine from Geoff.? Yacht Chandlers in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

 However, adding additives and fillers such as micro balls, micro fibres and such thicken the epoxies up, which is ideal if you want to use the resin to gap fill, or, actually as a jointing compound.? ?Or, if you are working on very large surfaces, eg., real life size hulls, where you havent facility to turn the hull, so the surface you are working on is in a flattish plane, then it is a different procedure of applying the epoxies and also using them.

I feel as though, if we discussed all of these alternatives, it would only be very confusing for people who want to try this system out for the first time.? ?If you keep the product simple, and the instructions simple, the person using it - if he wants to expand on it himself, then he can learn more about what one can do with the epoxies and how flexible they are to use.

I do agree, with getting the 2-pack dispensers this takes a lot of guesswork out of the measurement.

John E
Bluebird

[Andy]

Hi
I've been using SP 113 as supplied by Ripmax, I've used this for decks and sealing inside hulls, with-without micro ballons etc.
Now for the first time I've used it on the outside off the hull which has to be
painted.
John can I ask you what type off paint you have used, did you have any prob's
Andy

[John W E]

Hi ya there Andy

I just used standard Humbrol grey undercoat number 64 - which is a matt finish (about 2 tins to do the whole boat - they are the small tinlets 14 ml) and then finished off with a top coat of paint from White Ensign again 14 mls tinlet - same number - bearing in mind when I had epoxied the outside of the hull, I rubbed it back and went through 2 or 3 grades of wet 'n dry.  I didnt finish off with a very fine wet and dry, I cant recall the grade at this very moment, but it did leave like a 'frosted' type of finish, which was a good keying surface for the paints.

I have knocked the hull a few times :-[ and the paint hasnt chipped off Yet!  I will leave the chipping off of the paint for when I crash the hull into the side of the lake which happened to me on the Leeds Castle on its first sale.

I know someone who has photographic evidence!

Aye
John E
Bluebird

[riggers24]

I wonder who that could be

[Andy]

Hi

If anyones interested, picked up some more epoxy at the Ascot show
yesterday form a trader - Fibretech, www.fibretechgb.co.uk
Very helpful and fairly priced.

Andy