Best Epoxy, System 3 vs West Marine?

Ok what is everyones vote, System 3 or West Marine. Also I am already in the hole on some west marine becuase defender is having a sale, epoxy and harder $100 for a gallon and a half. Heard west marine blushes and system 3 does not. Is blushing that big of a deal to manage?

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Permalink Reply by Josh on June 25, 2009 at 6:18am
Give RAKA epoxy a try...used it on my stitch and glue and didn't have any issues at all. Mixes with a 2:1 ratio and is probably the least expensive of the epoxies. You can get 3 gallons for $156.00....I ordered the 9 gallon kit plus all of my fiberglass and fillers and had it shipped for $75.00 (florida to montana).
Permalink Reply by Randy Dersham on June 25, 2009 at 8:22am
The blush is not difficult to deal with, scrub down with acetone and a light sand between coats. The problem is that some will skip this step and the layers can have adhesion problems. It is OK to work a new coat onto a previous layer that is still tacky.

If you do a Google search on epoxy you will find a number of manufacturers for epoxy. Make sure to include shipping in your final cost because epoxy is heavy. Raka and Mas might be less expensive in your area if you factor shipping. They have aggressive pricing.

There are two basic types as you mention, blush and non-blush. The Systems Three is not necessarily non-blush. They make a standard blush epoxy and their non-blush is Silver Tip. We send Silver Tip in all of our kits because it is a 2:1 mix ratio that is more forgiving and it is non-blush which is a little more forgiving. It is also a little more expensive, but not much.

West Systems 105 with 205 is a 5:1 ratio and a blush epoxy. We use it in the shop as glue because we have never had a hardening problem, we have a bulk mixer, and the glue joints don't show any blush. We use Silver Tip for all of your glossy surface epoxy because of the 2:1 mix ratio and they are a West Coast company so our shipping costs are low and delivery is quick.
Permalink Reply by Joseph Podesta on June 25, 2009 at 8:39am
thanks for the info. here is another question for everyone, can you overlay one formula on top of another epoxy, for example lay a coat of West Marine over System 3 or RAKA. or visa versa??? Is that a total no no or can it be done. I have seen some plastics conflict with each other in other applications. For example PVC does not play nice with other types of plastics. Basically are you stuck with one forumla vs another brands formula or can you mix it up?
Permalink Reply by lhedrick on June 25, 2009 at 5:09pm
That is a very good question. After cure like 48 hours new layers will not chemically lock to the previous layer. In this case a sanding is required so the new epoxy can get into the scratches and lock in. In this case I would have issue using a different brand of epoxy.

If you re-coat in 24 hours of less then the previous layer will still be active and will bond the new epoxy. If the epoxy formulations are not the same I have no idea. I think it would take a chemist who knows the formulations to be sure. So, I would only use the same brand of epoxy when trying to chemically bond within the cure window. I wouldn't try it until I did some tests and breakdown to check the bond. If someone knows for sure please help out and ring in.

As for brand I buy all my epoxy, glass and filler from Raka also. I have never had a mix fail or blush after using about 50 gallons. I purchase 9 gallons at a time.
Permalink Reply by Steve Sobba on June 25, 2009 at 7:49pm
This is my first boat project. I started with the System 3 products... T88 structual adhesive because had used it a few years back when building airplane wings on an experimental project. Got that form Aircraft Spruce and Specialty then. Been ordering supplies from Jamestown Distibutors in Rhode Island at present. Live in the middle of Kansas. Have used 2 coats of System 3 Clear Coat ( I beleive no blush) sanded with 150 grit, washed and am now using their Marine spar urethane.Just decided to stay all in the same house of products for this project. I practiced on a park bench seat with new white oak slates and am pleased so far. Steve Sobba
Permalink Reply by Jason Knight on June 29, 2009 at 5:31am
2:1 mixing ratio is money. You can easily make small batches if you need to... the pumps make it super easy to deal with too.

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