West System

Teddy Madison · Post by **Teddy Madison** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:53 pm

Go figure,
A small hardware store is the only place in my area that carries this.

Anyway,
I picked up their user manual and they state that 205/206/209 hardener are not intended for clear coating.

What exactly does this mean? I ask because the 207 is pretty darn expensive.

hairymick · Post by **hairymick** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:09 pm

G'day Teddy,

i am not sure what it means. The people at West here recommended 207 ad that was good enough for me. When mixed, the resin takes on a goldentint but dries clear and shiny. Absolutely no ammine blush. beautiful stuff mate.

How expensive is expesive?

Post by **jem** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:17 pm

It might mean there's an amber tint to the epoxy.

Teddy Madison · Post by **Teddy Madison** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:36 pm

Here's the response from West:

105 Resin cured with 206 hardener is prone to turning milky or cloudy over time. The cloudiness can appear during the cure, if the cure occurs in damp conditions, or it can occur at some point in the future without warning. It is a popular hardener for many end uses because of the strength it achieves with 105 Resin and because it costs less than our 3:1 hardeners. It is not recommended as an epoxy sealer under varnish because of the clouding potential. 207 Hardener is the best clear coat hardener in our product line. It requires protection with a UV stabilized clear coat such as varnish or a catalyzed clear coat like those used on automobiles for long term protection. It can be used for all the same things that 206 Hardener is used for but it does cost more because the 3:1 chemistry.
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So now I'm a but fearful to use anything else.

I wonder if the 3:1 chemestry has anything to do with the resistance to clouding?

Wayne

Post by **jem** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:02 pm

All epoxy needs varnish or clear coat LPU paint to protect it.

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/ sells a nice product with little blush potential and it's clear in color. You might want to call Paul directly because his web page is pretty intense and can be hard to follow.

I've used his epoxy on a canoe and had no issues with it. Very little smell. It takes a bit longer to cure to a sandable hardness, but not bad.

Mention to Paul I told you to call him.

Teddy Madison · Post by **Teddy Madison** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:12 pm

Thanks again Matt!

I was able to navigate the site and find what I was looking for (got some cuts and scratches from getting around in there though).

He is certainly cheaper, $30 cheaper, shipped.