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Chotu · 08-12-2018, 05:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benz

While poly and vinyl-ester smell to high heaven, and yes, you should not drink the MEK, those resin systems are far less unhealthy than epoxy. Boatbuilders around here have been laminating with MEK-catalized resins from when they dropped out of high school to retirement with no "MEK sensititvity." There are also dozens, young and old, who have become epoxy sensitized from incautious use, and one at least I know was hospitalized and cannot now even be around grinding dust.

This has been my experience as well with epoxy.

I can't even go near grinding on years cured epoxy without severe reaction and have had to be hospitalized also from it.

I have a side question.

I, unfortunately, have to make some tanks the shape of my bilge. Integral tanks.

So I don't die, I can only work in polyester and the bilge currently is raw, untreated, cured epoxy fiberglass laminate.

How would you make this tank given epoxy is out of the question?

The most I could do is have my girlfriend roll on an nsf-61 epoxy coating. Still scared to drink the water though.

Wind River · 08-12-2018, 06:33

Ok, bubble poppers = fin rollers in my fiberglass vocabulary. Yes, I have several of them.

Benz · 08-12-2018, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chotu

This has been my experience as well with epoxy.

I can't even go near grinding on years cured epoxy without severe reaction and have had to be hospitalized also from it.

I have a side question.

I, unfortunately, have to make some tanks the shape of my bilge. Integral tanks.

So I don't die, I can only work in polyester and the bilge currently is raw, untreated, cured epoxy fiberglass laminate.

How would you make this tank given epoxy is out of the question?

The most I could do is have my girlfriend roll on an nsf-61 epoxy coating. Still scared to drink the water though.

There is at least one food-grade vinylester resin I know of: "Dion Impact" it was called, made I believe by Ashland. We made some water tanks out of it for a closed-loop household water system. We got it from Composites One, but it was a special order. It's NSF food-grade certified once cured.
I'd mask off the bilge with plastic film so the tank can lift out, make it in place, then lift it out, sand (or lift off the peel-ply if you went to that length), and glue it in with 5200. If you wipe the bilge surface thoroughly with acetone, the 5200 oughtta stick the two together pretty good.

Chotu · 08-12-2018, 14:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benz

There is at least one food-grade vinylester resin I know of: "Dion Impact" it was called, made I believe by Ashland. We made some water tanks out of it for a closed-loop household water system. We got it from Composites One, but it was a special order. It's NSF food-grade certified once cured.
I'd mask off the bilge with plastic film so the tank can lift out, make it in place, then lift it out, sand (or lift off the peel-ply if you went to that length), and glue it in with 5200. If you wipe the bilge surface thoroughly with acetone, the 5200 oughtta stick the two together pretty good.

That was pretty much the plan but was unaware of the nsf61 vinylester. Only issue is I have absolutely no idea what a laminate schedule for a water tank would be in vinylester.

I'm used to building in foam and epoxy with no mat.
Any ideas on a laminate schedule for this thing?.

I have poly, 1708 with mat backing and that's about it on hand right now. Will definitely try to find the vinylester you're talking about.

44'cruisingcat · 08-12-2018, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chotu

This has been my experience as well with epoxy.

I can't even go near grinding on years cured epoxy without severe reaction and have had to be hospitalized also from it.

I have a side question.

I, unfortunately, have to make some tanks the shape of my bilge. Integral tanks.

So I don't die, I can only work in polyester and the bilge currently is raw, untreated, cured epoxy fiberglass laminate.

How would you make this tank given epoxy is out of the question?

The most I could do is have my girlfriend roll on an nsf-61 epoxy coating. Still scared to drink the water though.

You can get polyethylene tanks custom made.

Chotu · 08-12-2018, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

You can get polyethylene tanks custom made.

$995 USD each is my current quote.

44'cruisingcat · 08-12-2018, 14:53

Ouch. It's about 10 years since I had mine made, cost was less than half that. And that's here in Aus, where NOTHING is cheap.

It can pay to shop around.

Benz · 09-12-2018, 03:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chotu

That was pretty much the plan but was unaware of the nsf61 vinylester. Only issue is I have absolutely no idea what a laminate schedule for a water tank would be in vinylester.

I'm used to building in foam and epoxy with no mat.
Any ideas on a laminate schedule for this thing?.

I have poly, 1708 with mat backing and that's about it on hand right now. Will definitely try to find the vinylester you're talking about.

I'm not an engineer, and don't know the tank dimensions, but I'd lean toward 4 or 5 plies of 1708. I can't imagine a tank supported by the bilge to need more than that. Use some foam core where it doesn't touch the hull (lid and ends). If it's a big tank, don't neglect baffles.

Chotu · 09-12-2018, 04:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benz

I'm not an engineer, and don't know the tank dimensions, but I'd lean toward 4 or 5 plies of 1708. I can't imagine a tank supported by the bilge to need more than that. Use some foam core where it doesn't touch the hull (lid and ends). If it's a big tank, don't neglect baffles.

Thank you very much!

It's basically my bilge with a couple ends and a lid on it.

It's about 50 gallons. Not huge. Mostly supported by the bilge. Definitely won't forget the baffles. Thanks so much for the advice. I think I'll do this.