Ferro hull fairing

[Alan Wheeler]

Nope. UV has no affect apart from breaking it down. There are glues that UV does cause to react. I don't know if these are epoxy based though.
Epoxy is a liquid that hardens by a reaction. Epoxy is basicaly a mix of Atomic chains. The hardner works by creating a link between these chains. The term is Cross linking. It is a chemical reaction and one of the results of the reaction is the production of heat. Now if you can imagine, while the resin is very fluid, the chains can come together more easily and the crosslinking will occur faster. As the crosslinking occurs, the resin becomes less fluid. Eventually the resin becomes hard, however for quite sometime after it has initially hardened, there are still chains that have not crosslinked. By applying external heat and heating the hardened epoxy, the Atoms want to move around boisterously and those few that have not reacted will. The result is a much stronger matrix than what woudl have been if the eopxy was left to it's own speed of reacting. If the resin is not heated, eventually the corsslinking will occur, but it just takes much longer before a full cure is reached.
So no, UV has no affect on the reaction. Heat does though.

[Wotname]

Wheels, thanks for the info.

[encore]

I should have qualified that I am working with West System and using it outside, out of necessity, sometimes in pretty direct sun, a condition not uncommon to back yard builders. If you are going to use West System, check out their web site at West System.com Some of the information given in this thread is inaccurate for West System brand epoxy. Specifically, check out the information on their site for Amine Blush and recoating times. I used over 26 gallons of West resin in the last year and a half and found their information to be correct for THEIR products. I chose West because a relative and several friends have used it to build airplanes. I like using the stuff, according to their directions, but I'm sure there are probably better products available. Maybe mentioning specific brands a poster has experience with would lead to less inaccuracy and heading people down the wrong path. There is altogether too much work in some of these projects to have them go wrong.
Ellis

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by encore

Specifically, check out the information on their site for Amine Blush and recoating times. I used over 26 gallons of West resin in the last year and a half and found their information to be correct for THEIR products. .... Maybe mentioning specific brands a poster has experience with would lead to less inaccuracy and heading people down the wrong path. There is altogether too much work in some of these projects to have them go wrong.
Ellis

Agreed, I have found WEST's information correct for WEST and Bote Cote's information correct for their products. I have found the working porperties of both of these products although quite different to each other, are both accuractly described on their respective data sheets. If in doubt, follow the directions until EXPERIENCE in a particular product demonstrates it is OK to vary the directions.

[Alan Wheeler]

Absolutley. Always follow the instructions. It's a very rare thing for Kiwi blokes to read instructions. On the other hand, the wife is trying to relay instructions. Does this sound familiar "Why don't you......
We usually do the job then read afterwards. And sometimes we then suggest the instructions had were wrong anyway, we had a much better way ;-)
I have used extensively West system, which is very good. International, which I really like as it wets out beautifully, R180 system from Nuplex, which I found to be very hard when cured, maybe a little too hard and I am about to try a new one from "the Epoxy Glue Shop" in NZ.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

It's a very rare thing for Kiwi blokes to read

Isn't it great to be able to quote selectively

[Alan Wheeler]

Nobody told me that was a requirement, so I didn't stand in the line for the Readin certificate :-)

[hooked on water]

Thanks all for the information, most valuable indeed
Have been researching epoxies available, and even with the price of the awlgrip at the moment, it looks like the boat cote still wins out in a 30litre kit
as it can be used for neat coat of epoxy, fairing and glueing
pretty good gear by the looks of it.

Wotname, I am in Hobart, not too far from where you are looking at moving to
Geeveston is a nice place to be a boatie, just that most from down there is under power unless you are lucky with the wind, river is too narrow to tack .

I am going to base my boat at the motor yacht club here