> Hi,

I've corresponded with a few builders of other types of boats that have used acetone thinned epoxy as a first encapsulation coat over plywood, theoretically to get better/deeper penetration of the epoxy into the wood surface.....the 5% rule is about what they used I think. CPES is some type of solvent/epoxy mixture, but I don't think it is recommended for 'glassing.....it's expensive too. Might be worth a test panel....with results...er...the scientific data posted here, of course! garland

> Ray - the only thing I've ever read was that you might be able to add up
> to 5% acetone to thin the epoxy, but that comment applied to an epoxy used
> to apply fishing rod guides to rod blanks ...I'm hesitant to do this to a
> kayak, although I think I will use the 3M to glass the interior of my
> stich and glue kayak when I get to that stage.

> Spidey - It sounds like you got an outstanding deal- I paid $77 for 1&1/2
> gallons! Never heard of "Ding-All", but if it's good enough (and
> tough enough) for surfboards, it must be great stuff. It's funny - we can
> dicuss soft woods, hard wood, and plywoods and make our own decisions, yet
> the epoxy area is a mystery. I know that the distributors "cut"
> their resins with some non-volatile thinners to make a less viscous
> product for wetting fiberglass, but I always wondered if it makes a
> difference in durability, flexibility, etc. Hey, I'm just doing a stich
> and glue, but if I invested the time to make one of those outstanding
> strippers with all that detail, I would probably be going ape-shit,
> worrying about the epoxy qualities. In reality, probably nothing to be
> concerned about, and my "stripper" endeavors won't begin until
> next winter. And about 3M, I expected their technical pages on their
> homesite to go into detail, but there is nothing there, expect strength at
> various temperatures and vicosity. ( didn't get a chance to view their
> technical specs on those crummy straps they sold you).

> Thanks for replying.

> PS - Don't throw out epoxy resin that has been frozen or outdated ... some
> manufacturers claim only a one year shelf life, but that is a lot of crap
> ... I've used epoxy that was 12 years old, and the wood to wood bonds
> still wouldn't break at the joint - the stuff just cures slowly - like 5
> days instead of 2-3. And if the resin has been frozen (UPS guy left it on
> your doorstep during the winter), just place it in a 100 degree F water
> bath or some other heat source for a few hours and the
> "crystals" will go back into solution. (let it cool back down to
> room temperature before you use it).