Hi Brian,

Like Pete says, using an unknown epoxy is a risk. However, we've all taken risks at one time or another. The question is: do you want to be that trendsetter on your boat?

I was one of the first RAKA users on this BBS. I shied away from the expensive "Big 3"---WEST, MAS, System-3. But, (and this is a big but) I didn't take that much of a risk, because I knew of a commercial wood dory builder who uses RAKA and swears by it. At $118 for 3 gallons, you're saving a lot more than buying full-priced $60/gallon stuff from the big name formulators.

What I mean by 'keep looking', is to keep looking for users of US Composites epoxy. Someone has tried it, and they probably either love it or hate it. Email US composites and ask them if they could refer you to any of their wood boat-building customers to get a personal referral.

Raka is cheap because Larry doesn't have any middlemen. He buys the components directly from the manufacturer and sells the epoxy directly to the end user. WEST, MAS, and System-3 all have distributors, dealers, marketing, and other overhead costs that raise the price of their product. US Composites might be one of the low-overhead 'little guys', or they might be a greedy big guy mixing sawdust into flour.

Shawn

: I haven't used this product, but here are a few thoughts about epoxy.

: Epoxy manufacturing is a mature industry. There are no magic shortcuts. All
: the "manufacturers" we deal with in boatbuilding epoxies are
: actually "formulators", who buy their materials from the actual
: manufacturers, blend them to obtain desired physical characteristics, and
: then resell under their own label. 90% of all the epoxy resin sold in this
: country is manufactured by one of 3 companies - Dow, Shell, or CIBA-Geigy.
: These 3 and several other companies make hardeners. But they all act more
: or less like OPEC. Unless you are a HUGE user, you don't get much of a
: price break.

: There are lots of diluents used with epoxy and hardener, to tweak physical
: characteristics and reduce the cost of the mix. Nonyl phenol is one, and
: butyl acetate is another, but there are hundreds. These diluents are
: generally far cheaper than epoxy and hardener. Ergo, if you have a cheap
: product, it has lots of diluents. It's sort of like bulking up bread by
: adding sawdust.

: It is not possible to tell what this epoxy is designed for. Maybe it's used
: for missile nosecones, and if so it should be more than adequate for
: boats. But then again it may be designed to make computer circuit boards,
: and if so electrical resistance would be a lot higher on the priority list
: than physical strength.

: Pardon me if I'm boring everybody with this concept, but I would rather not
: risk the hundreds of hours of woodworking involved to save a few dollars
: on a questionable resin. The idea of having something break at an
: inopportune time and place gives me pause for reflection too. YMMV, but
: I'm for sticking with a known product, even if it costs a little more.
: RAKA, for instance, sells a 3-gallon kit for $118; a little pricier, but
: they have a good reputation on this BBS for service and performance.

: Maybe I'm too conservative here. If your risk management algorithm says go
: for it, please let us know how it turns out.