: First, what I did/used. Epoxy is 3 months old. I calibrated both
: pumps to verify a 2:1 pump ratio. The hull was sealed with West
: epoxy. Heat soaked the shop at 80 degrees for 6 hrs. West epoxy
: with 206 slow hardener heated to 80 degrees. Poured immediately
: into a heated, flat pan and applied with West foam rollers.
: These questions are based on what I have read here and the results
: I "expected" to get.
: First: I read that epoxy needs to be warm and as thin as water to
: get a good application and wet-out.
: Actuality; the epoxy was thick, like maple syrup, from the very
: beginning. I could see the epoxy being "stretched"
: between the wood and roller, very difficult to keep the glass in
: place. After two filler coats I cannot see the glass so the wet
: out seems fine but I am stuck with a very textured surface as
: the epoxy did not seem to flow out very well. Sanding will
: eliminate this I hope but I may need another filler coat and
: would like to eliminate the "textured" look.
: Second: Apply any reinforcement cloth when the base is no longer
: tacky and can still be dented with a fingernail. The time frames
: I have read here are anywhere from 4 to 12 hrs.
: Actuality; My 6 oz. cloth was dry and difficult to make a
: fingernail print in less than 2 1/2 hrs. so I added the 4 oz.
: cloth over the football area. This makes me very nervous about
: using the "fast" hardener for fill coats.
: The good news is I got a good wet-out as the cloth is gone and I
: had zero runs, drips or sags which I am sure is due to the thick
: mixture.
: The bad news is, I am sure I have added extra epoxy weight to the
: boat, created a sanding job for myself and made myself nervous
: about using "fast" hardener.
: So, please tell me what I coulda/shoulda done??
: Thank you in advance,
: Randy

Oh yeah btw, the only time I use fast hardener is quick repairs where I need it to cure fast. Otherwise that hardener causes more problems that it solves.

Bill H.