Polyseter resin

[Jim Robinson]

Has anyone used polyester resin instead of epoxy for coating there boats? I have a gallon of the stuff left over from earlier surboard building projects. I am not considering it for the seams, will use epoxy for that, but what is the downside to using it to coat the hull? My current boat project is a Birder 2, using Okoume plywood.

I have enough epoxy for the seams but will need to order more to coat the hull, thus my question. Plus its not easy to find a use for a gallon of polyester resin.

Thanks

Jim

[Brent]

The polyester will work. If you are going to finish the birder bright go with epoxy.

I have used the system 3 epoxy with good results. I usually get a gallon of resin and a quart of medium and a quart of fast hardener. The fast gets used only during the winter time when it takes for ever for the medium to cure. The stuff will keep for a very long time.

[Charlie Jones]

Call B and B and order a gallon of epoxy from Carla. Best price you'll find for epoxy ANYWHERE.

Same mix as Sys 3 or MAS, or Raka. but costs less than all three. Use Graham when you can.

Why go to all the trouble of building a nice boat, with top notch plywood, then scrimping on the coating? Polyester doesn't do as good a job as epoxy resin does as a coating. Period. Eventually you WILL regret it.

I'm just glassing two Birders myself and I would never even consider coating with polyester resin. Just plain isn't worth it for that job. NOT what polyester is degined for.

[John Weigandt]

Even I.. the notorious master of cheap and dirty boat building would not risk using polyester resin for that task

I do have one polyester / glass coated boat that is 20 years old, and still holding together.. but the top deck had poly and no glass and has had some splitting and peeling over the years.

The 2 birders I built have simple Lauan plywood construction, and they are glassed on the seams with epoxy but simply primed and painted with an oil based enamel. I towed one this summer probably about 50 miles over 4 days in Salt water, and it lived to tell the tale.

If you didn't want epoxy, I swear that the oil based enamel alone is probably better than coating with polyester..

John

[Tom Lathrop]

The earliest stitch and glue boats were made with polyester resin and many very successful racing sailboats were done that way. It required very careful procedures that are not needed with epoxy.

Also, Ray is correct that polyester will not cure properly over epoxy so you should not even consider that. Use your polyester somewhere else.

[Jim Robinson]

OK, thanks everyone, the polyester will stay in its can, probably forever. Its nasty stuff anyway.

I did not realize B&B shipped epoxy, I will check that out.

Jim