Resin Suggestions

[Panther6834]

I have a Styrofoam RC plane float set that I want to use as the 'base' of a boat rescue platform. Knowing that Styrofoam, by itself, is neither "strong", nor a material with a long "life expectancy", I figure the best 'solution' is to cover the floats with resin (I would also be adding pigment to the resin, as opposed to painting the Styrofoam before resin coating).

My first question is, what type of resin should I use? From what I've read, polyester resin shouldn't be used with Styrofoam, while epoxy resin is supposedly the best option...but, I have no confirmation on either, or what (if any) other types of resin I should consider. The other half of the equation is cost. I can't afford to spend $175+ on a resin kit. Heck, I can't even afford to spend $100+. At the other end of the spectrum, I've found some reason kits as cheap as $20-30 (for example, the Art & Craft Epoxy Resin Kit, from Magic Resin)...but, I don't know if this is 'quality' material, or if the 32oz kit will provide enough resin to do two layers on the 30" floats.

Has anyone used the epoxy resin kits from Magic Resin...and, if so, how is the quality? Can anyone recommend other options that are "affordable", as well as "good (or better) quality"? It should also be a resin that can be colored with pigment (the nice thing about the resin kits from Magic Resin is that they include 5 pigment colors in the package). I'm willing to spend up to $40 (maybe up to $60, but that's seriously pushing it) on a resin kit.


~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

[NativePaul]

I'm in th UK so don't know that brand, but from an art and craft shop I would expect it to be casting resin and not best suited to the job, what you are after is called epoxy laminating or skinning resin. West systems is a resin brand with a good reputation in the states.

1lb would be more than enough to cover 2x 30" floats.

Adding just resin will add little strength or stiffness, adding 25gsm or 1oz/yd glass cloth will make them massively stiffer and stronger for little added weight bit is too thin to make it dingproof for that you would have to add 100-200 GSM 4-8oz/yd glass cloth.

[Bande1]

I used polyester resin over styrofoam to make a mold. I dont think it melts it. pretty sure it doesnt.

you can use any basic epoxy. the little tubes from the hardware store is fine. just dont thin it with acetone or something. maybe denatured alcohol.

[Panther6834]

Here's the floats in question:



I've never worked with fiberglass, so not even sure how to go about doing it. Plus, the bottom has multiple curves & angles, which I'm thinking could (would?) cause problems. That's why I was thinking just resin. Plus, there's the cost...the West Systems 1gal epoxy is WAY more than I'm willing to spend, way more than I can afford, and way more than should need to be spent just to cover a couple floats for a rescue platform. And, that doesn't even cover the fiberglass. I'm also going to check to see if they have smaller epoxy kits.

~ More peace, love, laughter, & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place

[Bande1]

you dont have to get the tip top of the line ultra premium stuff. go to autozone and get some evercoat polyester resin for $25 and a bag of fiberglass cloth. test it on a piece of scrap first.

or just get a pool noodle and a piece of PVC.

[larryrose11]

I am a huge fan of Entropy Resins, especially the slow cure.

https://entropyresins.com/product/clr-clear-laminating-epoxy/

They cure harder than the West systems (I have tapped threads into blocks of them)

The glass part is easy.
The goal is to use a little epoxy as posable, because having more glass than epoxy makes it stronger and lighter.
Start with 4 oz fabric, and cut it dry to fit the shapes, 2 layers.
Wet it out with pre mixed epoxy. I use saran wrap on the bench and lay a sheet of saran wrap over the top of the glass / epoxy and a bottle as a rolling pin to squish it all around.

Lay the wetted out glass over the pontoon, and put saran wrap over the top to hold it. Cured epoxy does not stick to saran wrap. (Peel Ply would be ideal here, but at an increase cost).
Put some tape over that to get it to conform smoothly.
You may want to do this in multiple sessions to make it easier.
I use a heat lamp on low to make the epoxy cure faster, but only to 120F. Any hotter will discolor the epoxy, and probably damage your part.
Store the extra unused epoxy in the freezer and can use it the next day if you got the slow cure.

[ray schrauwen]

I did the bottom of my Black Pearl sport hydro recently and it turned out well with 3/4oz cloth West Systems and denatured alcohol as I learned from here. I still have to top to do. It was my first time and a bit scary.