Hardener for west marine system

[Zen]

I found a unopened gallon of west marine epoxy system. I must of picked it up for my real boat and never used it. I don't know if I had Hardener or just lost it. I I have the Hardner pictured below. Can I use that. Or must I use a specific West Marine hardener? Also can west marine epoxy be used to seal and also finish. Can the epoxy be thinned? What would I use and what would be the ratio? I am sealing and finishing a woodstuff f1

[JimClark]

That is not for west systems. Go to their Web site and you will find the numbers for the Hardners. They will be in a can

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[tlandauer]

That is not for west systems. Go to their Web site and you will find the nombers for the gardners. They will be in a can

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Agreed.
Yes, you can seal wood with it, but use 207 hardener. They go by certain number, 207 is slow hardener, allows the epoxy to penetrate. That 's what I used, didn't thin the epoxy out, can't advice on that.

[Zen]

Thanks guys. The Hardener might be around the gallon of epoxy. I can't see myself picking up the epoxy without the hardener. But who knows. My barn is a gigantic mess so it still may be back there somewhere. If not. Is that 207 hardener a common thing? Instead of west marine brand can another brand be used. Can I get it at a hardwear store? The west marine I use is around my shore house about 150 miles away. I also might be using the wrong thing. Directions say use drops not anything that comes in a can. I will post a pic of the gallon can when I get home. Maybe you guys can tell. I know it's polyester. I'll post a pic shortly.

[tlandauer]

Epoxy number is 105, common hardener is 206. Usually you see them referred as 105/206. For slow jobs where you want to have longer pot life and better window of time for penetration, 207.
Because West System is not a 1:1 mix system, I am not educated enough to tell you whether you can use any other hardener.
There is also a shelf life span to consider, how long has the epoxy been sitting in your barn?
Google it and you will read all about it, also you can mail order so you don't need to drive 150 miles, unless you are in an extreme hurry....

[pescador]

That hardener is for polyester resin like gelcoat not West Systems, maybe it's a gallon of gelcoat?

[Zen]

Ok the memory on my iphone won't let me take pics until I open some memory up. But here are the basic on the can. It's item number 516237 1 gallon with 1.5oz included. Polyester boaters resin. Says cures to a hard finish. A economical resin for general purpose construction and repair of boats. Uses are for metal fiberglass and wood. 18drops of resin to 1oz of resin. Apply it with brush roller or squeegee. That's the basics.

[Zen]

Here is the description
Product Description

Final coat resin, cures when exposed to air
An improved, professional-quality surfacing resin for use as a final coat on fiberglass layups. Free flows to fill cracks and gaps. Applies more easily than thick resins. Cures tack free. Hardener included.

Formulation: Polyester surfacing resin
Recommended Usage: Final coat resin; cures when exposed to air
Cure Time: 4 hrs.
Recoat Time: 30 minutes

[78MaicoRider]

You may have bought it at West Marine but it's NOT West Systems. The following in the description is confusing "cures when exposed to air" and "Hardener included". Why do you need hardener when it air cures?

[Zen]

I agree. It says west marine and it's the west marine label. I know because I buy there for my real boats. It's pretty confusing to me also.

[siberianhusky]

"Waxed or unwaxed? When purchasing polyester resin, why do the labels specify "waxed" or "unwaxed"? What's the difference?
Most polyester-based fiberglassing resins will not cure when exposed to air, they need a barrier to separate the resin from the air. In unwaxed resins, the top layers of the resin itself acts as that layer, allowing the resin under it to cure, while this top layer stays tacky (uncured). This surface tack makes unwaxed resin ideal for larger, multi-layer projects, as the bond between layers is excellent. It is also the resin used against a mold surface, as waxed resin will tend to release while curing.
Waxed resin has wax suspended in the resin. This wax forms a surface film when the resin is applied, separating ALL the resin from the air, allowing it ALL to cure. It is used when the resin or gelcoat is the final layer and a non-tack surface is needed. It is also the type of resin to use before finishing with paint, although the wax must be removed with a proper wax and grease remover prior to painting. The wax takes about 24 hours to set up hard, and you can add addition fiberglass lay-ups on top without any preparation within that time."

Borrowed from the Marine Outfitters site.

[tlandauer]

Very informative, thank you.