oops!
Supreme Mariner
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2007
- Messages
- 12,932
A question was asked on another thread.....I dont want to hijack....so I started a new one.
I don't want this to turn into another poly vs epoxy thread....but I do want to cover some basics.
Here is the back ground.....
And here is the question.
Let me try to break this down....
First off..when any one builds a boat.....it is there boat.....and they can build it however they want with what ever materials they choose.
Poly resin, Even if improperly applied.....will last the typical home boat builder far longer than he will care to keep the boat.
If the home builder chooses to use epoxy.....that is a great tool for the job...it will make the boat last longer...
But if a properly done job with poly will last 40-50 years...and epoxy will last 60.....where is the real benefit?
The average boat owner only keeps a boat 5 years !!
Lets look at Mccraney.
He is doing a fantastic job on his build......his boat will last 40-50 years with average upkeep.
We know......because he is the kinda guy he is....
After his build is done.....in a few years he is going to want a different boat to fit his changing life style......his kids will be older, possibly a few more bambinos, he might decide his needs are a toon....or possibly a deck boat or cruiser series in the 30 foot range.
What benefit would he get if he used epoxy?....
Higher resale?...possibly :facepalm: but not enough to make any real difference in his life.
So for the cost of the epoxy being twice as expensive as another product that will last 50 years.....why use it?
Epoxy does have its uses in race boats......The hydrodynamic stresses of 100 mph boats....dictate that a strong product be used....
Poly could easily handle these stresses, but to get the stregnth needed, you would have to manufacture with vac bagging, extra layers of triax cloth.....this is just more weight, so Epoxy and kevelar is the choice, because you can achieve the stregnth and stiffness with less product thus less weight.
So.....to break it down to its most simple statement.
In the boats we are working on, what ever kind of resin we use, is a personal choice.
I like the poly because of the very fast cure times, I can do a entire boat in no time. with Epoxys 24 hour cure times.. Its do a layer .....wait a day......do another layer....heck...for a simple stringer transom deck job. It would take 3 months to do a job I can do in a week. As a pro....The customer will kill me for taking so long !
Again, for what we do here.....it is a personal choice to the builder, we cannot come down on a guy for deciding he wants to use a cheap or expensive product in his build.
I don't want this to turn into another poly vs epoxy thread....but I do want to cover some basics.
Here is the back ground.....
And here is the question.
Let me try to break this down....
First off..when any one builds a boat.....it is there boat.....and they can build it however they want with what ever materials they choose.
Poly resin, Even if improperly applied.....will last the typical home boat builder far longer than he will care to keep the boat.
If the home builder chooses to use epoxy.....that is a great tool for the job...it will make the boat last longer...
But if a properly done job with poly will last 40-50 years...and epoxy will last 60.....where is the real benefit?
The average boat owner only keeps a boat 5 years !!
Lets look at Mccraney.
He is doing a fantastic job on his build......his boat will last 40-50 years with average upkeep.
We know......because he is the kinda guy he is....
After his build is done.....in a few years he is going to want a different boat to fit his changing life style......his kids will be older, possibly a few more bambinos, he might decide his needs are a toon....or possibly a deck boat or cruiser series in the 30 foot range.What benefit would he get if he used epoxy?....
Higher resale?...possibly :facepalm: but not enough to make any real difference in his life.
So for the cost of the epoxy being twice as expensive as another product that will last 50 years.....why use it?
Epoxy does have its uses in race boats......The hydrodynamic stresses of 100 mph boats....dictate that a strong product be used....
Poly could easily handle these stresses, but to get the stregnth needed, you would have to manufacture with vac bagging, extra layers of triax cloth.....this is just more weight, so Epoxy and kevelar is the choice, because you can achieve the stregnth and stiffness with less product thus less weight.
So.....to break it down to its most simple statement.
In the boats we are working on, what ever kind of resin we use, is a personal choice.
I like the poly because of the very fast cure times, I can do a entire boat in no time. with Epoxys 24 hour cure times.. Its do a layer .....wait a day......do another layer....heck...for a simple stringer transom deck job. It would take 3 months to do a job I can do in a week. As a pro....The customer will kill me for taking so long !
Again, for what we do here.....it is a personal choice to the builder, we cannot come down on a guy for deciding he wants to use a cheap or expensive product in his build.
