resin to hardner ratio

delirious

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
101
i am about to "paint" a wooden boarding ladder i made with resin. about half a liter can of resin. i will probably mix half the can (quarter liter)...how much hardner do i use to not have it go off too soon?
 

minuteman62-64

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
1,350
Re: resin to hardner ratio

If it is epoxy, follow the mfg. directions. It is my understanding that epoxy is not real tolerant of "tinkering" with resin/hardner ratios.

If it is poly, what's the point? You'd probably do just as well, if not better, with a good spar varnish and not have to worry about hardner addition.
 

delirious

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
101
Re: resin to hardner ratio

thnx...just thought poly resin would be a better coating for water resistance...besides, i always have it around, but no varathanes here....all done now.

it is a temporary solution to all the bruises i got frm climbing in via the outboard in choppy water while swimming, snorkling n diving.

i also think a boarding ladder is the law up here, and i dont like the looks of a permanently mounted swim ladder.
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,930
Re: resin to hardner ratio

Poly resin will not stand up by itself as a coating. It requires Chopped strand mat since it has no binders.
 

Decker83

Commander
Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
2,593
Re: resin to hardner ratio

+1^^^ WOG is correct 100%. The poly will crack and let the water in for sure.
 

delirious

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
101
Re: resin to hardner ratio

it is a temporary solution. it will have the bottom 12 inches submerged for an hour or two at a time. i think it will be fine and the hour spent building and coating it was enjoyable. the wooden steps were made frm a pair of speaker stands i cut down for my speakers (i like to repurpose things) the 3/4 plywood was scrap frm another project, and the only "coating" i had around was the resin. the ladder has no flex to it, the resin is thin coat, i believe i will get the remainder of this season out of it, and next for sure...maybe more. besides...putting a permanent boarding ladder on my glastron seams...ummm...well..like a massive job. the deck is very thin, everything on the deck seems as though it was nut n bolted b4 it was capped, making access to both sides virtually impossible. meaning, i cant just screw down a boarding ladder, and no access to both sides to nut n bolt with some sorta backing material. this time next year i`ll let yaz know how its holding up, and soon i`ll let yaz know if the design works well. but thanx for your input.
 
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