waxed resin and transoms

[rockyrude]

I am replacing my transom and was wondering, the reason for waxed resin is to get complete cure of the resin. I will be sealing the plywood with resin and a layer of csm prior to gluing it in with the PL. Will the PL stick to the waxed glass correctly or should I sand before gluing it in?

 

[jonesg]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

If you are stuck with waxed resin you just have to 80 grit power sand and wash with acetone, its much easier to go with unwaxed for most construction. I only use waxed for cosmetic or finish work.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

There's rarely a need for waxed resin. For glueing you just need to make sure the wax is cleaned off the surface, but sanding doesn't hurt.

 

[DualCore]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Ondarvr, isn't wax needed for the final (outside) layer in order to get a complete cure?

 

[SBTOM]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

DualCore-
I can say from experience that it sucks to have to work back from from a tacky layer of laminating resin... definitely need that surfacing agent when you get to the final coat! (I've wasted/ gummed up a bunch of DA pads that way)

 

[ondarvr]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Ondarvr, isn't wax needed for the final (outside) layer in order to get a complete cure?

Yes and no.

If you're going to be walking or sanding on it soon after its been laid up then possibly yes. If its in the bilge, or will be sitting for a period of time, then no. But different resins cure on the surface at different rates and for the most part if your using a coarse grinding disc no wax is needed.

Its rare to use a waxed resin in production, so very few (as in none on the vast majority of boats) finished laminates on boats have wax. The exception would be any post painted areas using gel coat. I don't remember the last time I ever put wax in resin.

Since a bare resin laminte is rarely a finished surface in a visible area, the wax just tends to complicate anything you may want to do after its been used.

 

[jonesg]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Ondarvr, isn't wax needed for the final (outside) layer in order to get a complete cure?

as in dry to the touch yeh,
but even though the surface feels tacky the resin is fully chemically cured.

The confusion arises from the written directions on most cans of resin.

The work goes so much easier without introducing wax.

 

[rockyrude]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Since this is the transom I'm talking about, you are saying on the glued side I should not use wax but on the splashwell side which will eventually be painted I should use wax, correct?

 

[chrishayes]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Since this is the transom I'm talking about, you are saying on the glued side I should not use wax but on the splashwell side which will eventually be painted I should use wax, correct?

I believe what you are being told is that if you want an absolutely smooth finish by sanding the glass with a fine grit after cure then you would want to use wax. If you are going for a "finished" but not perfect look then there is no reason for waxed resin to really ever be used in boat repair.

Also, from what I understand you can just take the wax off the surface with acetone. Or 80grit

 

[jonesg]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

Since this is the transom I'm talking about, you are saying on the glued side I should not use wax but on the splashwell side which will eventually be painted I should use wax, correct?

I re-did my tank compartment, bilge and transom this spring, no wax resin throughout, no prep needed for bilgecoat paint except dust it off.

If I had used wax resin I'd have to get rid of the wax for the paint to stick.

My 50 gal tank compartment is 84 inches long, 20 inches high, thats a lot of sanding , so if all that work can be avoided...

The instructions on Interlux paint says no prep required (sanding) for raw fiberglass, they are referring to unwaxed resin. Don't even need primer.

I get my resin from fiberglassite.com , they supply the wax with the resin but its not mixed in, if you need waxed you just add it before mekp.
But I have a lot of unopened wax bottles.

 

[jmyers112000]

Re: waxed resin and transoms

yes you would need to sand the wax off but if you a poor man like me the best way to seal the transom is to glue it then put i layer of fiberglass reson on it then let it set and dry next you take set the board in drill all your holes then take fiber glass reson between the hull and the boards whille its still wet you put the tie downs in and pull it tight it well act like glue when it drys
just a very cheap way to seal every thing