West Systems Epoxy

[Mike Griffin]

West Systems Epoxy is the best I have ever used.  There may be something better out there but I have not found it.  After the material hardens in the epoxy cup, you can tap it on the work bench and the left over epoxy will easily come out of the cup and the cup can be used again rather than throwing it out as the below photo shows.  I have tried the 105 with bot the slow and fast set hardener and they both work well although the slow set is my favorite.

Mike

[billbyles]

West Systems Epoxy is the best I have ever used.  There may be something better out there but I have not found it.  After the material hardens in the epoxy cup, you can tap it on the work bench and the left over epoxy will easily come out of the cup and the cup can be used again rather than throwing it out as the below photo shows.  I have tried the 105 with bot the slow and fast set hardener and they both work well although the slow set is my favorite.

Mike

I agree, Mike...I use it both for my models & for full-scale airplanes.  Having a variety of hardener cure rates is really useful, like when I am attaching a formed 1/16" birch plywood full-length leading edge skin on a full-scale Pitts Special.  You just need time to work since it all has to be glued in one operation.  The pump dispensing system makes getting the correct proportions of resin and catalyst simple.

[Randy Cuberly]

I agree, Mike...I use it both for my models & for full-scale airplanes.  Having a variety of hardener cure rates is really useful, like when I am attaching a formed 1/16" birch plywood full-length leading edge skin on a full-scale Pitts Special.  You just need time to work since it all has to be glued in one operation.  The pump dispensing system makes getting the correct proportions of resin and catalyst simple.

Hi Bill,
How does it do in the shelf life issue?  Do you keep the components in a refrigerator when not in use.  I'v had a problem with this issue with several different epoxies but have never tried West Systems.  I have heard of it.  I assume it's available from Aircraft Spruce?

Thanks,
Randy Cuberly
PS:  Are you coming to VSC?

[David Hoover]

Shelf life is phenomenal.  I had some that had sat on the shelf for years and it still cured properly when I finally got around to using it.

[Mike Griffin]

Hey Randy,

This is Mike not Bill but yes, I bought mine from Aircraft Spruce.  As far as shelf life goes, I really dont know.  I called West before i bought mine and talked to the man who owns it (by the way, a prince of a fellow to talk to) and he did not mention any special storing instructions.  I bought a quart of the 105 Resin and the 205 and 206 Hardner.  One is slow and one is fast.  Make sure you order the pumps so you can screw them in the cans and it will meter out the exact amount you need.  The ratio is 5/1   5 parts resin to one part hardner.  If you use their metered pumps that equals on squirt of hardner and one squirt of resin and that fits just right in a plastic epoxy cup.  This stuf is amazing Randy.  After using the hobby shop stuff, this was a pleasant surprise.  The slow set, after you mix it, spreads so smooth you wont believe it compared to the Bob Smith stuff you buy from hobby shops.  

Anyway Randy, hope this helped.  Hope you are doing well.   I am going to have gastric sleeve surgery in a week.  Hope to get skinny again.

There you go...David posted while I was typing...that will answer your question about shelf life....I havent had mine long enough to tell...

Your friend
Mike

[Don Coe]

Been using West Epoxy Systems for years building iceboats.  Shelf life is years.  Mike's right - buy the pumps.

[Randy Cuberly]

I ordered a kit and pumps today!

Randy Cuberly

[Mike Griffin]

 

[billbyles]

Hi Bill,
How does it do in the shelf life issue?  Do you keep the components in a refrigerator when not in use.  I'v had a problem with this issue with several different epoxies but have never tried West Systems.  I have heard of it.  I assume it's available from Aircraft Spruce?

Thanks,
Randy Cuberly
PS:  Are you coming to VSC?

Hi Randy,

I bought a couple of gallons of the resin about four years ago and am still using out of that batch along with the hardeners that I purchased at the same time.  No shelf life problems at all that I have found.  Great product, and I get it from Aircraft Spruce.

I am planning on judging at VSC and may fly classic, but there is a possibility of a conflict that will prevent me from coming there this year.

Bill

[Randy Cuberly]

Hi Randy,

I bought a couple of gallons of the resin about four years ago and am still using out of that batch along with the hardeners that I purchased at the same time.  No shelf life problems at all that I have found.  Great product, and I get it from Aircraft Spruce.

I am planning on judging at VSC and may fly classic, but there is a possibility of a conflict that will prevent me from coming there this year.

Bill

Thanks Bill.  My fingers are crossed that you can avoid the conflict...unless of course it stands to make you a lot of MONEY.

Randy Cuberly

[Ara Dedekian]

        Bought my West System Epoxy in bulk from a boat yard at least ten years ago. Despite the hardner having turned a dark brown it still cures up as if it were new.

        I meter the resin and harder with various sized syringes depending on how much I need. The West System pumps dispense much more than I normally need but use them to load the syringes. The largest practical size is my 2 ounce combat syringe and the 20cc - 30cc syringes are great for small applications. Using sliding paper rings on the outsides makes it easy to accurately (almost to the drop) measure the epoxy. The ring on the hardner syringe, for the West System, is 1/5th the height of the resin ring. Slide the top edge of the ring to the bottom of the plunger and stop dispensing when it reaches the bottom of the ring.

        Acrylic laquer thinner, as in dope thinner, thins the epoxy nicely and doesn't seem to change its properties.

        Ara