Contents:

* Adhesives in convenient two-part adhesive cartridges
* Complete wood-rot repair solution with EndRot kit.

Simplicity in epoxy adhesive use has finally arrived! Just drop a System Three u-TAH cartridge into a conventional caulking gun, add a mixer tip and squeeze and apply. What could be easier? Only need a little bit and don't want to use a tip? Then squeeze out some into a cup, mix and apply. In either case the cartridge properly measures the resin and hardener and can never get the ratio wrong. After you're done put the cap back on and the cartridge is ready to go whenever you next need it. Three different adhesives to choose from: QuickCure 5, T-88 Structural Adhesive, and SilverTip GelMagic.

A common technical question goes something like this: "Will XYZ paint work over your epoxy?" Or perhaps the corollary question "Will your epoxy work over ABC stain?" Our answer, which is almost always the same, often shocks the inquirer: "We don't know, you'll have to test it yourself. Here's how to do it...".

The obvious reason we offer the above answer is that we likely haven't tried the combination and besides it is not our responsibility to assure that our products are compatible with those of other manufacturer's anymore than it is for another manufacturer to determine that his products are compatible with ours. Can you imagine calling the maker of ABC stain and asking if their product works under System Three epoxy?

So, why don't we select a bunch of paints, stains and the like, for example, and run a series of compatibility tests? While arguably it might seem like a great service to our epoxy customers the only real benefit would be saving the user a little bit of time since any test we would do can just as easily be done by the user of both materials with the same level of confidence. Besides if we publish a list of what works and what doesn't work then we have assumed the responsibility of keeping such a list current. We would have to make sure that those who obtained an earlier version of the list have current information. How could we possibly notify all those who might be affected when a change occurs?

Compatibility changes can occur for many reasons beyond our control: The maker of ABC stain might change his formula slightly. Perhaps a certain raw material is no longer available and he substitutes another. He might have several plants around the country making the same brand name product all slightly differently to suit local environmental conditions. For whatever reason the ABC stain maker is absolutely under no obligation to notify System Three Resins when such changes occur. Would we not have assumed the liability for a failure when such a change causes a product to fail after we published that it would work?

Would you as our customer be willing to pay a huge premium for our epoxy resins for us to take this responsibly off your hands? The cost of testing and retesting product combinations (how often should we retest, by the way?), publishing the results, notifying users when changes occur and paying for failures when we miss something is not something we will ever do. What it boils down to is this:

We can be responsible to you but we cannot be responsible for you.

The Epoxy Book describes in some detail how to do compatibility tests yourself. These are the same tests that we do when we want to see how two products work together. Testing is not difficult nor are the results hard to interpret: If epoxy bonds to thoroughly dry ABC stain after two days it will still be bonded (absent outside forces) in two years or in twenty years. It does not decide to "let go" after a period of time so long-term testing is not required.

So, when you call or write with your compatibility question remember this: We are being responsible to you when we tell you to check it out yourself.

Over the last thirty years, chemical product manufacturers have had to meet tremendous challenges. Two of these with huge impact are regulatory requirements and, less prominent, but with greater long-term effects, changing customer attitudes. System Three Resins, a manufacturer of polymer products in the marine industry for over twenty-five of those thirty years, has met those challenges. And one area where we feel we've done better than most is marine coatings.

Historically, paint for priming and finishing boats has been solvent-borne. Over the course of our existence, we have seen the number and variety of products increase dramatically, due to customer demands for quality and performance. In addition, because of improvements in coatings technology, the ability of the manufacturers to respond and produce them has grown also. But even though we've seen tremendous changes and improvements across the board, one property has remained the same: marine coatings continue to be solvent-borne.

This means that the toxicity and flammability of these products, due to their solvent content, has not improved. For professionals this hasn't presented a problem, because they have the skill, equipment, and locations to use solvent-borne products successfully. On the other hand, for the amateur boatbuilder, boat owner, or "do-it-yourselfer," lack of the same traits and conditions has made the non-professional's options of ways to paint his or her boat very narrow. In addition, because professional painting operations and painters represent the overwhelming majority of the paint volume consumed, coating manufacturers have done little or nothing to service the amateur or do-it-yourself market with high-performance, long-lasting products.

The amateur's choices are limited to single-component alkyd-modified urethanes, pigmented and clear, and he's forced to use even these outside. This means that to get high-performance, long-lasting paint on his or her boat, the amateur is essentially forced to have it applied by a professional. There's also little reason for optimism on the horizon.

From the beginning, System Three has looked at the amateur boatbuilder and owner as very important customers. The slogan we adopted, "Boatbuilding Launched Our Company," is absolutely true. In keeping with this spirit we developed high-performance, two-part, low-hazard coatings for the do-it-yourself boat builder or owner. The initial product offerings, in 1992, were introduced after two years of formulation and testing, and represented the best technology available at that time.

Our paint products consisted of a two-part, waterborne epoxy primer, and a two-part, waterborne polyurethane topcoat(LPU). These two products still exist today, with a long track record of successful application by first-time, and many repeat, users. We believed in 1990 that the do-it-yourselfer deserved high-performance marine products he or she could apply with the skill level and equipment they had, and we believe it today. We're excited about the improvements in coatings technology over the years since our paint products were introduced. These developments afford us a wide range of options to formulate into coatings that will offer the customer more value and convenience than the ones we manufacture now.

There are a number of new low-hazard coating products currently in development at System Three, and will be introduced as soon as each one is tested and ready in production quantities. Check our WR-LPU paint page for what is available now, and check back here periodically for updates on what's coming up.

From Epoxytalk reader Brian D.,

One more method (for painted projects):

Don't use woven fiberglass as it does not "fold" very well.

Use unidirectional glass and run it across the edge at an angle. Most often, a 45-degree angle is OK. Very high angles, say 80 degrees from the line of the edge, can be used if necessary and allow the glass to fold over the sharp edge more easily. When one layer has cured, add a second and lay it so its angle is the same size but opposite in direction as the first. Repeat as necessary.

And if necessary:

Do not wet out all of the glass on either side of the sharp edge, but let it run dry over a couple of inches. Use duct tape on the dry glass on each side of the sharp edge to hold the glass in place. When applying the duct tape, pull the glass tight over the edge to remove any bubbles or "lifting" along the edge then press the tape down firmly to hold it there (staples work as well, or staples through tape, but must be removed later.)

o After the epoxy is mostly cured, use a SurForm to remove the dry glass from the edges of the wetted glass. Taper the edges (they may be ragged) with a carbide scraper and then sand.

o Use QuikFair to fair the edges of the glass.
Repeat if necessary

Now you need to write tips on fiberglassing corners, e.g. corners of a box or where the hull bottom, transom, and side meets. I use a circle of woven (usually lighter weight) fiberglass and cut a slit to near the center. I know, everybody does that. But the secret is to NOT cut the slit all the way to the center of the circle, but stop 1/4" to 3/8" short.
This will place uncut glass on the corner itself and due to the proximity to the slit, overlapping the glass to make the circle of fiberglass fit all 3 sides of the corner naturally stretches the woven fiberglass over the corner. You will have genuine glass (not fairing or filling) over the corner and less fairing to do on the adjacent side which contains the split and overlapped glass. I put on more than one layer and alternate which side of the structure gets the split and overlapped glass. It works. Our web site: http://www.glacierboats.com

Keep up the good work!

Avoid costly replacement and ineffective rot repairs with the EndRot kit from System Three. This system is easy to use and is the only complete solution to rot problems. It contains a non-toxic wood preservative to kill actively growing rot fungus and keep it from coming back. Then restore the integrity and appearance of the wood with the epoxy-based sealer and easy-sanding putty. Don't lose the character and charm of your beautiful home. Restore it with the EndRot system.

Learn more at our EndRot Kit Product Detail Page
and our Wood Restoration Page

Order your EndRot Kit today on our secure EndRot Kit Order Page

We Have The Amount Your Project Requires.
There are larger sizes available of each of the components of the EndRot Kit. We have the right size available no matter how large your repair. Please contact your supplier for available sizes and prices or call us toll-free at: 800.333.5514