Boat building supplies

[kudu]

Hello...Where is the best and most in-expensive place to purchase fiberglass mat, woven roving, resin, C-Flex strip and epoxy in large quanties?...Thanks

[duluthboats]

Here is a few to look at. With this stuff you get what you pay for. The resin and fabric will be the foundation of your project and hard to change later. Choose carefully.

http://www.masepoxies.com/mas11.htm

http://www.raka.com/index.htm

http://www.westsystem.com

http://www.fgci.com/main_frame.html

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/marine.html

Gary

[kudu]

My set of plans state that I need approx. 4500 lbs of Resin to construct the basic hull and deck. How does one convert poundage to gallons?

[Ward]

Well, I know these are not the best materials to build with, but they worked well for me. I would not recommend them for a large boat, nor a powerboat, since the hull wil ltake more abuse. I recently built a 12' pirogue entirely out of materials from Lowe's and Wal-Mart. For the wood, I just used 2 sheets of normal 1/4" plywood, which were $10 each. For the fiberglass resin and mat, I got them from Wal-Mart. I used bondo brand polyester fiberglass resin, which is $9.87 a can. I can't remember the exact price of the mat, but it was only a few bucks. I did all the inside fillets with the multidirectional style mat, in strips about 3" wide. This is where the strength of the hull comes from. Then, I covered all the seams on the outside with the woven style cloth. This was more for sealing than for strength. I covered the entire outside of the hull with the same bondo glass resin, to seal the wood. Then, I got some cheap enamel paint from wal-mart (94 cents a can), and painted the hull. The enamel paint will protect the resin underneath from UV rays. I have not yet finished the inside, its still bare wood, but I am just going to paint it white. Since it doesnt get very wet, this should be plenty. All in all, I have built a pirogue for ridiculously cheap. Heres what I used

2 sheets 1/4" plywood - $20
4 Cans bondo fiberglass resing $40
Fiberglass Mat - $5
Fiberglass Cloth $5
4 Cans Blue Enamel - $4

Total : $74

[kudu]

The materials I will be purchasing are to be used on a 48' sailboat, I think the guys at Walmart would faint with an order that large, but my wallet would be happier!!

[duluthboats]

4500 lbs, that’s a lot of resin. I just put a 5 gallon plastic pail of epoxy resin on the scale. I read 45 lbs, so my math says you will need 500 gallons of resin.

Gary

[Palmer]

Kudu, since you're in Seattle try Boeing Surplus. You might not get any resin but you'll probably be able to find fabrics.

[kudu]

The plans state 4500 lbs.. Is it feasible that a 48' double ender pilothouse cutter would need that much resin??? I have no idea! With that estimate in mind I figure somewhere around $18,000.00 to do the basic hull and deck, am I in the ballpark?

[kudu]

As for going to Boeing Surplus, I was hoping to find a "package deal" with a supplier who handles the resin, roving, mat, and c-flex strip...Is Boeing Surplus associated with the Boeing Corporation or a separate entity?

[kudu]

It appears, based on a guess-estimation that 10 x 55 gal. barrels of resin is needed. Yikes!!

[kudu]

It has been suggested that I obtain a business license for the purpose of building boats. With such a license one is likely to get better discounts for materials. Is this legitmate seeing that I at this time I only want to build one boat? Anyone know what the average cost savings would be? Also, would this liscense give the enviromental police free reign to come "a knockin" whenever they choose too. Thanks

Hi, Kudu

You get your best deal if you tell them how much stuff you want to buy, and get bids--this is definitely true of Fiberlay.

http://www.fiberlay.com/ is in Seattle.

Yes, that is a reasonable amount of resin for a boat that size.

You will need 80% of that weight in glass Mat/roving or biaxial/mat. Consider using vinylester for at least the outer two layers, to avoid blisters.

Consider C-Flex for a one-off.

http://www.glen-l.com/supplies/cflex.html

Tim Dunn

[PeterJ114]

I've used several epoxy types for wooden boat building, rebuilding, fiberglass construction, carbon fiber, and for various home repair chores.

There are several advantages to the MAS line of epoxies (http://www.masepoxies.com) as follows:

1) very low blush - excellent transparency

2) various setup times depending on the hardener, including a wonderfully long setup that allows for correction of fiberglass layups without ripping everything apart - very sensible!

3) Much less reactive and lower allergic reactions - very important if you value your health and want an epoxy that isn't going to drive you nuts. This will be VERY important if you're going to be using a large quanitity, as appears to be the case here. You don't want to suffer from epoxy allergies halfway through and have to give the project up.

4) fantastic support - they know their stuff

I also use this epoxy for making fine furniture, and it works well there, too