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West System Alternatives

Sawtooth

Member
I know West Systems Epoxy seems to be recommended most often but are there others out there that are just as good? I like to help the little guys compete when I can.
 
I've used System Three and like it. I'm not sure it qualifies, though, as a "little guy".
 
Lots of good epoxy resins - - different properties though. I use West unless I need something it does not do (properties). I have used some of the following. Not nearly all they offer!!

Resin Systems
EZ poxy
PTMW industries

Warning: Reading selection specifications can make one dizzy.
 
In the fiberglass boat circles Total Boat epoxy is pretty popular, along with West Systems..
 
West Systems

Can't go wrong with West Systems. I also used some High Temp epoxy from Fiberglast when I made the plenum for my plane.
 
Aeropoxy

Aeropoxy 2032 is 25% stronger than West and has a higher Tg, glass transition temp(194F vs 139F). I used it for my windscreen and like it a lotion
 
Total Boat Epoxy

One of my RV flying / building friends was a composite airplane builder before he discovered RVs.

He recommended Total Boat epoxy to me as equal to but lower price than West Systems Epoxy. My research shows that Total Boat can be mixed with West Systems and is the same strength. Total Boat can be purchased on Amazon or direct from manufacturer and is less money than West Systems.

A kit of Total Boat epoxy comes with pumps for less money than West System without the pumps. West Systems has been in metal containers but Total Boat comes in plastic containers.
 
We use Jeffco (now Rhino) 1307LV almost exclusively. It is much cheaper than West, and a much better resin system. We normally buy it from ACS. The specs are essentially identical to the European MGS 285 that is widely used for composite aircraft construction in Europe, at a fraction of the cost, and more readily available.

West has let me down enough times that it is banned from my shop. One of its main shortcomings is that it will cold-inhibit. You do a layup, and the shop temp is, lets say, about 60F. Before it cures, the shop temperature may drop to the low-mid 50s F. With West system, you will get a rubbery part. You can then post-cure it at whatever temperature you like, for however long you like, and you will never get a good cross-linked epoxy cure.

I've done layups with Jeffco 1307 down to the high 40s F, and although very slow, it WILL cure, hard. And with a post-cure in the 100F range, will develop full mechanical properties. I know. I've done test coupons.

The only other epoxy resin system we regularly use is for applications where customers seem ****-bent on painting our parts black or dark red, and we need a higher T_g. For those applications, we use a PTM&W system that requires a post-cure to 175F and has a T_g of about 260F. (again verified by test coupons)
 
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I bought a gallon kit of total boat epoxy. It is a west knock off and about half the price. Am told the formulation is identical. Has worked well and seems to perform exactly like west.

Larry
 
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We use Jeffco (now Rhino) 1307LV almost exclusively. It is much cheaper than West, and a much better resin system. We normally buy it from ACS. The specs are essentially identical to the European MGS 285 that is widely used for composite aircraft construction in Europe, at a fraction of the cost, and more readily available.

West has let me down enough times that it is banned from my shop. One of its main shortcomings is that it will cold-inhibit. You do a layup, and the shop temp is, lets say, about 60F. Before it cures, the shop temperature may drop to the low-mid 50s F. With West system, you will get a rubbery part. You can then post-cure it at whatever temperature you like, for however long you like, and you will never get a good cross-linked epoxy cure.

I've done layups with Jeffco 1307 down to the high 40s F, and although very slow, it WILL cure, hard. And with a post-cure in the 100F range, will develop full mechanical properties. I know. I've done test coupons.

The only other epoxy resin system we regularly use is for applications where customers seem ****-bent on painting our parts black or dark red, and we need a higher T_g. For those applications, we use a PTM&W system that requires a post-cure to 175F and has a T_g of about 260F. (again verified by test coupons)

curious if you were using the slow or fast when the west stopped curing. I was always told that the slow would do this below 60, but the fast would still cure at much lower temps. Hoping to learn.

Larry
 
curious if you were using the slow or fast when the west stopped curing. I was always told that the slow would do this below 60, but the fast would still cure at much lower temps. Hoping to learn.

Larry

I think it was probably the slow. You may be right. I would ordinarily never use fast hardener because I need the working time to do layups. In that application it might have made the difference. In any case, there are better epoxies for less money.
 
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