Anybody knows where I can buy gallons of resin and the hardener? I know Walmart and some other places sell the cheapo Bondo quart of resin but although this is good enough for a few fixes and repairs, I am trying to build something for which a couple of gallons may be better suited. Thanks!
West Marine sells epoxy and polyester resins. They also have some fillers to thicken and glass. Aircraft Spruce is better if you can wait for shipping.
I have a large amount of knit bi-directional fiberglass if you are interested. It doesn’t wet out like the cheap stuff but it is much stronger.
It looks like Mariner Sails might carry west system’s epoxies as well. They are pretty close to the maker space.
Thanks for the input! I remember when I started with fiberglass in 1995, I could buy a gallon of polyester resin for $12.00.
I looked and looked the web for anything similar and there is nothing close. Granted that this was 20 years ago and not even coke is as cheap as it was back then, but didn’t expect it to go so high.
Had never heard of mariner sails. Will definitely take a look. Thanks!
When you say large amount of cloth, how much do you mean?
Yeah, it’s pretty pricey. I just got done re-decking my glasstron. I think I used 2 gallons or so.
I don’t know how much exactly is on the roll. but it is the full width (~5ft). I think I paid $3/yd for it and got 100yds or so. have not used very much maybe 10yds. The roll is actually in Waco at the moment.
I just got mine at Home Depot when I was designing and building my car. I will need to get a LOT more when I start back on that project. Is it THAT much cheaper/better from these other places?
Does Home Depot sell an epoxy resin? Aircraft spruce is a bit cheaper than west marine but the shipping charge eats that back up. They offer a broader selection of epoxies than west marine does though. I think there is a lot of debate over the best epoxy system.
Epoxy resin has a much higher bond strength than the polyester resins. Which makes it better for repairs. It is also less permeable to water and osmosis type issues.
I think Home Depot will sell the cheapo versions. A quart of the 3M Bondo and such. I could be mistaken, as I haven’t checked in a long time, but I think it is the same stuff you can get at Walmart or an auto parts store. If I am not mistaken, those are all polyester resins.
When my mentor was teaching my the fiberglass techniques, he mentioned those commercially available resins were no good. He gave me a reason but this was about 20 years ago so rest assured there is no way I can possibly remember it. With that being said, those were quite different days and it is quite possible that resin is not too bad. After all, what are we trying to accomplish here? To build a costume, a movie prop or a space shuttle? It is possible those commercial venues are good enough!
From a shelf life stand point, a quart is better than a gallon. I lost count of how many gallons I threw in the trash because I didn’t have too many parts (or time) to use it. But at $12 a gallon, who cares? Like I said, those were quite different times…
No, the Home Depot stuff is the typical car repair polyester resin. 118 oz
for $35. Since I am making a prototype, I was looking for the cheapest
stuff possible. I designed the car as I went so I wasted a lot on trying
stuff that I didn’t like when it was done so I ended up redoing it. The
prototype car is a lot of foam, wood, fiberglass, metal, drywall compound
and Bondo. All I need is a smooth enough surface to make molds from. The
real car will be carbon fiber.