Fiberglass suppliers

[camron]

I am going to be replacing the deck on an 18 footer this winter. Any suggestions on where to buy fiberglass supplies online and and any preferred kind of glass and resin. Most of the fiberglass work I have done in the past has all been small areas.

Any input would be appreciated

Thanks
Camron

 

[DaleH]

Call Larry at Raka epoxies, talk to him and tell him what you're doing and make sure to tell him that I sent you. He'll set you up!

Raka epoxy is a simple 2:1 mix regardless of how much you mix. See their info at www.raka.com; I find their epoxy every bit as good was West Systems and a much better value, only costing ~ 1/2 the price and even better - no expen$ive mix pumps are needed.

NOTE - for large batches, DO NOT put into a bucket! It will cookout in minutes! If you need a larger batch, get some aluminum trays like big ol' cookie sheets with a side to them. But still best to work in reasonable batch sizes. Again, Larry has info on his site for almost any project and he will work with you to make sure you get what you need and know how to do it!

 

[camron]

Great info and the prices over there look good. I will give him a call tomorrow.

Thanks Dale

 

[warthog5]

I've used very little Raka. Just some sample stuff.

Price and user friendly I use US Composites 2 to 1. So check them also.

 

[camron]

Thank you warthog I will check them out as well

What kind of masks do you use for grinding? I saw one that said for applying chemicals paint and resin. Would this also be good to use when doing the grinding?

 

[windknotnc]

Epoxy Resins are nice but I have had great success with polyester resin. I pay about $120 for 5 gallons.

 

[DaleH]

Epoxy Resins are nice but I have had great success with polyester resin. I pay about $120 for 5 gallons.

For re-doing the floor, I too would use epoxy resin ... you want that for anything structural IMHO.

 

[warthog5]

Thank you warthog I will check them out as well

What kind of masks do you use for grinding? I saw one that said for applying chemicals paint and resin. Would this also be good to use when doing the grinding?

You could use that....I just use a good grade particle mask.

 

[camron]

I spoke to the guys at raka and ordered from them. Now I have a few boxes and a large roll of fiberglass sitting in the dining room lol. I am going to start pulling it apart thanksgiving weekend.

 

[dingoatemebaby]

hey camron can you document the build for us? thinking about pulling the deck on my 18 as well and could seriously benefit from some first hand knowledge, thanks!

 

[camron]

Sure I can do that. I will take a bunch of pictures as I go

 

[camron]

I need a bigger garage just about an inch of clearance on each side.

On another note does anyone have an idea on how much of the pourable foam I would need to redo the foam as I have to replace the stringers I think I am going to have to pretty much distroy it to get it out?

 

[warthog5]

You can reuse some of the solid/ dry foam you dig out. What you do is use the pourable foam and use it to glue in the older stuff. This will save you some money.

 

[camron]

You can reuse some of the solid/ dry foam you dig out. What you do is use the pourable foam and use it to glue in the older stuff. This will save you some money.

Thanks. I will wait to order the foam until I find out what the insides look like