I just finished watching from you first video. Yeah, epoxy and fiberglass... I built a 12-foot Mackinaw drift boat as practice for building the Tillamook. I'd never done fiberglass before and had no idea there was a minimum temperature requirement. (I don't remember the brand of epoxy, but it was neither Total Boat nor West System.) I called the company and asked how long it should take to cure at (don't remember temperature, but probably 50s or 60s). The man said it would never cure that cold. No mention of that in instructions. I was building outdoors. I tented the boat with tarps and put a propane turkey fryer under it and ran that until the hull was warm enough to cure the epoxy. Lesson learned. I used West System on my Tillamook in warmer weather with no problems. My pumps work well when new, but I pull up on them after each stroke to be sure they fully returned. If the resin pump has been in the can for a few months, it probably won't return without assistance. I don't recall hearing you say how old your epoxy was. I think the recommended shelf life is a year, though I'm too cheap to throw anything away based on expiration dates. I'm still using remainders of resin and hardener on small projects a couple of years after first use. Get in touch with me at OregonOldTimer@gmail.com, and I'll send you the building diary I kept while building. It's more detailed than the video.
It was a brand new batch with brand new pumps. Like you I always forcefully return the pump to full extension. I truly believe the pumps were mis calibrated or just plain incorrect.
I just finished watching from you first video. Yeah, epoxy and fiberglass...
I built a 12-foot Mackinaw drift boat as practice for building the Tillamook. I'd never done fiberglass before and had no idea there was a minimum temperature requirement. (I don't remember the brand of epoxy, but it was neither Total Boat nor West System.) I called the company and asked how long it should take to cure at (don't remember temperature, but probably 50s or 60s). The man said it would never cure that cold. No mention of that in instructions. I was building outdoors. I tented the boat with tarps and put a propane turkey fryer under it and ran that until the hull was warm enough to cure the epoxy. Lesson learned. I used West System on my Tillamook in warmer weather with no problems.
My pumps work well when new, but I pull up on them after each stroke to be sure they fully returned. If the resin pump has been in the can for a few months, it probably won't return without assistance.
I don't recall hearing you say how old your epoxy was. I think the recommended shelf life is a year, though I'm too cheap to throw anything away based on expiration dates. I'm still using remainders of resin and hardener on small projects a couple of years after first use.
Get in touch with me at OregonOldTimer@gmail.com, and I'll send you the building diary I kept while building. It's more detailed than the video.
It was a brand new batch with brand new pumps. Like you I always forcefully return the pump to full extension. I truly believe the pumps were mis calibrated or just plain incorrect.
Reach out to the manufacturer? They might have insight for certain batch numbers, etc.
That's a good idea. Total has had good customer service for me in the past.