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Popular Uses of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy
Bonding & Filleting
WEST SYSTEM Epoxy is excellent for structural bonding and fillets. It can be easily thickened with a number of fillers to modify consistency and strength.
There are two types of structural bonding that can be done with epoxy.
TWO-STEP BONDING is the preferred method for most situations because it promotes maximum epoxy penetration into the bonding surface and prevents epoxy-starved joints.
SINGLE-STEP BONDING is appropriate when joints will have minimal loads and excess epoxy absorption into porous surfaces is not a problem. In both cases, epoxy bonds best when it is worked into the surface with a roller or brush.
Coating, Laminating & Clear Finishing
COATING AND LAMINATING are popular uses of WEST SYSTEM Epoxy. Epoxy wets out fiberglass cloth, protecting the substrate while letting its beauty shine through. We recommend WEST SYSTEM 105 Resin with blush-free, water-clear 207 Special Clear Hardener for bright finishes and clear coats.
COATING involves rolling the epoxy onto a surface with a foam roller, applying it with a brush, or spreading the epoxy over the surfaces with a plastic spreader. .
There are two methods for laminating with fiberglass and epoxy.
THE DRY METHOD refers to placing the cloth over a dry surface, wetting the cloth with epoxy and spreading the epoxy over the cloth, smoothing it as you go.
THE WET METHOD involves applying the cloth to an epoxy-coated surface after the wet-out coat becomes tacky, which helps it cling to vertical or overhead surfaces. This method makes it more difficult to position the cloth, so the dry method is the preferred, especially when using with thinner cloth.
Clear Casting & Pouring
CASTING AND POURING are best done with WEST SYSTEM 105 Resin and 207 Special Clear Hardener.
AVOIDING UNCONTROLLED EXOTHERM is important, as this heat reaction can quickly spoil the casting.
Epoxy cures by exothermic (heat) reaction. That heat must be kept under control when when creating a thick casting (greater than ¼”). For thick castings, add epoxy in multiple layers . When the first pour is tacky like the back of masking tape, a second pour can be made. When the epoxy cures enough to become tacky, it means the previous layer has begun to cool down and will not contribute heat to the next layer. Adding another layer at this stage allows you to skip any surface prep.
If the poured epoxy casting cures past the tacky stage, allow the epoxy to finish curing then sand ot dull and clean the surface before applying the next epoxy layer. This will ensure good adhesion between layers.
Versatile, reliable WEST SYSTEM products
WEST SYSTEM offers high-quality epoxy resins, hardeners, fillers, and additives. Developed by our in-house chemists, our formulations are proprietary, structural, and marine grade. These epoxies have set the standard for epoxy quality in the marine industry and beyond since 1969.
Versatile WEST SYSTEM Epoxy meet the highest standards for reliability, consistency, and product support.
Fiberglass Boat Repairs & Construction
This vintage 15' Larson Thunderhawk was repaired with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.
Damage from collisions, groundings, the forces of nature, and aging make it common for fiberglass boats to need repairs.
Effectively repairing a fiberglass boat requires a superior structural adhesive, that adheres to polyester resin, fiberglass, wood, metal and other materials.
Unlike polyester resin which can shrink from 5% to 8%, creating stress concentrations at the repair joint, epoxy doesn’t shrink. It's also a more effective moisture barrier. Epoxy forms a tenacious mechanical bond with cured polyester and other materials in secondary bonding. Since epoxy is more durable than polyester, the epoxy repair may be even stronger than the original structure.
Ease of use, ready availability, safety, and easy access to how-to information makes WEST SYSTEM Epoxy excellent for fiberglass boat repair.
Wooden Boat Construction & Repairs
This strip canoe was built with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.
Wood is the primary building material for many of today’s most durable and most beautiful boats, whether canoes, kayaks, dories, sailboats or power boats. Many of the wood/epoxy construction techniques that have made modern wooden boats so successful can also be applied to the repair of older wooden boats with excellent results.
Gougeon Brothers, Inc., the company that has been formulating and manufacturing WEST SYSTEM Epoxies since 1969. They pioneered the use of epoxy to enhance wood's natural structural properties.
Ease of use, ready availability, safety and easy access to instructional materials makes WEST SYSTEM Epoxy a great choice for wooden boat construction and repairs.
Furniture & Crafts
The Eat a Peach Tribute Guitar using marquetry skills and WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.
Whether you're creating a river table, casting jewelry and works of art, making high-end knives, repairing sporting equipment, creating sculptures for public spaces, designing cosplay props, or building or repairing musical instruments, WEST SYSTEM Epoxy is versatile and reliable.
Woodworkers and creators of all kinds depend on WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.
Home Repairs & Improvements
The detail work on this Victorian home was repaired with WEST SYSTEM Epoxy.
Homeowners rely on WEST SYSTEM Epoxy because it's versatile, reliable, readily available, consistent, and offers excellent instructional materials.
WEST SYSTEM customers have used it to create spiral staircases, grand entry columns, and cherry wood basins. They've used it to build fences, trellises, and planter boxes, and neighborhood mini-libraries that can withstand decades outdoors. And to repair everything from porches and wooden window sashes to fiberglass tub and shower surfaces.
Ease of use, ready availability, safety, and easy access to how-to information makes WEST SYSTEM Epoxy an ideal adhesive and coating for lasting home repairs.
WEST SYSTEM Product Selection Guide
How to choose the right WEST SYSTEM Epoxy products for your project:
1. Start with 105 Epoxy Resin, the basic ingredient of all WEST SYSTEM Epoxy compounds. Use 300 Mini Pumps for convenient and accurate metering.
2. Mix with one of four WEST SYSTEM hardeners. Select a hardener for its intended use and for the cure speed best suited for your job in the temperature range in which you are working.
3. Add one of six WEST SYSTEM fillers to thicken the mixture as needed. Select a filler for its handling characteristics or cured physical properties. Or, add WEST SYSTEM additives to provide specific coating properties. WEST SYSTEM pigments can be used to change the epoxy's color.
An ISO 9001:2015 certified company
Founded in 1969, Gougeon Brothers, Inc. (GBI) formulates and manufactures WEST SYSTEM products. In 2020, NSF International recertified GBI's ISO 9001:2015 status, which ensures consistency in epoxy formulation, production, packaging, and instructional materials.
Drew E. Larsen
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2025
West System epoxies and hardeners have been working great for me. The 206 hardener dries hard and clear.Amazon's packing of the item is my only complaint. The container wasn't in a bag and there was nothing else in the box to keep it from moving around during delivery. The container leaked into the box making a bit of a mess.
Rosemarie Fatula
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
Very good product. I have used this several times in the past and highly recommend it.
WillyP
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
I'm almost at the end of this can. It's not something I use often, but when you need epoxy, West System is a good choice. I undoubtedly will buy this again.
Jillus
Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2024
Great Product
Michael Gordon
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
Been using West System 206 hardener for years refinishing carbon fiber racing boat hulls.It’s excellent for my needs!
cabinfever
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2020
Product was fresh. I've used seven gallons of west system epoxy on my boat rebuild project. So I had to purchase 205 and 206 hardeners in the quart size seven times. This is only the second time that the hardener wasn't colored amber. (which is still ok to use according to West System tech support) It turns that color from age. This has changed my way of shopping on Amazon which is turning into a dumping ground for old and expiring or already expired products. I bought a quart of gelcoat from a third party seller that had the expiration date sanded off. I didn't discover this until nearly a year after I purchased it. Since I had no experience with fiberglass before this project, I didn't know that gelcoat has a shelf life of about one year.
MsFrugal
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2020
Woah, once I finally got the lid off, I didn’t notice any odor. I had some leftover resin from other kits that I ran out of hardener for and this is the ONLY company on Amazon that I could find to purchase just the hardener. Yes, I know that there’s no good reason to come up short on hardener, but anyway, a leaky pump that defied theLaws of physics was a culprit on top of mixing by weight instead of volume. When working with less than 20ml, it’s difficult to pour and I have yet To find a pump that’s able To Effectively Pump thick resin. Anyway, back to this product, it has a slightly amber tint that doesn’t really change any color additives I used but forget about true colorless clear casting. Fast! Very fast! I only had 18ml in med cup and it was cured in 15 minutes and yes, I mixed it correctly at 5:1. It was still tacky and solid. So, maybe 10:1 if you need more working time. That’s been an hour ago and it’s touchable and not even tacky.
txaggie13
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2017
I use this with the 105 resin to fill cracks and imperfections in solid wood. You can either dye it to a color you want or use it clear as is. You’re going to end up with a lot of bubbles as with any epoxy, but I use a small torch with indirect heat to pop those and get a perfect finish every time. It’s difficult to work with so if it’s your first time I would recommend watching some videos on YouTube or something to learn more before you dive in. But the product works exactly as intended. Don’t expect to fill a large crack all in one pour. Work in stages or you’ll end up with voids. Get the pumps that they sell as well in order to get the perfect mix and make it easier on yourself.
Cynical1
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2013
Hardener arrived faster than expected. I have been using the West System for years because of its reliability and predictable handling characteristics. While it may cost more per ounce than other brands, I consider my labor as a valuable asset, and to me it seems foolish to try to save a few dollars to jeopardize a task that will take many hours to do right the first time.
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