Lew Hodgett wrote:

"Brian McCafferty" writes:

I'm looking for opinions on what is the best Epoxy for general boat repair
and Cedar strip Canoe kits? I'm going to sell them on a website that has
been in existence for over 2 years and I am expanding the product line.
snip

When it comes to laminating resin, snot is snot, just stick with one
manufacturer.

If you expect to make any money, you buy 500 lb drums and repackage it
yourself.

There are only about 4-5 base resin suppliers in the world.

The money is not in the resin, it's in the hardeners.

Again, repackaging hardeners is where your money will be made.

Having said that, you now address a whole series of issues including
equipment, storage, liability, etc, which will impact your margins.

If you are going to sell kits, you also have to repackage fillers.

Good money if you do it right, but fillers are a basic PITA.

What about glass?

Repackage from rolls?

Don't forget, glass has a shelf life.

What about supplies? Disposable suits, gloves, spreaders, plastic buckets,
etc, etc.

Somebody has to sell them for these kits.

What about abrasives?

Somebody has to sell them for these kits.

I won't even go near the wood part of this project, but a similar series of
questions exist.

HTH
-----------------------------

issues to consider:


how brittle?
Does it blush?
exotherm - will it melt the mixing cup or smoke (exotherm varies with each
epoxy)
Viscosity?
hazmat or non hazmat to ship?
can be private labeled?
Mix ratio (the closer the numbers the better)? Price (of course)?

email support -good test - as to be faxed/mailed or emailed an MSDS for the
resin in cure. Everyone in the 'chemicals' business considers MSDS requests a
'pain in the ass' so if they respond back, and respond quickly, you probably
have a vendor that will provide support even when he knows a request for MSDS is
some one shopping or comparing (or even a competitor) and will probably not lead
to a sale.

Email a question on Friday night and see if you get a response before monday!

- my pet peeve is websites with no product prices. I also find many epoxy sites
confusing when you need to buy the curing agent and the resin separately instead
of as a kit (and I'm in the business).

RE other folks comments: There are about 3 or 4 different epoxy resins and
about 60 or 70 different curing agents (plus other possible fillers,
additives,etc)

Some of the small cheap vendors buy in bulk from the 3 or 4 raw resin/curing
agent suppliers (generally giant international chem companies) - repackage and
resell. We, and the other 'primary' marine epoxy vendors, use the 'raw'
resins/curing agents for the big suppliers and then 'doctor' them to create the
so-called 'greatest' marine epoxy. ( as much art as it is science) - sort of
like 'fixing' the frozen pizza from the supermarket!

Cheers! paul



================================================== =====
PAUL OMAN ----- Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc.
Frog Pond Hollow - 48 Wildwood Dr - Pittsfield NH 03263
Boating site: http://www.epoxyproducts.com/marine.html
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