Stan Orme, a man who spent most of his career in Telecommunications, always had a special talent. He had a knack for building things, a talent he described as his “first love”. Along with his wife, they didn’t just reside in houses but breathed new life into them. They undertook the renovation of multiple homes ... Can Woodworking Dreams Float? More
In 2021, our technical guru Hamish Cook set out on an incredible project. Using a variety of tools, Entropy Resins® products, and Lego, Hamish made a wall hanging that he and his family will adore for years to come. In this walkthrough guide, Hamish details all the equipment he used, alongside step-by-step instructions on how ... How To Make a Decorative Wall Hanging with LEGO and Epoxy More
James Case has been a member of Wells Sailing Club since he was a child. “It’s always had the same bar,” he says, “but when the club decided to do a major refit, we decided to make a new bar with a nautical theme.” Which is where his previous expertise as a self-employed boat builder ... Raising the bar with ENTROPY RESINS Clear Casting Resin More
The transparency of ENTROPY RESINS® CCR clear casting epoxy makes it ideal for the creation of a ‘river table,’ a furniture design that mimics a stream flowing between two ‘banks’ of wood. River tables (sometimes also called water tables) have become a sought-after piece of furniture as they combine traditional timber with clear cast resin ... Make a river table with ENTROPY RESINS More
Hamish, one of West System Technical Team, has a solution for those times when accurate application of epoxy to make a repair on a small surface is key – trim your bristles! Here he explains how to adapt your brush for a delicate repair. “WEST SYSTEM 803 Glue Brushes have one inch bristles which are excellent for priming fillet joints, ... How to adapt your glue brush for a delicate repair on a small surface More
The summer months are a good time to restore weathered wooden fittings and trims. The long evenings allow them to be stripped, prepared and primed with WEST SYSTEM 105 Epoxy Resin with 207 Special Coating Hardener for a rich, deep gloss. Before and after: This 50-year-old wooden pedestal and travel horse assembly was stripped back ... Dead wood? Bring out the gloss! More
One of the key advantages of learning from the experts is that you pick up some great tips for saving time and money when using epoxy products. Here are some from the recent Beginners Course held at WEST SYSTEM Warehouse in Romsey: Suffering hair loss? “You’ll get through a lot of cheap brushes when working ... The Top Tips for Beginners from the WEST SYSTEM® Course? More
We found yet again another useful video made by Andy Miller, teaching you how to give teak a professional wood finish. This easy to follow two-part series walks you through each stage step-by-step – the first part, linked here, begins by running through the materials you’ll need and how to use epoxy to prepare the ... Varnish like a pro! More
In this article, our technical expert Hamish Cook shares his passion for archery – and talks us through how he built a traditional flatbow in bamboo and epoxy. The flatbow is the most traditional and ancient bow of them all. In prehistoric times before gunpowder was invented, this tool was used by tribes around the ... Build A Bamboo Archery Bow? More
It’s very important to dispose of unwanted epoxy safely. Fortunately, disposing of PRO-SET®, WEST SYSTEM® Epoxy and Entropy Resins® is easy if you follow our advice. We recently heard from a customer who had tried to flush some uncured epoxy down the toilet. However, it didn’t flush away and instead stuck to the bottom of ... Dispose of Epoxy Safely? More
We’ve all had those times when we only needed a little bit of epoxy. Maybe to fill in a chip, fix something that’s broken in the house or to glue something small together. How do you mix a small amount, properly? WEST SYSTEM®’s very own technical advisor, Hamish Cook, explains all. I’ve had a couple ... How to Mix Small Amounts of Epoxy Resin and Hardener? More
Epoxy really is a life saver when it comes to common wooden boat repairs. Instead of having to replace entire damaged plywood panels, these areas can be removed and replaced using epoxy to create a strong and resilient wooden boat repair. Boatbuilding with plywood and epoxy has become more popular in recent years. The simplicity ... Replacing damaged plywood sections with epoxy More
Barrier coating provides a great way to protect your boat against sun damage and moisture, whilst also supplying a smooth and stable base for your finishing coat. However, if the barrier coating has been damaged, you will need an easy way to restore the coating to ensure your boat is still protected from moisture. Here, ... Four steps to repair barrier coating with epoxy More
For decades, carbon fibre has been used purely for its lightweight properties, hidden away under the skin of the world’s fastest yachts – but not anymore. Furniture-maker Nicholas Spens puts the black check fabric centre stage in his sinuous, state-of-the-art designs and he trusts PRO-SET® epoxy to add a brilliant and robust finish. “Under ... Composite furniture that’s ahead of the curve More
Do you ever need to thicken and change the colour of your epoxy – to fill a split or a screw hole perhaps? Adding sawdust or sanding dust to it can seem like a resourceful way to thicken epoxy but that’s not actually the case. Technical expert Hamish Cook explains why. 1. The chemistry doesn’t ... Three reasons not to thicken epoxy with sawdust – and what to do instead More
How do you ensure that your hardwood structure doesn’t lose its natural sheen over the years? According to engineer and experienced boat restorer Mark Raynes, the answer is preparation, preparation, preparation – plus a good dose of WEST SYSTEM® epoxy. You can’t beat the look of natural wood on a boat. On my MANCHESTER AND ... How to keep your hardwood structure looking naturally beautiful with epoxy More
There’s nothing more satisfying than applying that final finish coat after a long project. At the same time, there’s nothing more frustrating than waiting week after week for all those layers of varnish to dry. “Varnishing is often a time-laboured process…But there is a way to achieve the perfect varnish, in less than half the ... How to effectively varnish – in under a week More
Gary Thompson was visiting the famous Red Sky Craft boatyard in Kotka, Finland, when he came across a simple but ingenious solution to dispensing large volumes of WEST SYSTEM® G/flex epoxy. Allan Savolainen and his team at Red Sky are big fans of WEST SYSTEM G/flex 655 epoxy, using it for all their bonding applications. ... Epoxy pumps: when bigger is better More