> Your original post listed these 4 points to getting better (my word)
> epoxy/wood bonds:

> 1. Use dry wood

> 2. Use right kind of epoxy

> 3. Get rid of all dust on the surface of the wood

> 4. Seal a new wood surface with epoxy within a couple of hours.

> The list gives no indication of the desired goal: How dry does the wood
> need to be, What brand or formulation of epoxy is "right", or
> How much dust and of what kind is acceptable.

> The list gives no indication of the benefit of the "best"
> relative to the typical or "worse".

You and I have different goals. As I understand your questions you want facts that can be used in calculations. I just wanted to know if there was a simple method or rule-of-thumb that could make the bond between wood and epoxy stronger. If I find anything that is easy to do I will use it otherwise I stick to information I get about the kayak i choose.

If you want to go directly to my sources there are some problems. I didn't ask the people if they accepted that I publish their names on Internet. But as a couple of them has a home page in English you can find their mail adresses and phone numbers yourself. :) Two addresses here below give some text in English, but you will have to write or phone to get the answers you want. If you can get them. The research is more basic than applied.

Royal Institute of Technology:

http://www.psm.kth.se/tra/forskn_eng.html#Stehr

Linköping Institute of Technology:

http://www.mt.ikp.liu.se/researchprojects/Minimizing-surface-defects.html

Lennart