: Scott & Sam,

: It sounds like you both are satisfied with the epoxy, but are not sold on the
: cloth or the hardener. Is this correct?

Hi Steve

There have been folks that have had problems with the 5oz. glass cloth from Raka, but some have had No problems with it either.

I have used their 6oz. and 3.75oz and been very happy with either. The 5oz. cloth has been something that Raka just introduced in the past few months and most folks were using either the 4 or 6 oz before that with no problems. If you are unsure, stay away from the 5oz cloth, but the rest of their products are VERY satisfactory. Don't discount all their products because one has been questioned.

The 350 hardener is but one of their line as well. They have many good quality hardeners, both fast and slow. Some of us used the 350 as it's advertised as "no blush", when other folks were having trouble with blush messing up their finishes or subsequent coats of resin. But, that's personal error as they hadn't taken the time to clean off residue (blush) and not the fault of the product.
There is question as to how hard the epoxy will get with the 350 hardener and since several folks have used it successfuly, I would say that this is a matter of personal preference. I think Sam had brought up a problem that he found with the hardness, but don't remember. But, again, several folks have used it to good end, so again, this is all personal taste and preference.

I don't think you would be unhappy using any Raka products other than the 5oz. cloth. Try the 4 ( 3.75 )oz. satin weave from Raka. It's been very popular as has the 4 and 6oz. As was mentioned, you should probably try a combination of hardeners depending on the temps in your area.

When you call RAKA to order, talk to Larry Steeves and he will give you the low-down on their products and where and when to use what. He's really cool about that. He's also very good at guestimating the amounts you need for your size boat. He also has sample kits you can pick up for $10 I believe and you can test and experiment with different products to get a better idea of what you want.

Rehd