Just thought I would share my experience using Raka epoxy system and their 5oz cloth.

There was some discussion a few weeks back about the cloth so I decided to try it out on the Razor Bill Auk I am building. At $3.38 a yard for 30” width it was a great price and their literature claims that it is stronger than their 6oz plain weave. It wetted out great to a very smooth surface that only needed one fill coat to get a smooth finish. There is one hitch. if you want a completely clear finish don’t use the 5oz cloth. There is a 3/8 x 3/8 grid in the weave that is visible from close up even after it is wet out (see image below). As my Razor bill is being built for racing I am willing to put up with it for the lighter weight and extra strength. It might be an excellent choice for inside the hull and deck.

Here are a couple of other observations

1. This is the first time I have used Raka epoxy. 127 resin + slow 606 & very fast 610 hardener In my 65 deg shop It is not as thin as the MAS that I used in my first boat. I strongly recommend that you warm it up in a sink full of hot water prior to using it. I kept bottles on a heating pad when I wasn’t mixing.

2. Raka is completely clear vs brown for other epoxies I have seen. This actually turned out to be a feature as I used a lot of dark WRC in this boat and it wetted out to a nicer color than with the with MAS. I actually like the yellowing effect MAS had on white cedar but always felt that it made red cedar too dark.

3. I did a seal coat on the hull prior to glassing and would recommend it when using 5oz or lighter or S glass. The smooth finish on this weave makes it a little more difficult to wet out than the 6oz plain weave. There is a tendency to put on too much epoxy in an effort to get the complete wet out. This results in either floating the cloth or wasting epoxy that you squeegee off. I did a very thin seal coat and then was able to use a minimum of epoxy in the wet out without worrying about starving sections.

4. I used a 50/50 mix of the slow (606) and fast hardener (610) on the seal coat. I used only slow on the wet out. The slow hardener gave me lots of time to go back touch up spots. With the 50/50 mix I could work at night and use a cabinet scraper on any drips in the morning. With an all slow mix I could scrape after 24 hours. I have not encountered a blush yet but did a quick wash down between coats just in case.

Hope this helps anyone considering Raka products