: 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

I am thinking about ordering some 6oz cloth from them, and wanted to know how carful they handle and ship the glass. Ijust dont want to have any snags or bad spots in it. Has any body had good or bad experinces with them.