: I have always cringed at your insistence on using a roller to apply
: resin instead of my dump-and-spread method with a squeegee.

And I have cringed at your dump-and-spread method from my experience
with with a pool of resin absorbing through and floating the cloth causing
a micro foam as the squeegee forces resin through dry cloth and/or having
excess resin under the glass (especially inside the hull) which thickens and
can't be removed with a squeegee. I hate chasing runs on vertical surfaces.

Obviously, you've worked out those issues.

I've
: always felt that a roller tended to froth-up the resin too much.

I've worked out that issue. By simply wetting the roller cover and letting the resin
have time to absorb into it, the roller cover produces very little foam, at least with System Three
REGULAR resin. Seems like a small point, but it makes all the difference.

I have not used the more expensive "Silvertip" resin from System Three
so I don't know how that compares with other resins.

: However, It seems that several years ago something changed in
: the MAS formulation which caused more bubbles. I have to work
: harder to avoid bubbles now than I used to. If MAS had more
: tendency to foam/froth up before relative to other brands it
: appears that the characteristic has increased.

I hate "new improved"!!!

: I have talked to the folks at MAS about the issue and they insist
: that nothing has changed, but I am not the only one who has
: noticed. Your comments here suggest that we probably aren't
: imagining things.

That's interesting, I was hoping you would respond since you've worked
with MAS for so long.

: I am still getting good results with my methods, but the care I
: take is slowing me down.

Yes, once I was fully aware of the issue I'm able to keep it under control.

: I second your comments about being cognizant that different resins
: work in different ways.

There are seemingly small differences that end up making a big difference
if you are unaware of the problem. The bubbles were so small with the MAS
resin, I thought they were residual sanding dust (looked like sand in the resin)
never dreaming these were micro bubbles.

I've learned with System Three regular resin and hardeners, all bubbles will
dissipate with warm temperatures and thin coatings.

With the MAS which seems to set-up in half the time, I've had to lower shop temperatures
to slow resin set-up to give bubbles more time to break and/or use a heat gun to break
bubbles.

So it's good for builders to know (but it's hard to know if you haven't used)
the differences in the resins people build with.

I've never used RAKA, I don't know how that's different.
Now people are talking about using Ecopoxy, what's that like?

I can't say I have ever been happy with
: all of your recommendations for clear layups because they didn't
: leave much room for variations in how different epoxy systems
: handle. I.e. rolling vs squeegee.

Well, I never expected or thought I would change anyone's mind who was happy with the way
they are working. At least I hoped my competition was overconfident enough and wouldn't adopt
all my methods making their life easier. Nobody follows instructions anyway.

I've tried to provide information for new builders to show exactly what has worked consistently for me.
To provide some basic working ideas about epoxy that should/will work for any brand. Learn how to
keep epoxy thin so it will wet-out glass. Remove excess from glass.
And apply thin coatings to allow air bubbles to escape.

: EpoxyWorks magazine from Gougeon/West System just had a good
: article about bubble free coating and they recommend flow
: coating, pouring from the bottom of the container

See, small things, like knowing "pouring from the bottom of the container"
means "because all the bubbles form mixing will have floated to the top"
make a big difference.

and using a
: blow torch to eliminate bubbles, so it is obvious that there are
: many ways to approach the problem. I guess it does say something
: about the safety of using epoxy around open flames if a blow
: torch is OK.

Wow, not everything in print is a good idea. West System epoxy may not
ignite but I'd hate to find out which epoxy WILL ignite with an open flame.
Or set the wall on fire as you inspect your surface and hold the torch off to the side.

The heat gun will do the same thing with fewer firemen involved.

But you've hit the point. Approaching the problems means knowing
what the problem is, or what problem you might be creating.

Then you can figure out how to put out the fire.

Rob