Sailing Uma · video

What this video covers

Epoxy and vinylester resins perform similarly when used for structural tabbing and bonding marine plywood, according to unscientific stress tests conducted during a boat refit.0:25 The crew compared the two resins by laminating plywood samples and tabbing fiberglass ribs onto existing bilge structures, then applying manual leverage to induce failure.1:24 In all tests, the failure occurred within the plywood or at the mechanical bond interface rather than within the resin-fiberglass laminate itself.16:07 Vinylester costs approximately 10 euro per liter, while epoxy costs between 35 and 42 euro per liter; the crew estimates using vinylester saved them 9,000 euro over the course of their 300-liter refit.11:54 While epoxy offers better penetration into wood and is often preferred for structural gluing, the tests suggest vinylester provides sufficient strength for most secondary bonding applications on their nine-ton vessel.23:31 The crew concludes that using epoxy for every task is often overkill, though they plan to use epoxy for specific wood-to-wood bonding and small-scale structural work.24:24

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