GRP - The Kit

From left to right;

Digital scales, the Sicomin Epoxy SR5550 resin mixes at 100grams to 29 grams, scales work to +- 1 gram, not good enough for cocaine but fine for resin. Scales live in a plastic bag to avoid resin contamination.

Release wax. Ensures clean release from table, or anything else you don't want the resin to stick to.

1 kilo pack of Sicomin SR5550 and the 5505 hardener. Goes off at 25 degrees C to touch dry in an hour.

Pair of good kitchen scissors to cut the cloth before and after curing. Double layers need sheet metal shears.

Digital tempreture guage. Working tempreture needs watching, keep it below 15 C and you can work the resin or a resin based-filler for hours. Above 20 C you've got maybe half an hour before it gels, keep it above 25 C for a couple of hours to ensure a hard cure. Seven days to achieve full strength.

Paper (not plastic) cups to mix resin and the squeegee ("Slips") used to apply the resin, Unlike Polyester resin brushes are rarely used, resin is 'squeegeed' into the cloth, not stippled. Epoxy resin is much easier to work, sticky, thixotropic, no liquid phase, no major exothermic reaction. Might have been designed for the job.

Wood chisel, for popping cured resin off table and cleaning table. Cured resin releases easily this way, minimises damage to table.

Fan heater. Key tool. Allows resin cure period to be completely controlled. Work in the cool, do all the layup, turn on the heating and run away while it gets toxic.

Also essential but not detailed. This is taking place in a sealed room (Plastic sheet and studding)This will contain both the curing vapours (not especially toxic) and the dust that will come later. There is a ventilation fan exhausting air and the entrance has a double door. It is intended that air leaks in, not dust out. The air exhaust is into a water trap to minimise duct release. Paper overalls, dust masks and nitrile gloves are also neccessary. Wear ordinary 'surgical' latex gloves over the nitrile pair, The Nitrile gloves are proof against the low-molecular wieght resin but are fragile. The latex gloves protect them.

GRP -  The Kit