West System Epoxy

[MacGyver]

Just wanted to let you all know about a letter I received form West System today reguarding their Epoxy system.

They have stated the Jamestown Distributors is selling a epoxy like theirs, and they say it is compatible with West System.....

WEST SYSTEM does not stand behind this and is notifying all of their dealers and techs.

Tomorrow I will (or the next few days) post the majority of the letter I received about the claims of their product, and hopefully will have done some research on this as well to see what exactly they are talking about.

I read the letter pretty quick before I was called out to go put up a mast with a crane.

Mac

[philb Junkie19]

After using West System epoxy for a wide range of building and repair projects I've got to say the product is great and that Gudgeon Bros., the makers, are unparalleled in their customer support. I've phoned and emailed questions and always received timely responses. I had a keel repair question on my 16. (My wife said we should use the wide channel and avoid the big rocks. I said I'd been through this shorter way there plenty of times. Crow doesn't taste that good.) I ended up sending a picture of the damage to the Gudgeon rep who responded with effective advice on the repair. Also,their manuals, paper and online are really complete. I'll building a mast and will be be scarfing mast staves this afternoon with West System and have to say while epoxy does just what I need I hate working with it. I prefer working outside or where there is lots of fresh air moving.

[Bob23]

Thanks, Mac for the heads up. I like using West System epoxy although I'm just a rookie. Looking forward to the letter.
Bob23

[MacGyver]

WEST SYSTEM Distributors and Dealers,

Jamestown Distributors has launched a line of private label products that mimic our WEST SYSTEM brand. Despite the old saying "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" we find their lack of creativity and infringement on the WEST SYSTEM "look" and product offering, which we have built since the 1970's, objectionable.

I want to assure all of you that we at WEST SYSTEM have nothing to do with this product offering and we are not the manufacturer of this "brand".

Further, there are claims being made on the Jamestown Distributors web site and in at least one "review" on the site that allege their products are interchangeable with WEST SYSTEM. We have not tested any of their products and we do not endorse the use of these resins or hardeners with our resin or hardeners.
We are a ISO 9001:2008 company and as such, we have very strict quality control standards in place in our formulation and manufacturing processes. All raw materials used in the manufacturing process have specifications that are verified all along the formulation process to insure our consistant high quality. WE DO THE WORK!
That being said, we would never recommend or suggest that a user should risk mixing chemicals that have not gone through our quality control process with our time tested, quality control checked formulations. The risk to an end use customer experiencing a catastrophic failure is not a gamble we are willing to take.

For more than 40 years we at WEST SYSTEM have been committed to and will continue to support the traditional manufacturer to distributor  to dealer distribution model because we believe that this model adds value for the cunsumer. We understand private labeling is not a new phenomenon and we will compete based on our high quality/value products, 100% shipping performance and unmatched technical customer service.

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End of letter

I am not totally sure which brand on Jamestown website they are talking about, and it looks like maybe some reviews were removed as the epoxy kits I think it is, they have no reviews...... But this hit us about a week ago, so word might have got out, or perhaps WEST SYSTEM had a talk with Jamestown about their contract to sell, Or something........ I am not sure.

But wither way, dont mix epoxies, not a good idea, as the formulations of any brand work best with their own purposeful setups.

Just passing along info, to help keep people out of trouble.

Mac

[Koinonia]

I never mix stuff from different companies, its trouble waiting to happen!

[skip1930]

Well I sanded my fiberglass hull of my dingy and have begun working the new wood.
The wood is cedar with varnish for color and clear epoxy over that for protection.

The plan is to mix up some West System Epoxy and use a sponge roller to lay down a nice smooth coat on the hull.
Then a layer of Primrose Yellow paint on the hull and light blue inside.
Now I just have to pick out the right kind of epoxy and paint.

skip.