Layup and Laminating Epoxy is the most appropriate product for gluing large areas such as laminating sheets of plywood, or in "stitch-and-glue" boat construction. It is specifically designed for ease of use in resin/fiberglass composite construction. It is exceptionally compatible in wood/fiberglass/ epoxy composite boat construction and ideally suited for glass layup on glass/ polyester hulls where blister repair requires additional glass layup.

Layup and Laminating Epoxy is formulated with a glass fiber welting agent developed by Smith & Co. after a nine-month research program. When you paint the resin on the surface and then gently press the glass cloth into the wet resin, in a few minutes you will see the glass cloth go completely transparent as the powerful wetting agent does its job.

Lower-viscosity products may wet glass cloth faster, but will be less flexible than the wood and can split the wood or crack themselves, with age, stress and wood expansion/contraction. Layup and Laminating Epoxy has a flexibility comparable to wood because its formulation and ingredients are derived in large part from the natural resins of wood itself.

The use of resins derived from natural wood or vegetable sources in order to obtain compatibility with the wood being glued is a characteristic of the Smith & Company product line: Not only the Glues, and the Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer, but the Fill-It Epoxy Filler and the High-Build Epoxy Paint [the moisture-diffusion barrier coating] are all based on this technology.

Most epoxy resin systems develop an oily film on the surface when they cure. This is called "amine blush" or "blush" or other more colorful names. The manufacturers of such products will tell you that you must sand between laminations in order to get adhesion. The genius at Smith & Co. spent quite a few years discovering what actually causes "amine blush" (since no one out there seemed to know) and naturally discovered the reason, which led Smith & Co. to be able to incorporate in Layup and Laminating Epoxy the technology to virtually eliminate that oily film and the need to sand between successive glass/epoxy layups.

Layup and Laminating Epoxy was upgraded in 1992 to incorporate the new Dual Synergistic Catalyst, a breakthrough in the control of epoxy resin curing. This new technology not only makes the existing product at least twice as convenient to use, but will bring about an absolutely dependable full chemical cure at temperatures down to 28°F (-2°C). This is done while maintaining the flexibility and toughness, which has been a hallmark of Smith & Co. epoxy adhesives from the beginning.

Layup and Laminating Epoxy is designed to be flexible enough to move with wood while being stiff enough to support glass fibers in a laminate. Even so, it is not brittle. You can see this for yourself. Mix a small amount and pour it on a piece of polyethylene sheet (such as a plastic bag) and allow curing. Just for fun, you could do the same test with whatever epoxy you have been using. In a couple of days lift the cured epoxy puddle off the plastic and bend it with your fingers. Ours will bend a bit and then crack and break. Some others will shatter like glass, with splinters flying up in the air. Wear glasses...this can be dangerous.

Layup and Laminating Epoxy is to be mixed one-to-one by volume, and is forgiving of minor mix ratio errors. Mixing by weight may be done at 10 parts A to 12 parts B by weight. For best results mix in one container, transfer to a second container and mix again. Allow sitting 10 minutes before use. Then allow sitting on wood joints with exposed end grain or exceptional roughness for at least half the pot life before assembly. Soft rubber pads under clamp faces will maintain an even pressure on the joint as excess glue is squeezed out.