One of the most frustrating and time-consuming functions in building a boat is casting about for tools, materials, advice, etc. One of the most annoying of these frustrations is going through a bunch of vendors and/or suppliers to find one that has good service, good products, good prices, etc. We amateur boat builders need all the help we can get. To that end, I am going to share with you over the next few weeks some suppliers and manufacturers that I have found to be reliable and helpful and to have good products. In addition, I'm going to suggest some unconventional suppliers that can reduce costs and provide excellent solutions to boat-building problems.

In some cases (such as in the case of the first one listed) these suppliers are local to me. However, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service can bring anyone as close as your back door. Don't hesitate to use these vendors if you want to have high quality materials and save some money; in some cases quite a lot of money.

In ALL cases, these are suppliers or manufacturers whose products I have used and still use. Also, in NO case have I received any remuneration either real or in kind for my listing of them in this reference. I just want good people and good products to be recognized.

I have not given any pricing example (except in relative terms) because these things can change and I don't want to be misleading.

AA ABRASIVES
121 North 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA
Telephone: 215-925-6867
Fax: 215-925-4975

Ask for John or his father Donald

This is a family owned business supplying industrial abrasives to the trade. I use them for all of my sanding belts, sanding discs, carborundum cut-off wheels for the radial and bench saws (see Cutting Heavy Metal with Wood-Working Tools elsewhere at this site), carborundum cut-off wheels for the 5" angle grinder and grinding wheels for that same angle grinder.

Their quality is excellent (it has to be if they serve industry) and their prices can be LOWER than the discount home depots of this world. You will benefit most if you buy in quantity however. Don't expect to order one 3X21" 38-grit sanding belt and expect to get a real bargain. I always buy them in quantities of 10 which is the way they like to package them up.

If you want to sand it, grind it, cut it, burnish it, buff or file it in ANY way, these people will have what you need. They are helpful and reliable. I wouldn't use anyone else!

RAKA EPOXY Raka Inc.
41 North Congress,
#8 B. Delray Beach Fl. 33445.
Telephone : 561-279-8929
Fax : 561-279-2539

web site at:  http://www.raka.com/

Ask for Larry Steeves if you call, he's the owner.

Raka is known to a great many people for good reliable epoxy products. I have been using them for about four years now. Toad is built almost exclusively with Raka epoxy resins.

I especially like the way he packages his materials. The basic 3-gallon kit contains two FULL gallons of resin and one FULL half-gallon of Very Fast Hardener and one FULL half-gallon of Very Slow Hardener. The value is very good! Here's an example.

The other day I ran out of Raka resins. I had forgotten to order them and had to put in a rush order to Larry which he promptly filled. But, in the meantime I had NO epoxy to continue work and launch day is approaching. I went out to my local (in New Jersey, but that's local here) marine store and bought a quart of West System resin and a itsy-bitsy can of hardener; (West is 5:1 while the Raka resins I use are 2:1). The quart was of course NOT full. Room had been left for the volume of the hardener so it was only 4/5ths full. Doesn't that just frost yah! Also, the cost was ALMOST as much for the quart of material and the hardener (sold separately) as it is for the full gallon and half of Raka material.

I like the 2:1 mixture. It's easy to mix and the coverage of course is much greater than something like the 5:1. By the time you factor in coverage and initial cost the value is significant.

Don't get me wrong; West makes very good products, BUT, I have found Raka's to be absolutely reliable and predictable. I can tell you to the minute by now just how long a pot life I am going to get with either the Very Fast or the Very Slow. Best of all, if I need a Mediaum Fast or a Medium Slow I just mix the two hardeners together in the right proportions. (Remember, I use the little cups that come in the laundry detergent to measure out my chemicals). A "cup" of resin can take a half "cup" of very fast or very slow hardener, or if I want the "medium" timings, then it's a "cup" of resin and a quarter "cup" of very fast and another quarter "cup" of very slow.

These two hardener timings make it a lot easier sometimes to plan the work. If I don't need to stress a joint too soon or if I have a large area to cover with a lot of installation work or something, then I'll use the Very Slow. If I have to get something glued up quickly in order to move on with another aspect of the building and the coverage area is not too large, then I'll use the Very Fast.

I have found that I can sand the Very Fast the next morning, but the Very Slow is sandable only after about 3 days.

Works for me!

More to come!
 
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