fairing compound

I'm finally all set and the weather is right to fair and paint the hull of my hunky dory. I'm not sure how many years I've been chipping away at this boat but it should finally be on the water this spring. As far as fairing compounds I have seen where people use micro ballons and epoxy but I have a good bit left of the filleting putty mixture sandy recommends of 60% #407 micro balloons, thirty percent #403 microfibers and ten percent #406 colodial silica. Is there any reason I shouldn't use this up as my fairing compound? I still have far more epoxy on hand than I need and I was hoping to get this done this week vs waiting for an order to come in.

Fillet putty is structural and usually doesn’t sand easily. Fairing compound uses hollow glass balls that sand easily. Try making up some of your mixture, lay it out on a board,let it cure, and then see if it sands easy enough for you.

Yes for fairing only I'd just micro balloons. I used System III fairing compound that mixes 50/50. It's really easy to sand. Resin and microballoons is cheaper if you already have it.

Thanks Eric and Sandy. It seems in the couple years since I purchased west marine products they are now available next day shipping on amazon! Now I don't have to drive to Denver or wait a week. Time is of the essence as once we get a cold snap working with the epoxy is a real pain.

The worst place to buy West stuff is from West. Because they are primarily a manufacturer/distributor they have to sell to you at the highest possible retail price, so not to piss off their primary wholesale customers.

I wouldn't look at fillets as having structural properties. Keep them as small as possible, just enough to make a curve so the the glass will not lift. It's the glass or other fiber which adds the strength.