Fiberglass Mat & Resin Kit - 5 Yards 1.5oz CSM 50" Wide + Gallon Resin

SKU:SK-CSM5P

$99.95 USD

Sale Sold out

Shipping calculated at checkout.

20 in stock

Resin: Gallon Polyester

Gallon Polyester Gallon Vinyl Ester

Quantity

Earn 99 Boat Points Learn More
Free Shipping on orders over $199 Learn More

Five full yards of 1.5oz chopped strand mat in a folded pack, 50 inches wide, with a full gallon of laminating resin, MEKP hardener, and the mixing supplies to put it to work. This is bulk-project material: molds, repairs, waterproofing, buildup layers, and backing laminate, at a real project price.

What is in the kit:

5 yards x 50" of 1.5oz chopped strand mat, folded pack (about 62 sq ft)
1 Gallon of laminating resin, your choice of clear Silmar 249 polyester or premium vinyl ester for chemical and blister resistance
MEKP hardener
6 mixing cups and mixing sticks

Coverage: a gallon wets out roughly 4 of the 5 yards of mat in a single layer at standard hand-layup ratios, or all 5 with careful rolling. Doing heavy multi-layer buildup? Add a second gallon.

Chopped strand mat has a styrene-soluble binder, so it pairs with polyester and vinyl ester resin only. Using epoxy? Choose our stitched 1708 or woven cloth kits instead.

Specifications

Reinforcement: 5 yd of 1.5 oz chopped strand mat, 50" wide
Resin options: 1 gallon polyester or 1 gallon vinyl ester, MEKP included
Also in the kit: 6 graduated cups, 6 stir sticks
Coverage: a gallon wets out roughly 4 of the 5 yards at hand layup ratios
No epoxy option: chopped strand mat binder is styrene soluble and will not break down under epoxy
Ships ground only, limited quantity hazmat

View full details

How to use this kit

Five yards of 1.5 oz chopped strand mat with a gallon of laminating resin. Every kit ships with this same sheet printed and in the box.

Safety: MEKP hardener is corrosive. Wear the gloves and eye protection any time it is open; if it gets in an eye, flush with water for 15 minutes and get medical help. Polyester resin gives off styrene, so work outdoors or with strong ventilation and wear a respirator. Mixed resin heats up as it cures: never cap a mixed cup, and pour leftovers out thin to cure. No smoking or flames near open containers.

What is in the kit

5 yd 1.5 oz chopped strand mat, 50 in wide, folded packabout 62 sq ft
1 gal Laminating resinclear Silmar 249 polyester, or vinyl ester if you chose it
1 MEKP hardenercatalyzes the full gallon
6 / 6 Mixing cups, mixing sticks

You supply: a laminating roller, chip brushes, gloves, acetone, a respirator, a grinder for prep, and fumed silica if you plan to fair.

Mixing MEKP (1.5 percent)

8 oz mix	3.6 mL MEKP (about 3/4 tsp)
16 oz mix	7 mL MEKP (about 1.5 tsp)
32 oz mix	14 mL MEKP (about 3 tsp)

That is 1.5 percent for 65 to 85 F. Above 85 F drop to 1 percent; at 60 to 65 F go to 2 percent. Quick field rule: 10 drops per ounce.

Never mix more than you can lay up in 15 minutes. A full gallon catalyzed at once will boil in the bucket.

The job, start to finish

1

Prep the surface

New mold: wax and release it thoroughly. Old laminate: grind off all gloss, gelcoat and contamination back to solid glass, then wipe with acetone. Polyester is a poor secondary bond, so every bit of its grip comes from clean, freshly ground surface.

2

Cut everything dry

Cut every piece of fabric to size and stage it in the order it goes down, smallest first for a repair, largest first for a mold. Cut all of it before you mix a drop, because once resin is catalyzed you have about 15 minutes and no time to be looking for scissors.

3

Mix small batches

Catalyze only what you can lay up in 15 minutes, using the chart at left. Stir thoroughly but slowly to avoid whipping in air, and scrape the sides of the cup. Pour it out of the mixing cup as soon as it is mixed: resin left in a deep cup heats up and kicks early.

4

Wet out

Brush resin on, lay mat or 1708 in, and stipple straight down with the brush until it turns translucent. Do not brush sideways: that drags the fibers out of place. Work wet on wet through your stack rather than waiting for cures between plies.

5

Roll out the air

Run a laminating roller firmly in both directions over every layer until the white flecks disappear. White means dry glass or trapped air, and both are weak spots you cannot fix after cure. This one step is the difference between a laminate that hits its numbers and one that does not.

Works onMolds, buildup layers, backing laminate, waterproofing and the first layer against old laminate. Mat conforms to shape better than any woven fabric.

Not forEpoxy. Chopped strand mat uses a styrene-soluble binder, so it only breaks down properly in polyester or vinyl ester resin.

If something goes wrong

Laminate feels tacky

Normal. Clear laminating resin stays tacky on top so the next layer bonds to it.

White flecks in the layup

Dry glass or trapped air. Roll or stipple it out while wet; after cure it must be ground out.

The bucket got hot fast

Too big a batch or too much MEKP. Pour it out thin outdoors and mix smaller.

Nothing hardened

Too little MEKP, or under 60 F. Warm the space and remix.

Resin ran off vertical

Thicken it with fumed silica, or laminate in smaller sections.

A gallon wets out roughly 4 of the 5 yards in one layer, or all 5 with careful rolling. Using epoxy? Choose our stitched 1708 or woven cloth kits instead.