FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General Questions
What products do you regularly manufacture?
We manufacture a variety of products from putties and sealers, to pigments, gelcoats, resins, and accessory products used primarily in the composites industry.
What chemistry capabilities do you have?
Our team specializes in urethane, polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy based products. Read a little bit about some of our current products, and then talk to us! Possibilities are endless!
Are you open to manufacturing products under a third party label?
Yes! We are open to creating a product with you.
Are you ISO certified, and what testing are you capable of performing?
We are proud to be certified as an ISO 9001:2015 facility. In addition to our rigorous quality control testing, our R&D team is capable of providing testing necessary to properly document and market your product including boil, adhesion, and viscosity testing.
Are you hiring?
We are always looking for creative, hard-working, and fun folks to join our team! Check out our careers page for open positions.
How can we reduce orange-peel profile on sprayed gelcoat?
We cannot stress enough that a satisfactory final product is a result of solid preparation. Ensure your spray technique is fitting for the product use and that you’ve followed the catalyst instructions.
Our technical team would be happy to assist you with your project. Please contact us.
Do you have a Dura-Kote troubleshooting guide?
Our guide to some of the common gelcoat troubles and the reasons you may be experiencing them. Gelcoat Troubleshooting Guide.
DURATEC QUESTIONS
What Duratec product should I use?
This answer varies based on project, application, and desired results. Check out Hawkeye Industries Right Choice Brochure – and if you still have questions, give their team a call!
Does Duratec require catalyst?
Yes! Duratec products require catalyst. We recommend full strength MEKP. We do all our R&D with Norox 925 for polyesters and Norox 925H for vinyl esters. (Catalyst ratio is 2% by weight.) Our VE Mold Repair Putty comes with BPO creme hardener. See your product’s Tech Data Sheet for more details.
What is the shelf life of Duratec?
Most Duratec products will last six months from date of manufacture under standard conditions (77°F/ 25°C ). DOM is noted on can/pail/label. Lower temperatures often extend the shelf life, higher temperatures can dramatically reduce shelf life. Please see our Shelf Life Statement for details.
Does Duratec work with epoxy?
Most of our products are epoxy compatible in the right process and with surface prep. Our vinyl esters should be considered in applications where cure temps over 200°F will be experienced. See the Technical Data Sheets or contact our team for details on your process.
Where can I buy Duratec?
You can find a distribution map on the Hawkeye Industries website, or reach out to them to become a distributor yourself!
Dura-Kote Questions
What is the shelf life of Dura-Kote?
Dura-Kote has a shelf-life of six months from date of production. This shelf life is based upon storage at 77°F and out of direct sunlight.
How do I apply Dura-Kote?
Starting with DuraKote and need general use instructions? Click on the link to read through our Dura-Kote General Usage Instructions.
What catalyst is recommended and what addition level?
We recommend MEKP 925 at 2% by weight. All Dura-Kote products are developed and QC’d using MEKP 925 at 2% by weight.
Dura-Kote alligatored on my mold. What happened?
There could be several reasons why this could occur.
It could be:
– the temperature is too low for thin film cure,
– the film thickness is too low for thin film cure,
– the catalyst level is too low for thin film cure,
– the LAM resin is high in monomer and slow to cure.
Our technical team would be happy to assist you determine the cause and get back on track to success. Please contact us.
How can I reduce porosity with Dura-Kote?
Stellar results depend, like with most composites projects, on proper preparation and technique. Avoid, or resolve, high porosity by improving your spray technique and maintaining the proper catalyst type and level.
Our technical team would be happy to assist you. Please contact us.
How can we reduce orange-peel profile on sprayed gelcoat?
We cannot stress enough that a satisfactory final product is a result of solid preparation. Ensure your spray technique is fitting for the product use and that you’ve followed the catalyst instructions.
Our technical team would be happy to assist you with your project. Please contact us.
Do you have a Dura-Kote troubleshooting guide?
Our guide to some of the common gelcoat troubles and the reasons you may be experiencing them. Gelcoat Troubleshooting Guide.