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West System 406 Colloidal Silica is a thickening additive used to control the viscosity of the epoxy and prevent epoxy runoff in vertical and overhead joints.
406 is a very strong filler that creates a smooth mixture ideal for general bonding and filleting. It is also our most versatile filler.
West System colloidal silica is often used in combination with other fillers to improve the strength, abrasion resistance, and consistency of fairing compounds, resulting in a tougher smoother surface. Color: off-white.
$10.85
$26.38
$250.19
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BRAND:
WEST System
Material:
Silica
Type:
Fillers
Questions & Answers about WEST System 406 Colloidal Silica:
2012-04-26A shopper asked: can these products be used for exterior wood?
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2012-04-26KIP BROWN: Yes, West System can be used for exterior applications as long as it is painted or varnished. Bare West System is susceptible to UV damage and will peel and degrade quickly if not covered. I have fixed alot of wood boats with it... even my wife's china. It's amazing stuff! Good luck
2012-04-26CHARLES TREICHEL: I used it as a filler on a boat project and was happy with the results. I have also used the dust from a sander when I wanted the darker color. This also worked well. Both are easy to sand. Don't think there is any problem with exterior wood.
2012-01-05RACHAEL NOTHNAGLE asked: Does this specific product meet Mil Spec MIL-S-14760?
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2012-01-05ALEXANDER NANAI: You need to ask West themselves. Sorry...
2012-01-05GUY ELLIS: West System 406 is designed to thicken or gel liquid epoxy for boat repairs. It reduces the amount the epoxy flows before it hardens. I am some what familar with Mil Specs and I believe the one you refer to is for the use of Silica in ammunition. My guess is that they use the silica as a desiccant to remove moisture from the explosive. To my knowledge this is not the purpose that the west product was designed for and more importantly West Systems most likely cannot certify to that specification.
2012-01-05ERNEST WITHAM: Sorry, I don't know anything about that spec.
Ernie Witham
2012-01-05KEN LEONARD: It does not. This product is used to adjust the viscosity of the West System epoxy products and I would not use it in the manufacture of munitions.
Reade Products offers a detailed explanation of the different types of Silicon Dioxide, including the obsolete Mil Spec MIL-S-14760.
Best Regards,
Ken Leonard
Arroyo Grande, CA
2011-12-29A shopper asked: can you use it with a color agent ?
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2011-12-29DAVID LASH: As far as I know you can, but I have never added a color myself.
good luck
dglash
2011-12-29DAVID NEGLEY: Colloidal silica is simply an additive. You can add coloring to the resin along with the additive if this is what you mean. Just make sure you use the coloring agents designed for resin and gelcoat.
2012-01-01WILLIAM ROBERTSON IV: You can use the West coloring agents with any of the West additives.
2012-01-11ALFRED BURMEISTER: never tried it - but I would call/email WEST tech support and ask them.
2011-09-21MARK LENNOX asked: I am interested in using this or a simular product on the bottom of my fiberglass drift boat. I want a product to protect the bottom against rock gouges and scratches in very shallow water situations. Please help? Any help would be greatly appreciated, Thanks Mark Lennox
+Expand Answers
2011-09-22ALEXANDER NANAI: Hi Mark, I'm not certain that epoxy and it's fillers will protect against a rocky grounding. However, it is excellent in strength and working flexibility to repair those scratches and gouges. Good luck, Alex.
2011-09-22CHARLES WRIGHTSON: Mark,
I use 406 to thicken West to create sag resistant glues and fillers for verical and overhead applications. I would not use it to create an impact resistant coating. Have you though about kevlar cloth applied with polyester resin? You could use West thickened w/ 406 to fix those scrapes and gouges after they happen, but I would use polyester resin based products.
Charlie
2011-09-22DMITRY ORLOV-SV-HOGFISH: Colloidal silica is a good anti-sag additive, to avoid drips and runs when applying epoxy. What you want for surfacing the bottom of a dink or a drift boat is graphite powder. Mix it into epoxy until it is thick but still paintable, pour it onto the bottom of the boat and smooth it out with a chip brush, going slowly to make an even finish. Graphite/epoxy is amazingly abrasion-resistant. I surfaced the bottom of my dink this way, and I have dragged it over gravel or concrete with no damage. To freshen up the finish, just sand it with 100-grit and re-coat.
2011-09-22KIP BROWN: This is not the product you want to use. 406 is used to thicken the epoxy for filling holes, making fillets, etc. You should call Gougeon Brothers / West System directly for their guidance. Call 866-937-8797 bet 9:00 - 5:00. Or check their website. Mike
2011-09-22DAVID FRASE: Hi Mark;
I'm not sure what you are trying to do. I use colloidal silica as an epoxy thickener for bonding joints and making fillets. If you want to protect the bottom of your drift boat I would cover it in a skin of fiberglass cloth and epoxy.
Dave Frase
2011-09-22JOHN C GUILLOT III: hi Mark,
I used this product with great success injecting & laminating a very old flats boat back together. It had rode out Katrina 1 mile inland on the MS gulf coast.
A large tree crushed the hull into the trailer after the hull flipped over driving the top deck and console to the floor. I also used it to fill the gouges in the hull below the water line. I inspect the boat repairs every time I see the boat and all is very well. Flats boats are scraped by oyster shells constantly, the 406 provided a filler material better wearing than the hull itself.
2011-09-22SATCHEL DOUGLAS: If you mix this with resin and hardener, and put on multiple thick coats, it will be a pretty good protection. It will scratch if you hit it hard, but if you have a 1/4 in coat it probably will not penetrate the hull. Make sure you follow the proper steps for apply epoxy over the old coat, because if you don't clean it well it will not adhere.
2011-09-26MIKE KELSEY: Hi Mark,
As I know it, this product is a structural filler designed to keep the epoxy from running out of the joint as it cures. It (as well as some of the other fillers available) has structural properties that strengthen the bond.
That said, the stuff is as tough as nails when mixed into the epoxy...a fact that anyone who has tried to sand it can attest to.
Personally, I think that the abrasion resistance that you seek is a property of the fiberglass that's in your boat to begin with.
I would get in touch with the manufacturer...they have a great tech team - and describe your situation. There are probably many things that you can do to your boat's bottom to increase it's durability.
Makes a great filler for bonding wood parts together if used very sparingly in the epoxy. Do not advise opening the tube in a windy place. It is so light that it will blow in the wind like wheat chaff.
6/8/2008
5.0
Good Product
By Alaska_Av8r
from Nesbit, MS
About Me Recreational
Pros
Easy to Use
Cons
Best Uses
Blister repair
Comments about WEST System 406 Colloidal Silica:
I used this mixed with epoxy resin to repair blisters on my boat. Even though it is extremely fine like talcum powder, it still mixed with the resin well and was easy to work out the clumps to form a consistent paste.
6/5/2008
5.0
Just what the label says
By angelsgate
from CA
About Me Recreational
Pros
Easy to Use
Weather Proof
Cons
Best Uses
Outdoor
Comments about WEST System 406 Colloidal Silica:
I use it as an adhesive filler in West System epoxy for joining wood parts.
3/24/2008
5.0
Great Product
By El Creno
from VA
About Me Recreational
Pros
Easy to Use
Protects Well
Weather Proof
Cons
Best Uses
Outdoor
Comments about WEST System 406 Colloidal Silica:
Great filler. I used it to smooth out the fillet transition in a paddle I built.
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