1070's Oil -Ericson construction

[C. Trembanis]

I have been wondering to what if any effect did the Oil crisis in the early 1970's
effect the quality of the hulls that Ericson built. Does anyone know
or can reference information???

Thanks Chris

 

[PDX]

Its my understanding that the formula for polyester resin was altered in the 1970s, and as a result blisters became more of a problem. This was not specific to Ericson, but industry wide. I have not heard that the oil crisis had any role in that. Rather, the change in the formula was intended to make wetting out (saturating glass with resin) easier.

 

[Guy Stevens]

Not a formula chage a manufacturing process change.

This has been going around the boating industry since before there was a web to go around.

The issue was not a change in resin at all, nor was it at all linked to the oil crisis. In "Heart of Glass" and an even better book written by the man who figured out how to make polyester actually set up, is a write up. (I can't find the title to the book, it is wonderful, but something like $160.00 to buy." The issue according to both sources is that the builders became very lax in mixing in their MEKP (The hardner) into the resin.

I the begining they followed the directions very carefully and stirred it in for the full 5-10 minutes that are called for in the direction, because no one knew how this stuff worked. Later they got really lax, stirred it a few times and started slapping it on the cloth.

MEKP is hydrofalic, (sp), and loves water, those little pockets of MEKP are what makes the blisters.

I will try to find the book title so you can interlibrary loan it and get to read it. It is pretty dense reading, but wonderful to see what is going on in the history, and how it polyester works.

Guy

 

[steven]

I was employed as an energy supply analyst from 1979 through the early 80s. Several things were happening from 1974 to around 82. Oil shock #1 (1974) and #2 (1979), price excursion resulting from unwinding of US oil price controls, hyper inflation touched off by the Viet Nam war. All oil based industries were impacted. Resin, rubber, plastic, fertilizer, etc. became very expensive. Then it was 'discovered' that everything was directly or indirectly made from oil: steel, aluminum, concrete, wood, food, houses, electricity, air travel, war, . . . Retail prices went nuts. Financing rates went truly crazy. Although the resin itself may have been more or less the same (though I am not convinced of that), some - not all - builders cut scantlings and quality control.

Thirty+ years later you can tell if you a hull is bad or not.
So it no longer matters.

 

[Seth]

there was a problem.............

One negative thing that happened was that fiberglass hulls and decks became susceptible to infestation from polyestermites..........:0

 

[Roger]

I heard stories . . .

Some of the old timers occasionally talked about mixing up resin from individual components at Ericson during the 70's, as you couldn't purchase polyester resin at times. I imagine there was some variation from batch to batch!