Epoxy coating question.

Dave Sikorski

Dave Sikorski

Well-known member
My sister bought an old POS table at a flea market w/ a bench for pocket change.

It has some grooves along the edges that keep catching crumbs. She has a 5 yr old, 3 yr old and is due with #3 anytime now, so this is simply a utility table to get her through the kid years until she can buy something that might not get ruined.

So, I had some Raka epoxy laying around from building my kara a decade ago and thought I could coat the table and get a decent kid proof finish on it that didn't look too bad, and covered the cracks.

I've now covered the cracks, but the thickness of the epoxy didn't allow me to spread it as smooth as I wanted.

I'm thinking that I should sand down the imperfections and brush marks with a palm sander and progressively higher grits of sandpaper, then clean with acetone and finish with some sort of sealer/poly/varnish.

Thoughts?

I don't know how many more days I'll have before I get an angry call from the sis!

Thanks,

-D
 
Thanks Chuck. Does Spar give UV protection? If I'mnot mistaken UV light will harm the epoxy.

I don't think flocking will hold up to 3 children, I don't care what they say on the internet.

DCON.....don't hate the playa.....hate the game.

-D
 
Yes and yes...you need to protect the epoxy from UV...and spar will do this...and let the woods beauty shine through, if that matters for this application.

canoe.jpg

 
Epifanes has become quite popular for high end brightwork. I am told by a volunteer at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT that it is their varnish of choice.


Resin Types
Generally speaking, phenolic resins are best-suited for outdoor use. But that doesn’t mean every spar varnish is made with phenolic resins. Much like the situation with oils, the better product is also the most expensive. So you’ll find plenty of outdoor formulations using alkyd and urethane resins. A popular finish like Helmsman Spar Urethane contains urethane modified alkyd resins. A higher quality finish like Epifanes contains phenolic modified alkyd resins. There are many other brands of outdoor oil-based varnish, but the ingredients list is usually much more revealing than the words on the front of the can. Sun Block For Wood
Most spar/marine varnishes will contain other important additives, such as UV blockers, that give the wood that extra bit of protection it needs in harsh conditions. UV light will not only damage the wood, but also the finish itself, eventually resulting in finish failure. So its a good idea to use a finish containing UV-blockers for any outdoor project.

Conclusion
Generally-speaking, my preferred outdoor varnish would be a long-oil varnish made with tung oil and at least some phenolic resins and UV inhibitors. Epifanes is a good choice.
 
West 207 is a uv filtered epoxy, it is very clear, in our boat business we use it to build thickness, block sand then shoot clear Imron over it. After the imron has set a few days we buff it. Looks a quarter inch thick, is as clear as glass.This is similar to the finish used on a lot of the teak fighting chairs used on sportfishing boats.
 
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