Epoxy on cypress
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- In Memory of Vicroy
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Epoxy on cypress
I'm getting ready to finish a slab of cypress for a table top....it is a slab cut out of the trunk of the tree about 3" thick and 2x3 feet irregular shape. It had been varnished with a stain at one time and I've sanded that all off down to bare wood. I'm using the West epoxy and a slow hardener. Should I cut the first coat with alcohol, and if so, how much? I'm working with end grain.
UV
UV
- CaptPatrick
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- In Memory of Vicroy
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- In Memory of Vicroy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2340
- Joined: Jun 29th, '06, 09:19
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Need some help again, Faithful. First coat of thinned epoxy came out great, knock-out color, you can see all the annual rings, etc. I put a second coat of un-thinned epoxy on yesterday (yeah, used a cheap brush, probably stirred the epoxy/hardener too much) and got a lot of air bubbles in the finish. Today I sanded all that out good, cleaned it up and put another coat of un thinned epoxy on with a good brush and took my time stirring and applying. Much better results, but still have some air bubbles in the epoxy. It's almost like its too thick to let the bubbles rise to the surface and pop......I'm using a real slow (209) hardener so it has a lot of time to release the air bubbles before it kicks. Looking for advice from the Faithful on how to apply the epoxy bubble free.
BTW, we fixing to get a torrent in Coonasssland from Humberto...Yo Honor, batten down the hatches in Galveston.
UV
BTW, we fixing to get a torrent in Coonasssland from Humberto...Yo Honor, batten down the hatches in Galveston.
UV
- CaptPatrick
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Probably because that's the area where casting table tops got it's beginins...Ted_R wrote:Hmmmmm, why do only the florida boys know about hair dryers!!????????????
I use a propane torch, moving steadily over & just touching the surface. Medium to low flame. This technique puts down less heat, which can over kick the cure, and the torch doesn't draw in dust that will be deposited on the un-cured surface. The idea is to reduce the surface tension of the epoxy, allowing the bubbles to float & pop.
DON'T TRY THIS WITH EPOXY THINNED WITH ALCOHOL OR ACETONE!
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Patrick
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Patrick
Molon labe
Patrick
Molon labe
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- CaptPatrick
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That'll work to some degree, & on some projects where a brush isn't involved... To work fully, even then, the mixed pot should be vacuumed in a chamber to pull all the air to the surface.John S wrote:pull back the tape and it pours from the bubble free bottom
When I'm casting a table top, I use a plastic spreader to slowly move the epoxy around rather than a brush. A brush or roller will always drag in bubbles.
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UV,
Another thing to try is to warm the worksurface in the sun before applying the epoxy. If the work surface is warming up during the cure, air will escape from the wood. So warm it up outside, then move the workpiece into the AC for application and cure.
This might not matter though after the initial thinned epoxy coat...
Ian.
Another thing to try is to warm the worksurface in the sun before applying the epoxy. If the work surface is warming up during the cure, air will escape from the wood. So warm it up outside, then move the workpiece into the AC for application and cure.
This might not matter though after the initial thinned epoxy coat...
Ian.
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Vic,
Be careful when using the heat gun... You're surroundings have got to be dust free. The gun will pull in air as fast as it spits it out, so any air borne dust is going to be shot right into you wet epoxy...
If you have one of those real fine mesh covers for a computer you might want to make a filter over the intake of the gun. Don't cut the air flow down too much or you'll burn out an element.
Br,
Patrick
Be careful when using the heat gun... You're surroundings have got to be dust free. The gun will pull in air as fast as it spits it out, so any air borne dust is going to be shot right into you wet epoxy...
If you have one of those real fine mesh covers for a computer you might want to make a filter over the intake of the gun. Don't cut the air flow down too much or you'll burn out an element.
Br,
Patrick
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Patrick
Molon labe
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Ian, Patrick, Bruce, et al.....the heat gun works...I put the latest coat (bubble coat) on about 4 hours ago, and am using the real slow hardener (209) and it was still sticky when I got the heat advice (me & the Bride been toasting with clears and eating big time at the Bonefish Grill) till just now. I got my heat gun out and heated up a small portion of the surface, and most of the air bubbles popped.....no doubt they would have all popped if I'd done the heat sooner before it started to kick.
I need to sand this coat anyway, and tomorrow will do another coat and apply the heat to pop the bubbles right away before any kick.
It just amazes me I have so many smart friends.
Thanks Faithful.
UV
I need to sand this coat anyway, and tomorrow will do another coat and apply the heat to pop the bubbles right away before any kick.
It just amazes me I have so many smart friends.
Thanks Faithful.
UV
- Capt. Mike Holmes
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Heat
Like Ian said, the sun can help. I did my helm chair over the winter, had problems with bubbles, did the other one a couple of weeks ago - outside, when we were nudging 100 degrees every day - no bubbles at all - excpet in the beer.
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