Re: Clear finish interior over epoxy
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, "Paul A. Lefebvre, Jr." <paul@w...> wrote:
recommends
days, but I did get blushing on those days. Easy to wash off. I
painted it all over, tho, so I may not have been sensitive to any
really minor clouding. I think Raka has a non blushing version for a
little more cash. On a dry day, I don't think you'll need it. A
couple
of days of sun didn't hurt it visibly.
> Hi Glen,sure
>snip A few considerations: first, make
> the type of epoxy you use is going to remain transparent snip Idon't know what Raka
recommends
> for this,I've used Raka, and I don't recall any clouding up, even on rainy
days, but I did get blushing on those days. Easy to wash off. I
painted it all over, tho, so I may not have been sensitive to any
really minor clouding. I think Raka has a non blushing version for a
little more cash. On a dry day, I don't think you'll need it. A
couple
of days of sun didn't hurt it visibly.
Hi Glen,
I've got some experience with clear finish over epoxy on exteriors which
you may find useful: I have built 4 cedar-strip/epoxy canoes and kayaks, all
but the first were clear finished. A few considerations: first, make sure
the type of epoxy you use is going to remain transparent - on my first boat
I used West System 105 resin with their standard 205 hardener, laid up the
glass sheathing in a barn on a foggy day, and it clouded badly due to the
hardener absorbing moisture while curing. Ugly, milky looking; lived with it
for a year like that and then painted over it. Since then West began making
a 207 hardener specifically for clearcoat applications like cedar canoes,
and the other boats came out very nice. I don't know what Raka recommends
for this, but do your homework before you go painting it on or you could
wind up disappointed. No matter what, try to apply the epoxy for the bright
finish areas on a dry day, this will help even with those already formulated
for a good clear finish. Try to protect it from sunlight until you've got
some varnish over it to protect - I have reason to believe it can yellow
quickly when fresh, once had a paddle go yellow in about 2 weeks on me. Of
course without a coat of cloth to hold your epoxy, your coats won't be as
thick so all of the above will be less pronounced.
All my boats got 4 or more coats of Epifanes spar varnish over the glass
and epoxy; it's got the heaviest dose I could find of UV inhibitors (I think
the key ingredient is tung oil). Since you're mostly doing interior work
that won't get full sun you could probably get by with just one coat, or
maybe 2 thinned coats. Epifanes sticks well to lightly sanded epoxy, just
wipe down with alcohol after sanding and paint it right on. You may not even
need to sand much, but make sure you at least clean off the amine blush from
the epoxy before varnishing. Gives a nice, rich, 3-D finish, really shows
off the wood grain; worth the extra money in my opinion. My second boat was
built in 1991 and has been stored outside, uncovered, for most of its life,
with no revarnishing in all that time; it's still very clear, no yellowing,
but I"m planning on finally recoating this fall for cosmetic reasons. The
original gloss Epifanes is very slow drying (needs a couple days between
coats to get really hard) and though you're supposed to sand between coats,
I never have except for the second-to-last coat and it comes out fine. Once
fully dry it gets very hard and glossy, and is easy to maintain. They now
make a 'fast build' version that can be reapplied without sanding in between
coats, takes only about 6 hours to dry and has to be recoated within 48
hours; I tried it this spring on some spars, leeboards, etc. and it seems to
work as well as the original, thought the finish is not quite as glossy.
It's supposed to have the same UV inhibitor properties as the original,
though I can't verify this. I intend to put a final coat of original over
the 3 coats of fast build to get the glossy finish, after this summer's
sailing season is over...
I've been monitoring this list since the spring and am on the verge of
sending off for plans for Micro; hope to pre-fab panels in my heated
basement shop during winter, then go 3-D in the garage next spring; I'm
hoping one of you Micro builders or owners near me (Cape Cod) would be
willing to let me and my wife crawl around inside your boat first to check
out the space vs her claustrophobia, etc., make sure we don't want to go
with a Long Micro before we send in our check. I want to join this club!
Trouble with kayaks is you can't sleep on 'em, and in Massachusetts there
are few beaches you can legally camp on....... Micro sounds like a great way
to step up to cruising, on a shoestring...
good luck,
Paul
Paul Lefebvre
paul@...
I've got some experience with clear finish over epoxy on exteriors which
you may find useful: I have built 4 cedar-strip/epoxy canoes and kayaks, all
but the first were clear finished. A few considerations: first, make sure
the type of epoxy you use is going to remain transparent - on my first boat
I used West System 105 resin with their standard 205 hardener, laid up the
glass sheathing in a barn on a foggy day, and it clouded badly due to the
hardener absorbing moisture while curing. Ugly, milky looking; lived with it
for a year like that and then painted over it. Since then West began making
a 207 hardener specifically for clearcoat applications like cedar canoes,
and the other boats came out very nice. I don't know what Raka recommends
for this, but do your homework before you go painting it on or you could
wind up disappointed. No matter what, try to apply the epoxy for the bright
finish areas on a dry day, this will help even with those already formulated
for a good clear finish. Try to protect it from sunlight until you've got
some varnish over it to protect - I have reason to believe it can yellow
quickly when fresh, once had a paddle go yellow in about 2 weeks on me. Of
course without a coat of cloth to hold your epoxy, your coats won't be as
thick so all of the above will be less pronounced.
All my boats got 4 or more coats of Epifanes spar varnish over the glass
and epoxy; it's got the heaviest dose I could find of UV inhibitors (I think
the key ingredient is tung oil). Since you're mostly doing interior work
that won't get full sun you could probably get by with just one coat, or
maybe 2 thinned coats. Epifanes sticks well to lightly sanded epoxy, just
wipe down with alcohol after sanding and paint it right on. You may not even
need to sand much, but make sure you at least clean off the amine blush from
the epoxy before varnishing. Gives a nice, rich, 3-D finish, really shows
off the wood grain; worth the extra money in my opinion. My second boat was
built in 1991 and has been stored outside, uncovered, for most of its life,
with no revarnishing in all that time; it's still very clear, no yellowing,
but I"m planning on finally recoating this fall for cosmetic reasons. The
original gloss Epifanes is very slow drying (needs a couple days between
coats to get really hard) and though you're supposed to sand between coats,
I never have except for the second-to-last coat and it comes out fine. Once
fully dry it gets very hard and glossy, and is easy to maintain. They now
make a 'fast build' version that can be reapplied without sanding in between
coats, takes only about 6 hours to dry and has to be recoated within 48
hours; I tried it this spring on some spars, leeboards, etc. and it seems to
work as well as the original, thought the finish is not quite as glossy.
It's supposed to have the same UV inhibitor properties as the original,
though I can't verify this. I intend to put a final coat of original over
the 3 coats of fast build to get the glossy finish, after this summer's
sailing season is over...
I've been monitoring this list since the spring and am on the verge of
sending off for plans for Micro; hope to pre-fab panels in my heated
basement shop during winter, then go 3-D in the garage next spring; I'm
hoping one of you Micro builders or owners near me (Cape Cod) would be
willing to let me and my wife crawl around inside your boat first to check
out the space vs her claustrophobia, etc., make sure we don't want to go
with a Long Micro before we send in our check. I want to join this club!
Trouble with kayaks is you can't sleep on 'em, and in Massachusetts there
are few beaches you can legally camp on....... Micro sounds like a great way
to step up to cruising, on a shoestring...
good luck,
Paul
Paul Lefebvre
paul@...
> I'm considering going with a clear finish over the epoxy coating
> on the inside
> of my Micro. was
> wondering what I should
> use to cover the epoxy with. Spar varnish? Polyurethane?
>
--- Inbolger@egroups.com, glen_gibson@3... wrote:
begin. Use marine finishes if the interior will be exposed to direct
sunlight, otherwise any hardware store brand will do.
>the inside
>
> I'm considering going with a clear finish over the epoxy coating on
> of my Micro. Outside will be painted (with what, I haven'tdecided) I've
> already begun epoxy coating all interior pieces, and was wonderingwhat I should
> use to cover the epoxy with. Spar varnish? Polyurethane?Either will do, just let the epoxy fully cure for a week before you
>
> Any help appreciated!
>
> Thanks,
>
> Glen
begin. Use marine finishes if the interior will be exposed to direct
sunlight, otherwise any hardware store brand will do.
I'm considering going with a clear finish over the epoxy coating on the inside
of my Micro. Outside will be painted (with what, I haven't decided) I've
already begun epoxy coating all interior pieces, and was wondering what I should
use to cover the epoxy with. Spar varnish? Polyurethane?
Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Glen
of my Micro. Outside will be painted (with what, I haven't decided) I've
already begun epoxy coating all interior pieces, and was wondering what I should
use to cover the epoxy with. Spar varnish? Polyurethane?
Any help appreciated!
Thanks,
Glen