I'm not sure whether thinning epoxy is such a good idea until I see lab test data on how
perneable the resultant finish id. It's certainly true that thinned epoxy is measurably
degraded in strength. You can drastically improve the spreadability of epoxy with heat-
a heat lamp or a heat gun.

Paul Oman wrote:

Solvent thin the first coat or two of epoxy for better penetration and bonding -
especially along edges, etc. Just about any solvent will work. Thin 15 - 25 % or so.
A little bit of solvent will greatly lower the viscosity.

you could also use an epoxy paint instead of an raw epoxy resin - would gain color,
less sag, more film thickness, possibly more flex. Priced about the same as the
resin to double the price.

I would even do the thinning thing if using varnish. - picked that tip up from a
custom wooden kayak maker......

regards
paul oman
progressive epoxy polymers
---------

Jim Conlin wrote:

The epoxy will only cloud if it's in the sun. It's difficult to get it to lay
smooth, so for interior areas where a decent finish is wanted, additional finish
is needed. For lockers, bilges, etc. where appearance isn't important and the
sun don't shine, you can stop after a decent cooating has been achieved.
For some interior joinery, i'll sometimes pre-coat sheets of plywood before
cutting parts out. Makes finishing easier.

Mac wrote:

On Fri, 10 Dec 2004 12:23:19 -0600, Donnie Gilliland wrote:

I'm constructing a 10" tunnel hull and am at the point where I need to
seal/finish the interior of the hull before putting the decking on. The
boat is not going to be left out in the elements or used in sal****er but
will be stored indoors when not used.
My question to the group is this, can I use a good grade of spar varnish to
seal the interior or would the epoxy encapsulation be the better choice? (I
plan on using epoxy and fiberglass on the hull exterior).

Any brands of varnish or epoxy to suggest?
Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance
Don

I would not cover wood with epoxy without putting something on top of the
epoxy, because epoxy clouds slowly over time. You could, perhaps, use two
coats of epoxy with a varnish on top of that. Be sure to do a test panel
to make sure that the varnish will cure properly over the epoxy.

I have done this before. It especially works well for flat horizontal
surfaces where you can really build up the epoxy. Sometimes a blow-dryer
or hot air gun can help the epoxy flow, and help get rid of tiny bubbles.

--Mac

--

"Living on Earth is expensive, but it does include
a free trip around the Sun every year."

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