WEST 207 does not hold up all that much better than the other WEST
hardeners. Its more important feature is that it's a bit clearer. It's
expensive and really only cost-justified for fancy light-color work like
strip canoes. Any epoxy needs a UV resistent coating to protect it. The
good marine varnishes are a practical way to do this. I am not aware of any
UV tolerant lacquers .


"Dane" wrote in message
oups.com...
(PeteCresswell) writes:

If UV degradation is an issue, my intent would be to cover the area
with wide electrical tape - or some other tape that is easily
removed/replaced.


Hmm, why not just use the 207-hardener (has UV-filters in it), and/or a
lacquer with uv-filters in it?

If you want it to be coloured, like it would with a non-see-through
tape, why not just paint it?

As a small "PS", lacquer on top of epoxy holds much longer than lacquer
on it's own, presumably because of the stabler base that the epoxy
makes (it's a sort of plastics). Paint is the same, and just to pee
some people off, it's an old folk's tale that the more high gloss a
finish is, the better the wood (or whatever) underneath is protected.
The reasoning behind the tale is because of the sheen/reflection that
occurs when the angle of the lightsource (the sun) is very low.
Problem is, it's when the sun shines straight onto the lacquer that
most radiation is getting through, and a high gloss finish - i.e. a see
through, glasslike, finish will make even more UV through. So, the more
matt finish, the better the protection - all theway thhrough to
painting it, or covering it by other means.

Further, be aware that around 100-120 centigrades, epoxy looses it's
strength, so better paint it light (er) in colour.

Anyways, that was my two cents ...