Svenn said:
Thanks SternWake; do you know where I can buy epoxy for this purpose? West Marine?
West marine Might only carry West systems epoxy.
I do not like West system as it has a 4 to 1 or 5 to one resin/hardener mixing ratio, and this leaves a lot of room for error in mixing.
If epoxy is mixed improperly it will not cure properly to its maximum strength/ hardness. One has a bout a 3% margin for error before it gets really noticeable. I've started weighing the epoxy and hardener on a digital scale as mixing smaller batches by volume, even with a 2:1 ratio, can lead to improper ratios. When mixing by weight the ratio is usually 100:45 or 43 or 44 depending on the epoxy.
When large batches of epoxy are mixed, you cannot let them remain mixed in the mixing cup for very long, you must spread them out thinner quicker to give more time to apply the epoxy before it starts thickening. if left in the cup too long it might get so hot as to catch fire. This exotherming is an issue with large batches or to those new to learning working with epoxy.
My favorite epoxy is System3 but it is expensive.
Recently I bought a lower$ surfboard epoxy from this place:
http://www.fiberglasssource.com
Apex epoxy 1.5 gallon kit. Looks like they are having website issues. This is a fairly fast setting epoxy with it being hard enough to touch after 3 hours, but a 100% full cure will take a few days
I can drive to a store, but all other epoxy I have used has been ordered, except the West system epoxy I used just the once, long ago, that I bought in a marine type of store.
working with these Epoxies, there is a learning curve. I am not 100% sure this is the best product for your application.
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1000/1906/files/The_Epoxy_Book.pdf?1285685231865784556
There are some bartop epoxies sold in home stores, which are less expensive than surfboard epoxies can can be easier to work with, with their self levelling properties, and a surfacing agent to prevent dust or contamination from causing fisheyes or craters to form.
The fisheyeing can be a real annoying issue, and when it occurs can be very labor intensive to fix and lay down another coat. Usually surface contamination is the issue, so proper prep and minimal dust are required to achieve the best results.
