Acrylic sealer under RR epoxy

General Discussion
1

Hi everyone,

I hate to open a new topic for what is not ‘new’ but i’ve been reading for days and would like some additional confirmation to avoid more screw ups on this board I’m doing for a customer.

I did a spray paint job onto the eps foam using some acrylic liquitex spray can.  I should have done a foam stain as I ended up with some bleading when I did my lamination layer - the tail half of the board has a few strips/bands of blue going around it and the blue bled when laminating.   I did not spray an acrylic clear coat over my foam spray job but I suppose that would have prevented my issue.

I finished laminating with blead additionally on the other side and then hotcoated and sanded it with 80 and then 100.   I then got some Liquitex acrylic rattle can titanium white, taped over the blue areas (that are supposed to be blue),  and painted what is supposed to be white with the titanium white and it’s looking pretty good. 

I wouldn’t mind stopping there and sealing it somehow but from what i’ve read,  i’m best off doing a gloss coat for durability.   I plan to use the Epoxy Surfacing Agent from Fiberglass Hawaii to add into the RR epoxy to make my gloss coat.  I plan to use less amount than my hotcoat and apply it as thin as possible. 

My question finally is…   Before I do the gloss coat (unless someone has another idea for me to seal the board proper as I’d like to avoid the extra weight of the gloss coat),  shall I use a clear acrylic spray on the areas I just painted white ?   Does it matter if it use a matte, flat, satin, or gloss finish for the acrylic spray going under my finish coat?  I’m only finding gloss and satin in local stores and I don’t really have time to order…

If gloss finish doesn’t matter,  then is this suitable: http://www.krylon.com/products/crystal-clear-acrylic/

Many thanks!

-ns

 

2

But I’m happy to share what has worked for me. First of all I wouldn’t trust a clear sealer from a rattle can. This is what I have used without any issues. And I have had good results with FGH’s epoxy surfacing agent and RR epoxy. Because epoxy can be fickle I would probably plan on a super thin cheater coat then apply the real finish coat when that starts to gel. Your mileage may vary.

3

Thanks, Huck!  Do you just use a sponge and apply a couple coats letting it dry in between?  Do you so any sanding or prep after the minwax and before the finish coat? 

4

I just brush it on thin, let it dry and then apply resin, no sanding. Haven’t had any issues. One time a board de-lammed when I forgot to remove the vent plug on a HWS, and the glass took the artwork with it, thats how good the bond was.

5

OK I’ll go for it!  One more question…  The blue parts of the board never got painted after hotcoat,  and since it is a dark color, I easily can see the weave in a couple spots after sanding the hotcoat.

Do you think it matters at all if I hit the blue areas with the minwax or not or should I avoid it?  I just want the weave to get covered up in the end which my finish coat should do when I apply it. 

6

I don’t use the polycrylic anywhere except where its needed to seal the paint from running. Dark blue almost always shows the weave with epoxy, I don’t think there is anything you can do about it.