Hey Greg and other epoxy Gurus I have a non surfing question.I did a bunch of deep pour resin tables in polyester for a bar several years ago and they need to be refurbished.Instead of reglossing and polishing I am thinking of sanding them and using epoxy “table top” resin for a topcoat.It seems to be more durable and no polishing is needed.I did this many years ago and remember glossing the tables and using heat to pull the bubbles up…they came out unreal.Any suggestions?Greg would your resin work for this?Thanks in advance. R. Brucker
Cleanlines, They make some epoxies specifically for this purpose. Most formulators selling to a mixed market will have a product. You being back east, I don’t have any suggestions. Greg might have a product. These products get used alot in wood dash boards, table and picture manufacturing. One major tip, dust can ruin your day, you want as close to a clean room environment as possible. You may also want to cover with a urethane top coat to help stop yellowing. If you are going to go the polyester route, Duratec has some great high gloss coatings that can be sprayed to a high build look. See www.duratec1.com.
Jono’s suggestion to use a topcoat is good. I did some research on the epoxy tabletop formulations, thinking surfboards. They’re cheaper. The tabletop epoxy turned out to be to weak for lamination. It’s also not UV inhibited, meaning that most tabletop epoxies aren’t really acceptible for their intended use, table tops. Most would yellow in some amount of time. Surfboard epoxy is UV inhibited and clear. That’s where I would be headed.
I’ve used Behlen, Rockhard Table Top Varnish. I’ve got a brew pub and have a few red oak bars surfaces that I have used this stuff on. It’s super hard and does not react to alcohol. I have recoated a few times (light sand w/ 220 between coats) but, overall, it has held up well, especially to constantly pounding pint glasses! If you get a some dust bumps, just take some 600g wet/dry alum-oxide paper and take them off. Also, to further protect the bar, polish with carnuba wax. Both products should be available at woodworking retail stores (just look in the phonebook under wood.) Surfboards and Beer, my two great passions! Cheers, Gary
Jamestown Distributors in R.I. has an epoxy for table tops… called System 3 Mirror Coat, haven’t used it but the people have been nice to deal with in the past. link below: http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/store/materials_lists/System_Three_Epoxies.html?L+scstore+ymdy5415Ovjdff32c632+1051941672
Our resin has been used on many tabletops. One thing to watch for; don’t use any 1 to 1 systems. They are filled with a chemical that is very cheap and lowers HDT so that if you put a hot plate down it will leave a permanent mark. Ours and most 2 to 1 systems won’t do this. Other than that any clear epoxy will work. Additive F helps with the surface hardness as well. But only use Add.F on the last coat.