But I just can't get a flawless finish I'm happy with! What's the secret? I'm using SB112 epoxy resin from Merton's, very slow drying stuff. I keep getting poc-marks, ripples, zits, etc. Nothing major, just tiny imperfections, but just not flawless like the surfboard shop boards. I realize my board is not perfect, it has little flaws, I can live with that. But I want a really glossy finish on it, with no boogers.
I'm new to epoxy resin. My experience is with polyester resin. I'm glassing in about 70 degree weather, as dust free as I can get it, prepping by sanding with 100 grit, applying with brush (on the rails) and weenie roller (on the flat parts), and the finish is coming out very good. But not good enough! Any suggestions?
here's some pics of it as it stands. Probably can't tell much in this state. Sorry I didn't take any shots before sanding. It looked good, but had a bunch of small imperfections when you looked close.
Typically, it takes me about 10 minutes to spread a coat, then 10 minutes later its all levelling out and looks awesome. 20 minutes later, little defects start forming. By the time it dries, its time to sand and start over. Any suggestions?
are you trying to get a sanded finish or polished?
for sanded i’d get it down to 320 and spray any imperfections with a matte finish, then buff it down with scotchbrite, or if you dont have to spray it, buff the 320 with a rough compound and it make a nice kinda sanded gloss finish without going up to 600 and without the weight.
for polish on epoxy i’ve never gotten truly good results, it always looks like a rough polished polyester board, but i haven’t put the energy into fully exploring that…i know some guys have gotten good results!
I’ve had nothing but trouble with the surf source gloss epoxy.It’s really thick and if you get any air bubbles in it while mixing it is a mutherfuker to get them out.Every time I put that crap on something I end up having to sand it off cus the bubbles leave little craters everywhere,the only thing I’ve found it to be good for is setting plugs,the 12 hour cure time yeilds almost no exotherm.
I would either do a poly gloss,or try the resin research gloss epoxy,or find a local body shop that will spray it with 2 part urethane. Opinions abound…
I feel for you, huckleberry. I make wood boards with epoxy and have never had any luck polishing the epoxy, but I know some people have. I can never get it to let the wood really shine. I use varnish. Only complaint is it isn’t quite as durable as a two part resin. They make two part varnish, but its super expensive. Interlux perfection, I think it’s called, is two parts, and I think it costs around 100 chickens.
I would sand to 80 or 100, and use a poly gloss. I don’t know why it wouldn’t work. I hvaen’t tried it msyelf though.
