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View Full Version : Clear Epoxy suggestion for tabletop defect



David Ruhland
12-02-2018, 10:25 AM
I have some hickory with a small "void" about as deep as a nickel and as round as a dime (there is your 15 cents worth lol) want to glue up and make small table top, finish with clear. What would you recommend as a clear epoxy to fill the hole? If i was painting it I would use bondo....

Thx

Jamie Buxton
12-02-2018, 11:20 AM
West Systems epoxy, or System Three. Woodcraft sells System Three, and you have a Woodcraft store in Madison.

Jacob Reverb
12-02-2018, 2:37 PM
Sounds like a teaspoon of epoxy would do it. I love West System and go through it by the gallon, but for a teaspoon, I'd probably use a $2 epoxy+hardener twin syringe thing from WalMart.

Thin up to 10% by vol with acetone to lower viscosity.

Joe Hendershott
12-02-2018, 7:23 PM
If you do use the West epoxy make sure and get the 207 special clear so it will not turn color as it ages.

Larry Edgerton
12-03-2018, 7:26 AM
If you do use the West epoxy make sure and get the 207 special clear so it will not turn color as it ages.

What he said..........

Malcolm Schweizer
12-03-2018, 8:17 AM
If you do use the West epoxy make sure and get the 207 special clear so it will not turn color as it ages.

Ditto this, but I will add that it's still going to discolor some over time. You can also get Raka epoxy that is UV resistant, and I use it to build surfboards in the tropics and it has held up very well. http://store.raka.com/uvepoxysystem.aspx

It also did very well on a test by One Ocean Kayaks against other epoxies: http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/Epoxresl.htm

When you fill with epoxy, plane it flat and plane a few extra strokes below the surface so that where the epoxy leeched into the wood it will be less visible. Usually some gets on the surface and that will show up different than the bare wood when you finish the item. One other option is coat the whole thing with epoxy, but that can complicate finishing, i.e. what finish you can use.

Jacob Reverb
12-03-2018, 8:43 AM
As Malcolm said, even with a UV blocker, epoxy will eventually discolor due to UV degradation. If that's a deal-breaker, you might consider clear polyester resin (commonly used as a fiberglass binder), which is largely immune to UV. Be sure to add the wax to allow it to harden tack-free...

Another level of complexity and hassle, but if table is to be kept in a window or something, worth consideration...