Epoxy Finish

[Steve Eure]

I have just finished my bowl using System 3 Clear Coat epoxy and was wondering if I need to buff it out or something else. The finish turned out nice, but it has a slight roughness in spots. I actually put on three coats and lightly scuffed it between coats and it was smooth after the light scuffing.
What would you experts recommend for a smooth surface? Buffing, 0000 steel wool, scotchbrite, rubbing compound, or other?

[Chris A Lawrence]

I would make up a test panel and try all the above. Nothing worse then trying something on the finished piece and messing it up. Make sure the epoxy is completely cured if its not it could be soft in spots and you could end up tearing the epoxy off.

[John Sincerbeaux]

Definitely make sure it is fully cured then treat it like a lacquer finish. Level the finish with 800-1000, then sand to 2500-4000. Then start buffing with polishing compounds using a rotary buffer. The key is to not miss an abrasive step which will show scratches. Worst case is if you cant get the level of clarity and polishyou want, you can spray lacquer on top and repeat the process. The epoxy makes for a great base coat/pore filler.