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Thread: Outdoor finishes questions

  1. #16
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    Anyone know of a lower price for Epifanes clear high gloss varnish?
    JD wants $14 shipping plus $5 hazardous material charge.
    That's almost $60 for a quart of varnish.

  2. #17
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    Amazon has it for $45 with free shipping if you have Prime.

    John

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by John TenEyck View Post
    Amazon has it for $45 with free shipping if you have Prime.

    John
    And I cancelled Prime months ago because I didn't see much advantage to me.....
    Guess I'll have to rethink that.
    Thanks, John. And thank all who responded.
    I appreciate being able to get solid advice quickly.

  4. #19
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    Frustrated with how to proceed with the shutters, I grabbed a box of Famowood Glaze Coat while at Lowes.
    Today I did some last minute sanding, vacuuming and wiping down a pair when suddenly I noticed it is for indoor use only.
    I plan to put on 8 coats of Epifanes gloss as they suggest.
    Wouldn't that hold up under that much varnish?
    I'm not going to give them a thick coat. My plan is to spread it on and hang them from the top. That way any excess will run off and go unnoticed.
    Then 8 coats of varnish.


    Am I making a mistake?

  5. #20
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    As a seal coat on the bare wood I'm using West Systems.
    Can I brush it on, then hang them up vertically to let the excess run off? All I want to do is seal the wood tight not sure a flooded surface is needed?
    After the epoxy cures I intend to give the shutters the full 8 coats of the vvarnish recomended.
    It arrives today. The Epifanes came yesterday.
    Wouldn't have done me any good to have gotten them any sooner. It has rained almost every day here.
    Today is perfect.

  6. #21
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    That finishing schedule (West epoxy plus Epifanes Spar Varnish) is about the best you can possibly do. It is often used on wooden boat hulls and trim. Even so, you are going to have a yearly maintenance schedule on your hands to keep the wood looking good. As Jim Becker said early on, there just isn't a clear finish that will hold up for several years without maintenance.

  7. #22
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    If all I have to do is sand lightly and add another coat or 2 of the varnish, I'm ok with that. On the other hand, if that means stripping them down to bare wood every time they dull, I may end up painting them next year.

  8. #23
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    Depending on the situation, that may be all you will need.

  9. #24
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    By using epoxy to seal the wood, is there any need to add thinner to the varnish on any coat?

  10. #25
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    I think not, and I think you won't need the recommended 7 coats either; 4 or 5 should be plenty if the wood truly is sealed.

    John

  11. #26
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    Brushed on epoxy to back of shutters late afternoon yesterday and it is still very sticky.

    Any idea why?

    I did not flood the wood, I simply spread it around and any excess I wiped off with a sponge and put it back in the container I mixed it in (plastic cups)

    Could water popping have done this? I sanded it down with 220, using 50/50 alcohol & water. Then vacuumed real good and wiped them down again to raise the clean (hopefully) open cells.
    Then they were left to dry out for 24 hours.
    It's amazing how much more depth and contrast between light and dark areas, and grain far "deeper" looking.

    What did I do wrong?

  12. #27
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    Either you didn't mix the correct ratio or didn't mix well enough. Most West System is not a 1:1 ratio. But if this was all done correctly, it may just need more time/heat to harden. The thinner the coat, the longer it will take to harden. I don't think water popping was necessary.

  13. #28
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    The kit included 3 pumps and a wide variety of pieces to fit all of their various size containers.
    I had to shorten the hardener down tube in the pump. . but the epoxy pump seamed to be the correct size. I then followed the pump priming procedure for both products and mixed well.

    At one point, and I do not understand why, the foam brush got very hot. The epoxy got so hot I could not touch it with my bare hand.

    It is a thin coat, so that may be the reason for it not drying to the touch this soon.

  14. #29
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    A mixing container with epoxy even an inch or two deep will get very hot very fast, even with slow setting epoxy. Epoxy produces heat as it cures... the deeper the pour, the harder it is for heat to escape off the surface and will quickly become a snowball effect. As far as your thin layer, wait until medium pressure with a fingernail won't scratch it before coating with varnish. Could be days.

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