Glen-L.com

I was encapsulating some 20 year air dried black walnut and only had slow hardener to use. The day time temp was in the high 70's. Slow hardener is recommended at temps higher than 70-75 so I felt safe enough using it for the encapsulation and just figured I would make sure to get a good long cure. When reading up on finishing I noticed that the slow hardener can cause some clouding when covered with a marine varnish and recieving moisture. I am in colorado and the boat is never stored in the water more than a few hours at a time. Also, I was planning on letting the epoxy cure for 7-8 days then a very light sand followed by a acetone wipe and another day to cure/dry before coating with a varnish or other means of uv protection.
My questions are ; what can I do to prevent the clouding if anything at all and what would you recommend for a uv protective coating that will leave a great finish to show off that walnut?
Thank you in advance!
John

Clear coating wood for clear finishes requires special coatings hardener. If you do not protect epoxy resins too, the sun will cloud resin. If you apply in damp or exposed areas late in afternoon, dew will also create discoloration.

I have already coated the walnut with 3 coats of glen L poxy-shield with slow hardener at temps above 75 degrees. I am now looking to ad a uv shield like marine varnish and am wondering what works the best. My question on clouding is a result of a warning in my epoxy manual that states in some cases clouding may occur after coating with varnish if you have used the slow hardener and it says this is caused by moisture ect. I would like to do everything possible to keep from clouding the wood and am looking for suggestions to achieve non-clouding results.

Thanks again everyone.

my advice at this point is to make sure you give the epoxy plenty of time to fully cure before varnishing. (but avoid direct sun exposure in the meantime)

_________________
Bruce.

~~ Do what you love, and love what you do. ~~
~~ To me - only my boat is not yet perfect. Everybody else's is to be admired for I know the path they have walked (Dave Lott, 2010) ~~
Dow's Monaco Project

Well i should recommend something at this point. Take a sample piece of wood and coat it in the same manner in which you did the existing ones in question. Let dry and then sand really good and wipe down with denatured alcohol and then apply your varnish of your choice. Then see what you have and if the varnish of your choice cures and dries sufficent enough when you lightly stick your fingenail into the surface.

The reason I say this is that some varnishes do not always dry over some freshly coated epoxy resin surfaces. If you can also post a photo of your present work in direct sunlight for us if you can.