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Hi all,
Can someone help me with these problems?:
I am epoxying the finished deck on the Squirt. Alot of work, alot of epoxy. O.k, with every coat, I sand between with high grade automotive 220 grit sand paper, by hand. It gums up so quickly that I'm through a 40 dollar roll of the stuff, in 3 coats. Is this normal? Also, after each coat, when it's cured, it looks like gremlins came into the garage, right after I applied the stuff, and sprinkled a salt shaker over the whole boat!! Little, tiny bumps everywhere. So I take out the sandpaper again, and spend another 2 hrs sanding off what the gremlins put on. What am I doing wrong? This is the base for the eventual varnish saga... I've been through that already, with other parts, and it was not easy. I just want to provide the smoothest base for the varnish as possible. One more... how long should I wait before applying the varnish after the last coat of epoxy? Damn gremlins....

I hate to say it, but I'm quessing those bumbs are dust particles.

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Talk about gremlins. I don't know how many posts I have done this past week that don't show p

Anyway Bob, from my experience, when the paper gums up like that the epoxy had not fully cured. The little "gremlins" would then be rolled up epoxy balls

Have you verified your mix and allowed sufficient time for a hard cure.

dave

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Dave

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hey guys,
yeah I pretty much know the mix is correct, 5 to 1 ratio for W.Sys, 105 with 205, I use the pumps, and wait 24 hrs before sanding... I then clean the whole thing withdenatured alcohol, wipe it with a clean towel, then tack cloth. Maybe the dust is in the air, and hasn't completely settled befor I clean the thing.... It's a very small space. Thanks Bob

Would wet sanding be better??
Bob

I find if you give it a wash after each coat sets it takes off a lot of the amine blush and helps stop the sandpaper gumming up.
Also I am working outside and gremlins are a big problem so before I epoxy I wet down the ground to stop the dust from rising as for the bugs they just become part of the boat a bit like amber. butterflies and moths are the vain of my life.

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I find that 48 hours is better for a full cure to sand

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if i am hot coating usually use a scraper and shear the nubs, bugs etc off. also scotchbrite works ok. no need to be absolutely perfect. sand only the last coat

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I use System 3 epoxy on my guitars as a pore fill, and have found that sanding with an RO sander will cause the epoxy to ball up in the paper. The friction from the sander creates too much heat. Keeping it constantly moving, using very little pressure helps prevent the surface from heating, but many times, I just had to do it by hand. An alternative is to "wet" sand using mineral oil. It does not break down the paper for non-wetsanding paper, it evaporates fairly quickly, and nicely lubricates the surface while the grit works and prevents the dust from really sticking in the paper. Work small areas at a time....get em just right, and move to the next area.

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Ken Hundley
http://www.nocturnalguitars.com

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Thanks for all the input, especially the idea that this procedure doesn't have to be absolutly perfect... sand only the last coat. I'll wait 48 hrs before I apply the last coat, then how long should you wait to start the varnish?
Bob

Wait at least a week. Wash thoroughly! Sand then varnish. If you have an amine blush issue soap and water is the answer.

Bill

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When your using the west system with the pumps the ratio is 1 to 1. If your not using the pumps its 5 to 1. Make sure your ratio is correct.

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