rodndtube.com's (OLD) MyPaipoBoards Forums. Reading but no posting on the OLD forums.

[Poobah]

I've been doing a number of wood boards lately with McKloskey Spar Varnish, and I was wondering if I should bother to wax them. I always seem to get some dust bumps in my final coat of varnish, and have to wet sand. Besides appearances...is there a good reason to wax or seal the varnish? Does the varnish need waterproofing and/or UV protection? One of the products I had in mind was an easy liquid 3M product.


http://products3.3m.com/catalog/us/en001/auto_marine_aero/marine/node_GSC681ZKNFbe/root_GST1T4S9TCgv/vroot_GS4JK4Y166ge/gvel_H8PTZGX97Rgl/theme_us_marine_3_0/command_AbcPageHandler/output_html



Also while surfing around the web for sealer info, I came across these products. Do any of you have any personal experience with using them on poly fiberglass or?



Interlux Protectant and wax sealant

http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa//product_guide/boatcare/uv_protectant.asp?ComponentID=22071&SourcePageID=6716#1


303 Aerospace Protectant

http://www.303products.com/tech/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=308


Another process I'd like to try (besides spar varnish) is a coat or two of penetrating epoxy on the wood, followed up with some sort of wax or sealer that gives both gloss and UV protection for the epoxy. Any suggestions???

[Poobah]

Here's some interesting stuff about the water testing of wood samples sealed with epoxy.

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/woodseal.html

[PaipoJim]

I am currently using epoxy to glass a 1/8" plywood board a friend of mine shaped as a replacement for the boogie board part of his BodyGun. I am using System Three Phase Two epoxy which has fairly low viscosity. This epoxy is overkill for this project but I want to get familiar working with it for my next project coming down the "paipoline".

The first primer coat I gave the bare wood was really soaked up. I only mixed enough epoxy to cover the board (about 24 grams total for both sides.) All the wood was wet with epoxy when I coated it but the next day there were a considerable number of "dry" areas on the board. They tended to be the places that had a more open grain.

I gave it a light sanding and when mixing the second coat added a bunch of carbon black to increase the viscosity so as to fill minor imperfections, missing splinters, etc... on the surface. This is not top grade wood. I used 32 grams of epoxy for this coat. It set up just fine and is nice and shiny all over. The 56 grams of epoxy (plus the carbon) does not seem to have added any appreciable weight to the plywood.

I'm going to glass it this weekend (if it's warm enough!) with some real light but tightly woven 2.1 oz. volan.

I'll post a picture when it's done but only time will tell how well this board holds up to the flexing stress it will endure.

[Nels]

This topic has languished...some of it moved elsewhere...but my search for the elusive topcoat remains...

I am going to be making a 6 handboard production run in March, and I am pondering just coating the handboards with resin rather than my usual polyurethane clear coat. What I am going to make will be too small and too thin to flex, so that isn't an issue, and with that in mind I don't intend to glass them. The polyurethane has worked for me, and at worst if I do get a water problem at some point I can just reapply easily. Resin- a bit more expensive and a bit more of a hassle.

Any comments? 6 of one, half-dozen of another?

[Uncle Grumpy]

Epoxy resin alone will degrade fairly fast without the UV inhibitors in varnish or paint.
If you want the epoxy to really soak into wood they should both be warm.
You can obtain great results with a thin coat and a heat gun or a blowdryer. Gently; no fires or scorch marks.
All you folks building wood paipos etc. willl benefit greatly by spending some time on the Wooden Boat Forum.
http://www.woodenboatvb.com/vbulletin/upload/index.php
If you are a woodworker at all you'll want to pay particular attention to the how-to posts by Bob Smalser.
Are you searching for a really bitchen shiney wood look?

[Nels]