devanmills
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What methods do you use for applying an epoxy base coat? Just looking for general ideas.
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G-5 base coat
- Thread starter devanmills
- Start date
devanmills
Registered
Thanks! What grit range of paper do you normally use to finish with?
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Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
Playing cards or credit card.
I squeegee the first coat with a playing card too.
I use a thinner slower epoxy though.
I squeegee the first coat with a playing card too.
I use a thinner slower epoxy though.
If you are using 5 minute epoxy, it is not ideal for sealing cues. It sets to fast and doesn't penetrate the woods properly. You are better off using finish cure or west system resin with clear 207 hardener. Which I think is best. It dries much slower and allows proper sealing of the woods.
Applications may vary, but remember to use really thin coats(barely covering wood to where your fingers can glide over the wood. It dries much better using thinner coats and will produce a much smoother surface to sand. Putting it on to thick will allow it to run and create bubbles in the epoxy. Multiple coats over several days > depending on the wood your sealing, is always much better than putting it on way to thick on your first coat. Fingers, playing cards, rubber gloves, and even foam brushes work fine, you will just have to find what works for you and produces the smoothest best results. And for best results and way fewer sand marks, never spin the cue and use #0000 steel wool to sand your epoxy with. And a key tip is to use the wool long ways up and down the cue with the grain, never while cue is spinning as it will cut deep scratches in your sealer.
Applications may vary, but remember to use really thin coats(barely covering wood to where your fingers can glide over the wood. It dries much better using thinner coats and will produce a much smoother surface to sand. Putting it on to thick will allow it to run and create bubbles in the epoxy. Multiple coats over several days > depending on the wood your sealing, is always much better than putting it on way to thick on your first coat. Fingers, playing cards, rubber gloves, and even foam brushes work fine, you will just have to find what works for you and produces the smoothest best results. And for best results and way fewer sand marks, never spin the cue and use #0000 steel wool to sand your epoxy with. And a key tip is to use the wool long ways up and down the cue with the grain, never while cue is spinning as it will cut deep scratches in your sealer.
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With any sealer, one should first use a filler. A sealer is not supposed to penetrate the wood, it is supposed to 'seal' it as prep for the finish.
Dale
With any sealer, one should first use a filler. A sealer is not supposed to penetrate the wood, it is supposed to 'seal' it as prep for the finish.
Dale
Sorry Dale, but you are incorrect on your statement. If you were building furniture , I may agree with you. But this is cues here, and your epoxy sealer is all you need. If you have to use a filler on your cues, you may wanna take several steps back on your building.
Dale
Sorry Dale, but you are incorrect on your statement. If you were building furniture , I may agree with you. But this is cues here, and your epoxy sealer is all you need. If you have to use a filler on your cues, you may wanna take several steps back on your building.
I agree except the #000 steel wool part and no spinning .
#000 just too fine for my liking.
I spin sand then lengthwise.
Some like to sand it all the way down to the surface so that the epoxy only fills the pits.
Some leave just enough layer on top of wood for the clear coat to grab and so the clear doesn't get "sponged" by the wood.
The thread starter has to do a lot of work and make up his mind after that what works better for him.
Oh dear, did someone just say Dale didn't know what he was doing? This is about to be interesting.
Yes indeed! Many start points have been given, but experience is the best teacher to get to the end point.
Gary
Just been thinking about Dale's post and reply after it.
If the resin penetrates the wood in an uneven manner, could this be a cause for a handle to want to warp slightly?
I have always used a wood sealer then epoxy finish.
Neil
Neil,
Whether you use a wood sealer or an epoxy as the sealer, the sealing is done at the woods preference. Its not the mediums fault I don't believe that would cause warping. They use an epoxy based product when pressure sealing knife handles and gun grip blanks and even to stabilize wood turning blanks for pens and some for cues. All wood has natural voids or air pockets as you will. So whether you are using wood sealer or epoxy as the sealer, it will go and penetrate at it own rate filling those voids.
Plus, this is my opinion and experience, wood sealers are easily trapped inside wood and unable to not dry as most are air born dried , meaning they need air to dry or cure. While epoxy is a chemical reaction between the resin and the hardener and does not need the same air as wood sealers to cure. So when epoxy is so called "trapped" inside the woods pores, it is able to continue to harden and fill the void with much less chance of the gases escaping later up through the clear coat of the cue.
Of coarse all this is based upon doing each procedure correctly, proper mixing of mediums, and so on, so there will always be a chance for human error.
If the resin penetrates the wood in an uneven manner, could this be a cause for a handle to want to warp slightly?
I have always used a wood sealer then epoxy finish.
Neil
Neil,
Whether you use a wood sealer or an epoxy as the sealer, the sealing is done at the woods preference. Its not the mediums fault I don't believe that would cause warping. They use an epoxy based product when pressure sealing knife handles and gun grip blanks and even to stabilize wood turning blanks for pens and some for cues. All wood has natural voids or air pockets as you will. So whether you are using wood sealer or epoxy as the sealer, it will go and penetrate at it own rate filling those voids.
Plus, this is my opinion and experience, wood sealers are easily trapped inside wood and unable to not dry as most are air born dried , meaning they need air to dry or cure. While epoxy is a chemical reaction between the resin and the hardener and does not need the same air as wood sealers to cure. So when epoxy is so called "trapped" inside the woods pores, it is able to continue to harden and fill the void with much less chance of the gases escaping later up through the clear coat of the cue.
Of coarse all this is based upon doing each procedure correctly, proper mixing of mediums, and so on, so there will always be a chance for human error.
You seriously need to learn how to do some research.
A quick search of AZB might be a good start.
Dale(who is showing his typical level of restraint and good manners)
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As I stated, wood sealers sometimes due not cure fully and become trapped under finish. And they WILL push through the finish at some point and create bubbles in the finish or make it peal. Not to mention wood sealers due not seal any phenolic,ivory,metal, or any other medium besides wood.
I am helping the original poster from making many mistakes and spending wasted time and money from sealing his woods improperly. Advise like yours will send him in the wrong direction and cost him both time and effort.
I am helping the original poster from making many mistakes and spending wasted time and money from sealing his woods improperly. Advise like yours will send him in the wrong direction and cost him both time and effort.
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I just hope my information helped the original poster
Quoting from "Rules for Posting in Ask the Cuemaker":
The forum shall never be used by cuemakers or non-cuemakers to criticize other cuemakers, the quality of their work, or their methods.
All discussions shall be had in a spirit of cooperation with the desire to learn and share knowledge. This means anyone can ask questions and the questions should be answered by cuemakers. Once the cuemaker gives his opinion it is to be taken as such and not to be criticized. There are many ways to build quality cues and there are many variations on opinions of what constitutes quality work. Therefore no one is allowed to start criticizing and slamming other peoples methods. Simply state what you feel is the best method and it should be left at that.
Gary
The forum shall never be used by cuemakers or non-cuemakers to criticize other cuemakers, the quality of their work, or their methods.
All discussions shall be had in a spirit of cooperation with the desire to learn and share knowledge. This means anyone can ask questions and the questions should be answered by cuemakers. Once the cuemaker gives his opinion it is to be taken as such and not to be criticized. There are many ways to build quality cues and there are many variations on opinions of what constitutes quality work. Therefore no one is allowed to start criticizing and slamming other peoples methods. Simply state what you feel is the best method and it should be left at that.
Gary
I am helping the original poster with his question. If this somehow is going against the rules, please delete my postings. To guide someone in the right direction and save them both time,effort, and money from mistakes is all I was attempting to do.
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