Thread: Epoxy resin finish, the how to

I have seen references to a lot of wood finishes for custom scales but I have not seen any discussion of epoxy resin finishes, so I thought I would start one. Resin is super hard and very easy to work with. It seals the wood and fills in any defects all in one coat, or rather pour. A single coat of epoxy is equivalent to around 50 coats of lacquer, it is probably close to the same coat quantity for CA and a heck of a lot easier to put on.

The key is to get your resin and hardener mixed in exact proportions and thoroughly mixed. I use medicine measures for my mixes. I use to use a 0.1 gram scale but the resin and hardener are of different densities so weight measurements are problematic. A volume measurement works best for me. The problem most people run into (aside unequal proportions) is insufficient mixing. The resin must be thoroughly mixed. I mix the resin/hardener for at least 3 minuets with a small wood scrap. You have to make sure to scrape down the bottom and sides while mixing so you do not end up with a little blob of unmixed finish which will leave you with a tacky, sticky finish.

You also need to properly prep your wood. After sanding down to 400 grit and at least 4 hours (24 is better) before you want to pour the finish, wipe the wood off with a clean cotton towel that has been lightly moistened with a splash of turpentine. The turpentine will lift out any remaining dust in the wood pours as well as remove any oils left behind by your hands.

You will need a special work surface for the pour. You will need to suspend the scales so the resin can drip over the sides. I cut some small dowel rod into one inch lengths and glue them to an old hunk of cherry wood. Those will be my stilts to hold the scales up during the pour and curing process. I use two stilts per scale, one at either end of the scale. I use a small square of double stick tape (wood working double stick, not double stick foam tape) to hold the scale to the stilts.

Epoxy resin is ‘self leveling’ and does not need brushed on, although I will occasionally brush on a base coat if I am using a particularly oily wood or a stained wood. After the light basecoat brushing, I pour the rest of the resin on the wood. Slowly pour the resin up and down each of the scales. Be generous, the resin will run off the sides and drip down onto your base. I usually poure two or three passes on each scale. Once I have the first pour on all the scales I go back to number one and pour another, continuing until I have run out of mixed resin. That ensures that I have gotten even and complete coverage. Then walk away. Don’t poke/prod/fuss over them, just go away. The resin will take care of itself.

A day later you will have a glass smooth and high gloss finish, with the exception of the drips under the scales. I give the finish 2-3 days to fully cure and harden, then I take each scale to the garage and hit the drips with my bench grinder. That resin is hard, if you try to hand sand it off, you will be sanding for a long time. After I have ground the drips down on the bench grinder, I will hand sand the remaining nubs down.

If you have any dust specs in the finish you can use some 000 steel wool to level out the finish. The steel wool (or wet sand) will dull down the high gloss finish. You can buff the finish back. I give the scales two light coats of high gloss polyurethane to restore the shine after a buff. The backs of the scales need a coat to seal them. You can mix up a small batch of resin and paint it on, or use several coats of urethane to seal the wood. The urethane is easier and what I use.

In summary, you need a prepped finishing surface, sanded and prepped scales, a properly proportioned and mixed epoxy resin, 3 teaspoons of resin and hardener (6 teaspoons total) is enough to do 3 sets of scales (maybe 4) and pour your finish. Once hardened, grind off the drips and apply a back coat. Your are finished, no rubbing, no sanding, no 5 days of applying 20 coats of that other finish.

Almost forgot, durability? You can pound on a resin finish with a hammer and it will be no worse for ware. If you get a scratch in the finish, steel wool it out and buff the gloss back in. If you want a durability demonstration, I can pound on a resin coated board repeatedly and video tape it if you really want proof. I doubt you will ever damage the scales.


Left to right, blood wood, purple heart wood, stained oak and walnut.

Very cool, I think that's what is used for bar counters and such, so yeah, it's gotta be tough.

Very nice looking scales too!

Thanks, those are my first 5 sets. They should get better from there. There is a hunk of zebra wood, olive wood and walnut burl waiting in the wings. I cut them on the band saw, belt sand them to shape and hand sand to finish. About three hours in all those. The first few are the slowest while I figure out the best way to make them. The wood looses its luster and definition in the photo.

can you post a pic of the suspension set up?

how hard is it to drill your holes in the wood after they are sealed up?

also, what type of epoxy/hardener are you using? can you post a link to it please

does pinning mar the finish like it can on Ca finished scales?

I go to bed and look what happens. Some quick replies…

Originally Posted by Doc

can you post a pic of the suspension set up?

Yes I can but it will have to wait until later today when I get home.

Originally Posted by jscott

how hard is it to drill your holes in the wood after they are sealed up?

Originally Posted by jscott

also, what type of epoxy/hardener are you using? can you post a link to it please

It is harder than wood alone, but not like drilling steel. A drill press and sharp bit will cut through it without a problem. I don’t know that I would try a hand drill. The finish is relatively slick so the bit may want to dance around if you use a hand drill.

The resin itself, you can get it at any wood working store, even Lows carries it (or use to). I used a high gloss furniture resin.

Originally Posted by mike_ratliff

does pinning mar the finish like it can on Ca finished scales?

I will let you know next week when I pin my first set. I am new to razor scales but not wood. I have my kitchen table finished with the same epoxy, two years of family use and it looks nearly as good as the day I poured the finish. There is a reason they finish restaurant tables with epoxy. Water proof, easy to pour, sandable and hard to mar. You can quite literally hit a reason finished board with a hammer, hard, with little more than a light scuff from the rough hammer head. I would suspect that you would not mar the finish with the light tapping that pinning requires.

What do you use to buff the finished scales with?

Ty

Originally Posted by mongrull006

What do you use to buff the finished scales with?

Ty

A clean cotton towel. If you get the pour right, nothing needs buffed. The finish dries smooth and high gloss. You could put a little carnauba wax on them if you wanted, but that may make them a bit too slick when wet. That is part of the beauty; you don’t need to do anything to them. Cut, sand, pour, cure, use. The left two in the photo have not been touched beyond pouring the resin. The others were my first attempts so I hit them with some 000 steel wool and put two coats of high gloss urethane over the epoxy to restore the shine to see how it worked out.

I have never had to buff out a scratch, but the commonly recommended procedure is to wet sand it, I would go to 1500, maybe 2K. Then use a little polishing compound and then polish. That is pretty much the same procedure for buffing out scratches in any paint coat. You just have to be a little more gentle than buffing on metal, you do not want to burn the finish for buff away the epoxy. Again, I have never had to do it so this is all theoretical knowledge. If anyone as more hands on knowledge, please speak up.

when used on a table you just pour it on and let the excess run off? on a tarp or?