# Wormy Bark Bench - Epoxy and...?



## ChadPMIK (Jun 28, 2013)

So I'm just about done sanding my masterpiece and it's time to start thinking about finish. The front and top edge are very wormy, in a few spots it's pretty much completely eaten through. In the past I've used black tinted epoxy to fill cracks but in this case I want to leave it clear. 2 Questions:

1. How would you go about epoxying the top edge? Wax paper and tape?

2. I normally use wipe-on poly for my finishes. What would I need to do to prep the epoxyed parts so that they would blend seamlessly with the poly? Sand, not sand?

3. Anyone ever use epoxy on vertical surfaces? I've never heard of such a thing but I like the idea of using epoxy on the driftwood legs to toughen them up a little and if there were a way to just epoxy the whole thing and have it done in one go I'd be on it in a heartbeat.
Image attached.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

If it is the very top edge ,I see no problem, if it is the side of the top edge ,then tip the bench back so the epoxy will settle into the holes and not run out. Wax paper and tape should work if the bug holes are not too big, other wise maybe camp a piece to both sides to hold the epoxy from running.

I would only sand the epoxy that sets above the surface to flush it with the wood.

On the legs you might have to lay them so the epoxy won't run. 

Even though epoxy seems thick, it will seep where water wont. So if it is able to run, it will.

Herb


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## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

For filling the holes I would do like Herb said. If the holes do go right through I would tape over them on the back. There are two part finishes which can be applied with a paint sprayer which are much tougher than regular finish but they are a little tricky to put on. There are also epoxy coatings which are mixed thin and have a longer setup time which will allow the epoxy time to level itself.


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

Hi Chad:

It seems that what you need to do is to mix something with the epoxy so it doesn't run. The trouble is that just about every thixotropic agent that I'm aware of does add some sort of tint to it.

I think you should do a little experimenting before tackling your masterpiece!

I would try mixing a 3 ounce batch of epoxy with some cab-o-sil...just enough to thicken it up so it won't run. It wouldn't take much. And don't forget that the thinner the coat when you apply it to the wood, the less it will be inclined to run anyway.

When you're adding the silica thickener (cab-o-sil) the epoxy will start to whiten up, but when you spread it out, the colour will nearly disappear.

So I would try a test batch on a similar piece of wood to see what happens. As long as you don't put too much thickener in the epoxy, you should still be able to paint it on your wood with a brush. I use those cheapie white brushes from Lee Valley. Clean them right away with acetone, and you can use them several times.

Something else I should mention and that is the temperature of the wood itself.

If you can warm the wood up by keeping it in a hot room for a day or so, take the masterpiece out of the hot area and then add your epoxy. As the wood cools it will draw the epoxy in to the nooks and crannies.

If you do it the other way round, that is to say epoxy the wood and then put it out into the sun for example, the wood will off gas and leave hundreds of tiny bubbles on the wood surface. Fortunately, there is a cure for that but it's better to do it the right way.

The cure is to fan the bubbles with a hot air gun and they will break almost immediately. But you need to keep watching the surface for new bubbles to appear.


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## ChadPMIK (Jun 28, 2013)

Wow thanks for all of the replies, that was fast! I like the idea of clamping pieces of wood to make a frame for the epoxy on the top edge. The two pics of the edge are from the back and you can see the spots where it's eaten through the worst. Guarantee there is at least a couple places where it would run through. Is there anything I should be doing to keep the clamped frame from sticking to the epoxy?

I'm not too skilled in finishing yet and wipe-on poly is the only thing I've gotten good results with. Any reason not to use that in this case?

One other minor detail - my joinery sucks too so I want to put a thin bead of black epoxy on the bench seat/back joint, thus the sunburst coloring I am working on.


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## cocobolo1 (Dec 31, 2015)

ChadPMIK said:


> Is there anything I should be doing to keep the clamped frame from sticking to the epoxy?


Any sort of plastic film will do the job. One of the poly vapour barrier type plastics will work fine. I use 6 mil myself, only because I have tons of it here.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

@ChadPMIK...

can't help you w/ your question but I really like your bench Chad...


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## ChadPMIK (Jun 28, 2013)

Thanks cocobolo1, I have a matress bag I saved for a dropcloth that should do the trick then. If it works good I hope to make some burl turning blanks using the same technique.





Stick486 said:


> @ChadPMIK...
> 
> can't help you w/ your question but I really like your bench Chad...


Well thank you sir! I was blessed with a couple good Craigslist finds for the wood and a local sawmill with great resaw capabilities. It will be for sale when it is finished. You can follow along at https://www.facebook.com/wannabewoodworkers/


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