so, i just took possession of a clear epoxy board with a matte finish that picks up smudges and the like too a totally distressing degree. anything to do about it that wont cost me too much (and that i can do without power tools)?
a search here showed that one person puts layers of future floor acrylic on his sanded boards and rubs it out with green scotchbrite pads. think that’d do what i’m after?
here’s another take i read about here: “What I am about to say will save you hundreds of dollars and tons of hand sanding time since you are tool less. Rattle Can gloss, crystal clear acrylic. Don’t worry about the uv protection,. 3 cans of the stuff will be $15 with no sanding necessary. Light coats, and many of them. FIRST hit with 120 or higher grit on paint job prior to carefully spraying.”
Some of the pros use Behr tile sealer or the equivalent. That’s what I use. It seems to go on more evenly and is more resilient than Futures (which I have also tried, many years ago). Burnshing with the Scotch Brite is optional. The sealer will still work.
thanks for this, which led me into further searches here and a nice longish post by mcding, i think, outlining his method with the stuff:
“hate to keep repeating myself but; I tried Future once and did not like it. Too much Acrylic. Balls up if you try to burnish it. I have used Behr tile sealer for years with very good results. Wipe it on with a staining sponge, paper towel or cotton rag. One side at a time and let it. dry. Make sure you get NO drips or runs onto the opposite side. Especially at the nose and tail. . Burnish the board with an Orbital sander and a 3M Grey Scotchbrite pad. The heat generated from the pad will cause the sealer to flow out and the shine will rise. It’s amazing to watch when you are Burnishing with the pad. Burnishing is the step most guys don’t do. They just wipe it on and leave it. Futures and other floor finishes do not Burnish well because they contain too much Acrylic. I buy Behr at Home Depot for about $26 p/gallon. One gallon does a lot of boards. Similar products are sold at Smart & Final and janitorial supply houses. This is the infamous “Secret Sauce”. Also doubles as a thinner for Acrylic Latex paint and Spackle. Lowel.”
now, HD only sells the stuff by the gallon, when i think all i need is a quart. know of any substitutes, by brand name, that might come in the smaller size?
No. You’ll have enough left over to do your floors a couple dozen times. I suppose though you might buy a quart online and have it shipped. Do a search for “secret sauce” on Fiberglass Hawaii’s website. That’s where I used to buy it before I figured out what it was. Only difference is that I walked in the store and bought a plastic white quart bottle with “Secret Sauce” scribbled on it with a Sharpie. Lowel
went to one home depot today – out of stock, but go to this other one, it’s got 14. went to the other one. yup. but it just arrived today and is at the bottom of the pile, come back tomorrow or in a few days. sigh. okay. but maybe i’ll just throw some mop n glo on it and call it a day. nah. kidding!
Hi; if you want to “get rid” why asking on “how to” apply a sealer coat?
If you do not want it more you need to sand it off then apply a resin coat then polish and buffing. Is not so easy epoxy over epoxy hence they put this crappy sealer on it.
actually, it’s not the matte i don’t like, it’s how it picks up dirt and smudges and everything like that. my understanding is that a sealer will help take care of that issue. sorry for the miswording!
Seems like lately that a sanded finish is just that; sanded. Been noticing that fewer board builders in shops are glossing or sealing… and It’s only “crappy” .because your little pin hole mind says so.
weird. given the smudge issues with a purely sanded finish, i’d have thought sealer would be an industry standard. huh. meanwhile …
got my low lustre today and want to practice first on an old junked epoxy sup i have. mostly interested in seeing how the stuff flows on and, most especially, how to deal with the rails and the potential for drips. any hints or tips, other than those you’ve already so nicely shared over the years, given that i’ve never done anything remotely like this before? and that i’m a world-klass klutz? got me some cheese cloth for an applicator, as well as maroon and grey scotch brite. oh – the old SUP has a gloss finish. should i sand it a bit before experimenting? and … got acetone to clean up with the good board with, before applying the sealer.
well, further study on me own kept me from cleaning the epoxy board w/ acetone and using alcohol instead, in my case, 91% iso, which i had in hand, instead of the preferred denatured stuff. tried everything out on the practice board, satisfactorily, learning mainly to wipe the sealer on in as thin a coat as thin can get. did it in the shade but the temp was still around 80 and the sealer dried almost as fast as i put it down. going to do the good board this morning, when the temp is still sub 70. wish me luck!
Good luck. Yes wipe on a thin coat. Wipe off excess as you go. A quick wipe around the bottom edge of the rail to catch drips. I like two coats, but the Pros in glass shops I have seen doing it, use just one. Then burnish it with a maroon or grey 3M pad and an orbital sander.
thanks again. got the bottom done, then the wind came up along w/ the temp, so i’ll do the top manana. went okay, with just a few hitches, so i’m happy.
did the top this morning with fewer minor hassles. think it’s okay. i don’t have a buffing machine, so i think i’ll just skip the burnishing entirely and go with it as is. can always come back later if i want, i suppose. anyway, there’s waves tomorrow …