West System Epoxy tips
 

I'm through 2 coats of West System epoxy on my electronics box.

For the 3rd and final coat I want to get a perfect coat, no drips and no air bubbles. Does anyone have any tips for getting a perfect surface?

Just my humble opinion, but I'd Dina scuff coat and use a uv protective polyurethane finish over the epoxy. I've seen some aweful things happen to epoxy that wasn't protected. ( peeling and fading within a couple years)
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Switch to clear Epiphanes for the top coat (2-3 coats). Only way to make West UV resistant is to add barrier coat additive.

See. ^^^^^
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I talked to Joe at Mertrons and he said 2 part epifanes poly paint. I'm getting that professionally sprayed.

First i need to get the finish perfectly smooth. The poly paint will show all of the imperfections. I read online to use a squeegee.

Should I skip the filler on the last coat?

So are you wanting a clear finish, I thought you were going to color match gelcoat? If clear what the other guys said. Whether varnishing over, painting or gelcoating you really have to sand smooth or at least rough it up a bit so the next surface will grab.

When I use West or lately MAS I use the thin foam rollers for a nice even coat, then sand. I'd skip the filler.

I've been told by several people to skip color matching "gel coat" and to color match using the epifanes 2 part polyeurethane. You'll get a better match with the paint.

You probably need to prime with Epifanes primer but to fair with West, invest in a big container of 410 filler. Awesome fairing compound with it, very easy to sand. And you can skip the filler if you want imperfections to show back up. :hihi:

love that 410. Makes sanding a pleasure.

You will love the finish of the sprayed epifanes poly...will look like gelcoat and be very hard.

watched several youtube videos. I've been skipping the tipping step and blasting with a hair dryer to remove bubbles. 3rd coat goes on tomorrow. The best thing about epoxy is that if you screw up, you just sand it and start over.

I don't know how you old farts survived without youtube and google.

I second that!!!!!!

Gougon Brothers technical hotline.
They know more about epoxy than anyone else.
I still use em over youtube/google.

Spent 45min on the phone with one of them discussing the use of G/Flex for mounting reel seats on super heavy jigging gear.