Epoxy Snakes

[wannabefree]

While glassing the first side of our tear, we followed the general instructions of several web manuals on epoxy: Dump the epoxy out onto the surface and spread it around. We poured it out in ribbons and noticed, long after the side was done, that everywhere we had poured epoxy the wood was darker than where we had spread the epoxy. Snakes -- on a teardrop!! javascript:emoticon(':x')

Well, there is nothing we can do now other than wait and hope it fades. A week later it hasn't, though.

Anyone else have this problem?

[48Rob]

The same thing can/will happen with anything that soaks into the wood.

The initial bit placed on the wood will of course be in contact with the wood longer than the part that is taken from it and spread around.
Longer contact time equals deeper penetration which means darker.

Sorry, I'm not aware of any "cure".

Rob

[Juneaudave]

Ah man...I don't think I can offer a repair, but I think it is pretty common. I can offer a couple of suggestions for the next piece to avoid this (chronic squeegee'ers might call my tips heresy)!!!

Ya know, on a wet out, when you pour out a "snake" and squeegie it around on the glass...you can easily get areas that are really rich with epoxy and others that are starved...that's the first problem and it's why I (gasp) recommend applying the wet out coat with a brush. A brush can give you more control and a more even application...and you can assure the weave is completely filled, and can more easily be able to work out wrinkles in the glass.....After a period of time, you then follow-up with a squeegie to remove the excess epoxy being careful to keep a low angle and pressure on the squeegie so that you keep the glass in contact with the wood but not so much pressure as too remove too much epoxy and cause a starved area.

Secondly, on large surfaces, I use a trick called time tapes. After each batch is applied, I stick a little piece of masking tape on the side of the piece with the time written on it. That piece of tape marks the location of the batch with the time it was applied. After I have wetted out with several batches with the brush, I go back to the time tapes and squeegee the previous areas, trying to allow about 15 min. of "wet out" time prior to removal of the excess with the squeegee. I think that helps to make the wet out more consistent with each section having about the same amount of "wet out" time

I use rollers for subsequent fill coats....Juneaudave

[Steve_Cox]

When I coat bare plywood (no cloth) I use a foam roller (West System), and really work the 1st coat of epoxy into the wood. I've seen the dark saturation "snake" before too when I was just a little squeegeer.

[wannabefree]

Thanks for the advice. We solved the problem on side 2 by only pouring as much epoxy as we could spread with one swipe of the squeegee.

So people are only allowed to see one side of my trailer now. Heck if I'm gonna paint it, and I'm sure not going to build another side. Maybe if I leave it out in the sun I can have a little miracle fade.

[crazycyclist]

Would applying (brushed) a thinned coat of epoxy first help? I'm considering doing this on the underside of my trailer to get a deeper penetration of the wood on the first coat. But I'm not all that worried about what the bottom of my trailer looks like.

[Wimperdink]

are you actually putting fiberglass over it or just sealing the wood?

I learned that when applying fiberglass is to first seal the wood, then wet it out good before laying your glass out, then wet out over it again. It makes for a good even job with no air bubbles. The sticky epoxy will help hold the cloth in place while your smoothing it out and applying the first coat of epoxy over the glass.

[planovet]

Would applying (brushed) a thinned coat of epoxy first help?

I think a coat or two of CEPS before the epoxy coat would alleviate the problem.

[wannabefree]

All good ideas... thanks.

What bugs me is that I applied the epoxy in the way that several epoxy manufacturers recommend and I got snakes. I even saw it done that way in a canoe building video. I wouldn't have done it that way if they hadn't recommended it.

So much for experts. My real intent in posting this was to warn off others from following that expert advice.

I'm still hoping they fade.

[wannabefree]

The snakes are gone after a month or so of rest. Faded into oblivion.

[Senior Ninja]

I avoided the entire problem of epoxy by three-coating my entire TD with varnish. When not out gathering or camping, I keep it in the garage. Works for me. I wouldn't mind even re-coating it. I love the smell of varnish in the morning. Call me crazy.
Steve