two parts epoxy table top resins

[usahog]

Hello All it's been a minute since I've posted here... You last visited: 2022-02-14, 08:18 PM  


I am redoing an Old Teachers desktop for my wife, and haste makes waist I bought a batch of two parts from a big box store, I recall years back, one finisher told me to not purchase from big box stores because of the age it sits on the shelf. it wasn't until I did do and ruined the pour (second coat) on the finish this thought came back to me... 



now some areas are tacky while the other area has hardened, can I just do another repour over this entire top or do I still need to sand and prep the areas once again? Scuff it up so to speak... TIA for any inputs...

[jteneyck]

It's often said to never put a hard finish over a soft one.  I think that can be expanded to also say, never put any finish over one that hasn't cured.  

As painful as it sounds, I think your best option is to strip it off with a stripper designed for epoxy and start over.  But you could first try tenting around the piece with sheet plastic, and putting a heater inside.  Raise the temperature to maybe 120F for a day or two and see if it cures.  If not, time for the stripper.  

John

[vernonator]

I had a similar issue on a bar top I did - never QUITE set up. Was not tacky but if you left a glass on it, it would leave a dent and "stick" when picked up. The dent would eventually settle out (day or so). I thought "oh it will eventually cure out", 10yrs later when we sold the house, it was the same. I should have stripped it and redone - if its sticky after a few days, it will ALWAYS be sticky.

[usahog]

I had a similar issue on a bar top I did - never QUITE set up. Was not tacky but if you left a glass on it, it would leave a dent and "stick" when picked up. The dent would eventually settle out (day or so). I thought "oh it will eventually cure out", 10yrs later when we sold the house, it was the same. I should have stripped it and redone - if its sticky after a few days, it will ALWAYS be sticky.

Thanks for your help.. I stripped the tacky crap down with a wide chisel, sanded down the entire top with 120 grit and basically started over. I wiped it down after sanding with denatured alcohol and left to dry, and somewhere somehow the alcohol reacted with the layer of two parts leaving it gritty soft? so after two days of air drying it was ruff textured but pliable.... third pour with the Flasco table top epoxy turned out great and evenly dried, although I notice a few bubbles and a couple dog hairs made their way into this pour... 

 

don't remember how to add a video, but I'm happy just a few blemishes that I'll be able to sand out and do a  final pour and complete this project for the wife...