I decided to use the mirror coat by System Three for my bar top epoxy
coating. I have completed the first coat, which I made very thin.
Just thick enough to seal off the
wood. I believe that there are small air bubbles that formed, it is
hard to tell if they are craters or air bubbles. So what type of
sandpaper should I use to get out the air bubbles? Then what should
I
use to clean the surface before adding the next layer? Is the
sandpaper going to scuff or scratch the surface, and will this show up
thru the next layer?

Thanks!

Bubbles are either from your whipping air into the batch when you mixed it
or, especially outdoors, if the wood heats after the coating is applied, air
in the wood expands and tries to get out through the coating. In any
event, they can be sanded out. Not having used System Three, I would start
with 220 paper, if that does it, fine. Otherwise go to progressively
coarser papers until you have the bubbles/divots removed. Then go back up
through the grits until you get to 220. The scratches will not show. Mix
calmly and don't try to coat the surface outdoors or in a room that is
heating up.
Dave
wrote in message
ps.com...
I decided to use the mirror coat by System Three for my bar top epoxy
coating. I have completed the first coat, which I made very thin.
Just thick enough to seal off the
wood. I believe that there are small air bubbles that formed, it is
hard to tell if they are craters or air bubbles. So what type of
sandpaper should I use to get out the air bubbles? Then what should
I
use to clean the surface before adding the next layer? Is the
sandpaper going to scuff or scratch the surface, and will this show up
thru the next layer?

Thanks!

On 27 Feb 2007 04:17:08 -0800, wrote:

I decided to use the mirror coat by System Three for my bar top epoxy
coating. I have completed the first coat, which I made very thin.
Just thick enough to seal off the
wood. I believe that there are small air bubbles that formed, it is
hard to tell if they are craters or air bubbles. So what type of
sandpaper should I use to get out the air bubbles? Then what should
I
use to clean the surface before adding the next layer? Is the
sandpaper going to scuff or scratch the surface, and will this show up
thru the next layer?

Thanks!
Use about 220 grit on the first coat then apply 2nd coat, while it is curing use
a heat gun or other heat source to (carefully) heat the wet surface without
burning it. The heat will allow the bubbles to rise through the uncured liquid
coating faster because the resin looses viscosity as it's temp increases. Any
stubborn bubbles can usually be fixed by popping them with a pin after heating
the area around them first. Tap plastics has a good set of instructions for
using this type of finish. Since most of these products use a form of epoxy the
UV resistance is poor compared to other polymer coating like polyurethane and
poly/vynilester resin products.

I use progressively finer grits on the orbital between each successive coat,
leaving final coat un sanded. I built a kitchen table 28 years ago and it is
still in good shape with only a few small scratches in spite of numerous moves
to other regions of USA. I will likely re sand surface and re coat this year
which will make it like new.

Joe