# Filling cracks/voids with epoxy. Best way to sand/smooth epoxy to a clear finish?



## keays50 (Mar 23, 2015)

Hey all,

I have some damage to the end of a slab that I would like to preserve with epoxy instead of cutting the damage off. 

I have tried this before on small sample pieces and I am not getting the result I'm looking for. I want the finished result to be a clear epoxy fill that is smooth and level with the rest of the slab. I slightly overfill the void with epoxy so that when it settles in, it's pretty close to flush with the rest of the slab surface. When I go to sand it smooth to match the table surface, I am using 220 grit on an orbital sander and it just seems to make white and cloud scratch marks all over the epoxy, therefore making it unclear. 

What is the best way to sand/smooth the epoxy down flush with the slab surface, yet maintain a crystal clear finish in the epoxy?? 


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

keays50 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I have some damage to the end of a slab that I would like to preserve with epoxy instead of cutting the damage off.
> 
> ...


 
It will get clear again when you shoot the clear lacquer over the entire piece. 

If you are 'coloring' the wood surrounding the epoxy then you may wish to tape off all the areas on the epoxy fill that you do NOT want altered with the colorant. Remove that tape before the final clear finish is applied. I usually more than cover the entire epoxy area with clear box tape and then use an exacto knife to remove the tape from areas that I do want to hit with color. You can see right through the box tape and easily be able to tell where you are masking or unmasking at... :yes:

('crystal clear' will depend on the particular epoxy used as most will NOT be exactly 'crystal clear' throughout - some are much more clear than others)


On a test piece of some epoxy that you 220 sanded - Spray it with some clear nitrolacquer and see what happens. :thumbsup:


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## ChiknNutz (Apr 22, 2011)

Agreed. Once you apply your final finish it will show up clear again (depending on your chosen sheen level of course). If you haven't already discovered, you can (and generally have to) apply multiple layers of epoxy and it blends perfectly with the previous layer.

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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Like everybody else said, a top-coat will fill in any scratches left by 220. Doesn't really help you if you're finishing with an oiled or something though. If that is the case, you'll have to work your way up through the sanding grits untill you get a nice shine. If you don't feel like doing that, you could mask off the surronding wood with some tape and add a top-coat to the just the epoxy


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