# Clear Epoxy in turnings



## Cousinwill (Nov 24, 2014)

I've been using the table top clear epoxy that can be purchased from Lowes or Home Depot to fill in voids on some of the bowls I turn. Does anyone else use clear epoxy ? I'm trying to find another brand to use that might be a little thicker when poured. I've had problems in the past with the type I used running out. I've tried taping the opening on the bottom side of the void but about 50% of the time the stuff still leaks out. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I've attached a picture of one of the bowls I turned using clear epoxy. (This one didn't leak out !!)


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

Depends, how attached are you to the epoxy being crystal clear? If the answer is "not very", try mixing in saw dust with the epoxy to make more of a paste. If the answer is " very", you might want to try doing the filling in 2 steps, 1 light coat to seal the wood and then pour it on to fill. This assumes of course that the void isn't more of a hole in the wall


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

As pretty as that bowl is I would think it would matter if it had a small hole. Surely people wouldn't put anything in it. I would let it sit there and look at it all day.

Don


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## saculnhoj (May 18, 2015)

All the really clear epoxies and resins I've tried with one exception are pretty viscous until they start to set up. System 3 Mirror coat (which is a table top finish) becomes so viscous it will run through the pores on red oak. 
I use casting resins that you can buy at Hobby Lobby and Micheals. They aren't quite as thin but will still run a lot. the last brand I used was Cast-n-craft
Clear Inlace (that you can probably get at Woodcraft) starts out pretty runny but starts to gel fairly quickly and then it doesn't run. However then you can easily get bubbles trapped in it because they can't come to the surface. 
I make dam's out of clay if necessary and use painters tape on the one side to try and keep it from running through. I have on some occasions actually glued a piece of wood on one side knowing that I could carve and or turn that piece away when the epoxy hardened.


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

I can give you a few ideas for epoxies that are more viscous (meaning thicker) while still remaining crystal clear. The thickest would probably be *Devcon Home 2 Ton Epoxy Adhesive* which is clear and has a 30 minute set time (don't get the five minute adhesive). The longer set time is desirable to allow time for the trapped air bubbles to escape.

*West Systems* offers a wide range of epoxy products. I haven't used any of their products, but the local Rockler Hardware store carries it. It is only sold in large containers and is expensive.

*SystemThree* also offers a broad range of epoxy products. I've used T88 which has a bit of an amber color and about the same viscosity as regular epoxy adhesive. The nice thing is that it is a slow curing epoxy so it allows air bubbles to escape. That is also a drawback because it requires something to contain it for a longer period of time before it begins to set. Mirror Coat is crystal clear, but rather thin (definitely not viscous). If you do not need crystal clear , they sell a thickening product called SystemThree Silica Thickener. It is an extremely lightweight white powder that will make the epoxy slightly cloudy. You can use this with any epoxy or other resin.

You don't need to use epoxy. I use *Inlace resin* a lot (Trade name: Polylite 32153-00, an unsaturated polyester resin in styrene). They offer a wide variety of products from the clear resin through a wide variety of coloring materials, metallic flakes, and decorative inlay materials. It takes about 20 minutes to set and is comparable in thickness to epoxy glue. Inlace also sells a thickener additive called ThickenIt which is the same thing as the SystemThree silica thickener. 

I use tape to contain the Inlace and epoxy resins. Ordinary tape doesn't work because the adhesive may soften and turn loose. I use the *3M ScotchBlue 8020EL Painters Tape* that is thin and conforms tightly to curved edges which helps in preventing leakage. I haven't tried all of the other ScotchBlue tapes but I really like this one for its characteristics when doing inlay work.

When using Devcon epoxy or Inlace, I let the mixed resin sit for a while after adding the hardener. This allows air bubbles to escape and it allows to mixture to become a bit thicker. However, when either of those two products begin to harden, they go very fast. As soon as it seems to be noticeably stiffer is only seconds before the mixture will be unworkable so don't wait around too long.


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## Cousinwill (Nov 24, 2014)

Thank you Bill and saculnhoj for some great information and advise !!


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## Quickstep (Apr 10, 2012)

There's an epoxy additive called Colloidal Silica. It thickens epoxy without changing the color, although to will make the epoxy cloudy. You can make the epoxy as thick as you want. I've used sawdust to thicken epoxy, but felt that it darkened the color too much. A mix of Colloidal Silica and sawdust can thicken the epoxy and keep the matching color pretty close after some experimentation.


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## 9thousandfeet (Dec 28, 2014)

Regardless of the brand of epoxy one uses, a problem can arise of introducing new air bubbles into the mix when pouring the epoxy into the cavity to be filled.

If the epoxy has a long enough open time, and is not so viscous as to prevent it, those air bubbles may disperse before the epoxy "kicks off" and hardens. But they may not, too.

A useful trick is to gently pour the epoxy down a stick or some other disposable device, so that it runs smoothly down the stick into the cavity without the epoxy stream becoming unstable ("drippy") in motion or "folding over" on itself, both ways in which new air bubbles can be introduced.


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## Bill Boehme (Feb 9, 2014)

9thousandfeet said:


> Regardless of the brand of epoxy one uses, a problem can arise of introducing new air bubbles into the mix when pouring the epoxy into the cavity to be filled.......
> 
> .......A useful trick is to gently pour the epoxy down a stick or some other disposable device, so that it runs smoothly down the stick into the cavity without the epoxy stream becoming unstable ("drippy") in motion or "folding over" on itself, both ways in which new air bubbles can be introduced.


What you say is true especially for rough surfaces such as bark and knotholes. Another trick is to use a disposable brush to first "paint" epoxy over the area to be filled to wet it and then follow that with a careful and slow pour. I haven't tried the "stick" method, but it ought to work. The two main things in working with resins are time and a good preplanned rehearsed workflow. It's a bad day when things get out of hand and panic sets in ... just don't ask and I won't lie. I'll just say that Experience is the best teacher, but he doesn't grade on the curve.


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