Anyone come across and had good luck with submersible CLEAR finishes?
I have tried and or researched boat forums with many divided opinions. So, I though I would try back here to see what you all thought.
Some products I’ve tried or looked into are:
West system 207, Awlgrip, Epifan, Sikkens cetol, and Polyurethane. I have some Smith & Co. CPES on the way to test on some samples.I would really like to keep the chatoyance of a French polish, the durability of an epoxy, and be completely encapsulated/watertight. I may be asking too much, but I have found someone who does it successfully. Stupid trade secrets….
PS. UV protection is not a deal breaker for this project. It is for an indoor Ofuro
Replies
I doubt you will find Cetol or any polyurethane that is satisfactory below the waterline. I don't think even the two part epoxies such as Interlux Perfection recommend using below the waterline.
Epoxy is commonly used below the waterline however. . West System is used, with wood, in a structural system to build boat hulls. West System has lots of technical assistance available about using their products. CPES is very low viscosity epoxy but I'm a bit doubtful about full encapsulation.
But, just using epoxy as a finish has problems in that once the film is broken penetration would quickly destroy the rest. However, using epoxy along with fiberglas reinforcement--along the lines of strip canoes--provides a much better chance of holding up. The glass wets out and becomes quite transparent. The epoxy fully fills the glass, and can be handed and buffed to a gloss finish--albeit with a lot of work.
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