Replies

1. 
   stumpworks | May 27, 2019 01:19pm | #1

   Here are some pictures

   
2. 
   stumpworks | May 27, 2019 01:51pm | #2

   More pictures.

   
3. 
   aWoodDog | Jul 12, 2019 06:19pm | #3

   My guess is you did not let the epoxy fully cure before applying the varnish. Maybe you also did not let the varnish fully dry between coats? If you applied a stain or bleach other surface prep before the epoxy, maybe you did not let that cure long enough? Stain should reach a full chemical cure, not just dry to touch. I usually wait 2X longer than whatever the manufacturer instructions tell you to do -- their guide is always based on perfect 70 deg weather and low humidity conditions. My comments here are based on 2+ years of experience with using high-quality epoxy under varnish for various hardwoods and softwoods including redwood, maple, claro walnut, pine and fir. I mostly use Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealant before varnishing with Pratt and Lambert (for furniture) or Bona (for countertops and other horizontal, high wear surfaces). If I apply a stain I rub it thin and let it fully chemically cure for at least 4 days. Then I apply 2 or more epoxy coats, letting each coat fully cure, before applying multiple coats of varnish - again, letting each layer reach a full chemical cure before proceeding. If it's raining or very foggy let it cure longer and put a heater near it.

4. 
   stumpworks | Aug 16, 2020 12:47pm | #4

   I appreciate your in depth comment. Sorry for the late response. Wrestling with the epoxy issue has been an amazing journey and the bottom line is dry times, being aware that the solvents in varnish do not give you a chemical bond to the epoxy so you can not treat the epoxy as a seal coat in that sanding it with too high a grit will not give you a good mechanical bond and there is always the problem with your denser hardwoods like hickory expanding against the epoxy fills. I appreciate your comments as they are all valid. Thank you!

5. 
   user-7211029 | Aug 17, 2020 10:21am | #5

   It looks like the epoxy itself has expanded. This can happen if it gets too hot, like continued exposure to the sun on a hot day. If it's just the top coat, sand it down and use a seal coat of shellac before your varnish.

6. 
   geedubbee | Aug 17, 2020 10:00pm | #6

   Another vote for dewaxed shellac. I have yet to find anything that it causes trouble with when used as a barrier coat between suspect chemicals during the finishing process.