After repeated failures, success.
...or, rather, acceptable results. Look a that top coat!
The last posts HERE and HERE documented issues with un-cured resin when attempting a clear top coat. Unfortunately I am no closer to understanding why the resin did not cure. My best guesses so far are: metallic soap contamination of the top surface from unknowingly using a stearated sanding block, improperly cleaned amine blush, humidity contamination of my resin bottle, or remnants of rattle-can acrylic clear coat I tested on a small portion of the frame (which I disliked, but perhaps didn't clean off completely).
Rubbing the frame with acetone made it gooey and sticky to the touch. So yea, something wasn't right. I scrubbed with acetone until that stopped. Then sanded. Then scraped with a razor and sanded. Then scrubbed with acetone more. Then sanded. Then scotch-brite. Then acetone. Then scotch-brite.
Ready for the next attempt at a clear coat:
This 2-component urethane clear coat was recommended on a couple forums, and also a commenter, so went ahead and spent $25 on a rattle-can. Boy was this no ordinary rattle-can.
It took some getting accustomed to. After a light dusting and flash-dry, it likes to go on thick for a smooth result. I allowed it to flash-dry for 5 minutes between 3 decent coats before exhausting the bottle (spraying outside in the wind is quite wasteful).
The results were indeed acceptable. And the urethane will block the UV from damaging the epoxy.
Milky regions of epoxy are still visible through the clear. Oh well.
Finally this aesthetic battle is won [stalemated] and I can move on. Stoked.
...or, rather, acceptable results. Look a that top coat!
The last posts HERE and HERE documented issues with un-cured resin when attempting a clear top coat. Unfortunately I am no closer to understanding why the resin did not cure. My best guesses so far are: metallic soap contamination of the top surface from unknowingly using a stearated sanding block, improperly cleaned amine blush, humidity contamination of my resin bottle, or remnants of rattle-can acrylic clear coat I tested on a small portion of the frame (which I disliked, but perhaps didn't clean off completely).
Rubbing the frame with acetone made it gooey and sticky to the touch. So yea, something wasn't right. I scrubbed with acetone until that stopped. Then sanded. Then scraped with a razor and sanded. Then scrubbed with acetone more. Then sanded. Then scotch-brite. Then acetone. Then scotch-brite.
Ready for the next attempt at a clear coat:
This 2-component urethane clear coat was recommended on a couple forums, and also a commenter, so went ahead and spent $25 on a rattle-can. Boy was this no ordinary rattle-can.
It took some getting accustomed to. After a light dusting and flash-dry, it likes to go on thick for a smooth result. I allowed it to flash-dry for 5 minutes between 3 decent coats before exhausting the bottle (spraying outside in the wind is quite wasteful).
Milky regions of epoxy are still visible through the clear. Oh well.
Finally this aesthetic battle is won [stalemated] and I can move on. Stoked.
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