Before Posting, Please Read Our Posting Guidelines Below.
1. Use the full 4 digit year for everything you are asking your question about. Example: 1962, 1988, 2000, 2011 2. Include the correct name of your Whaler model. Example: Montauk 17, Montauk 170, Outrage 26, Outrage 260 3. Include the length when necessary. Example: 16, 17, 18, 20, 22 4. Do not post your email address anywhere on this site as it is already in your user profile.
Not sure just how completly all of the previous finishes have been removed. However, if all have been completly removed here is what will work beautifully and will protect the wood for years to come. First step is to completly saturate the wood, paying particular attention to all end grain areas, with CPES (clear penetrating epoxy sealer) from rotdoctor.com. Then use West system 105 resin with 207 hardner. Using any of the other hardners will increase the chances that, due to moisture conditions, it will turn a sickly milky/white color. Been there done that.
zappaddles wrote:
Not sure just how completly all of the previous finishes have been removed. However, if all have been completly removed here is what will work beautifully and will protect the wood for years to come. First step is to completly saturate the wood, paying particular attention to all end grain areas, with CPES (clear penetrating epoxy sealer) from rotdoctor.com. Then use West system 105 resin with 207 hardner. Using any of the other hardners will increase the chances that, due to moisture conditions, it will turn a sickly milky/white color. Been there done that.
Have removed it all..Had to replace some of the mahogany ply but its amazing how a lot of it shined up. I will look into the epoxy sealer and resin hardner. Can't wait for how this will look in a month or so...
This very day I am coating the wood parts of my Outrage that I could take off with West systems 105/207. So far so good with two coats applied. Maybe a third coat, well see. Can't make up my mind which varnish to use. Suggestions ?
Smith's clear penetrating epoxy sealer, otherwise known as CPES, is an epoxy designed to soak into wood and protect it from the elements. Any epoxy will degrade over time when exposed to uv rays from the sun and therefore a finish with a uv inhibitor is required to be used over the epoxy. Most people prefer the look of varnish (me too).
Thicker epoxies such as West System or MAAS epoxy are much thicker than CPES and don't soak as deeply into the wood. This is good if you ever want to remove the epoxy and let the wood weather naturally. That is not possible with CPES which will penetrate too deeply to be easily sanded off but CPES gives a very smooth finish which doesn't require nearly as much prep before beginning the recommended minimum number of varnish coats.
On my trawler I had 89 feet of teak handrail and I used CPES and the look was fantastic. If you use CPES there is no reason to further coat the wood with any more epoxy as there would be no benefit. Except to those selling the epoxy.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
wing15601 wrote:
Smith's clear penetrating epoxy sealer, otherwise known as CPES, is an epoxy designed to soak into wood and protect it from the elements. Any epoxy will degrade over time when exposed to uv rays from the sun and therefore a finish with a uv inhibitor is required to be used over the epoxy. Most people prefer the look of varnish (me too).
Thicker epoxies such as West System or MAAS epoxy are much thicker than CPES and don't soak as deeply into the wood. This is good if you ever want to remove the epoxy and let the wood weather naturally. That is not possible with CPES which will penetrate too deeply to be easily sanded off but CPES gives a very smooth finish which doesn't require nearly as much prep before beginning the recommended minimum number of varnish coats.
On my trawler I had 89 feet of teak handrail and I used CPES and the look was fantastic. If you use CPES there is no reason to further coat the wood with any more epoxy as there would be no benefit. Except to those selling the epoxy.
Your second paragragh has proved to be true as I cringe over the work that will be needed (sanding) to smooth out the thick epoxy. It didn't smooth out (lay down) as much as I had hoped. With small pieces of trim from the console, sanding with a powered device will be difficult. I will be stopping at two coats of epoxy.
Edited by wannabe on 03/26/13 - 7:40 PM
Drew
1988 Outrage 18 - 1988 Yamaha 130 hp
