Re: ATM - West System Epoxy and wood

[Bruce Swayze <swayze@europa.com>]

At 04:06 PM 6/6/97 -0700, Mel Bartels wrote:
>So, do you put the varnish right over the West epoxy?  Can you spray
>paint right over the West epoxy?
>-- 

Yes.  We sand it a bit to smooth it, leaving a cloudy appearance, but the
varnish fills in all the micro scratches and it makes a beautiful finish.
You can paint right over it, too, if you prefer.  

I should also mention that UV exposure from sunlight will deteriorate this
epoxy after a time.  It must be coated if your telescope will be exposed to
sunlight.  This is another reason why I like the Man O' War marine spar
varnish.  It contains a UV filter to protect both the wood and the epoxy
materials from deterioration.  

You can buy this varnish in the can or as a spray.  I brush on the first
couple of coats, sanding lightly between each one (this varnish can take a
long time to dry) and I like the final coat to be sprayed on with a light
coat of the spray version to avoid brush lines.  It leaves a beautiful finish.  

Bruce Swayze
swayze@europa.com
http://www.europa.com/~swayze    Swayze Optical home page
http://www.europa.com/~swayze/spider.html   Homemade spider page