I've never attempted an epoxy/resin glaze coat finish this large before. So, the "pucker factor" was elevated almost to critical levels! Environment had a whole lot to do with that, though, because the finish was being applied in an old barn converted over to my workshop. In other words, LOTS and LOTS of dust. In fact, we're talking about 40 years accumulation of dust because this was used as a horse barn before it became my shop, and you know how considerate and dust free horses are....riiiight!
Proper protection, therefore, was a must! The photo below shows the steps I took prior to pouring anything. The chipboard over the table was intended to protect it from anything falling from above from the rafters.
Before I could pour anything, the tabletop had to be wiped with denatured alcohol. Then came the seal coat.
As I was working the air bubbles out of the mixture, the unthinkable happened. A gust of wind blew through some of the cracks in those old walls, and a puff of dust wafted slowly, inexorably, inevitably downward in a heart stopping, breathtaking display of no freaking concern whatsoever, and landed smack dab where it least needed to be --- on the tabletop...in the pour! DAMN!
Get out the tweezers and dental pick and begin picking out as much of the dust as possible.
OK, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Keep working the air bubbles out (Harbor Freight heat gun...again, on the cheap, but very effective), but don't overdo it.
Let it cure overnight with the cover protecting it.
The next day sand it down with 220 grit sandpaper, wipe it again with denatured alcohol, and let it dry thoroughly overnight (with protective cover in place).
Prep for the "big flood pour". Get everything ready beforehand.
Parts A (resin) & B (hardener) --- check.
Mixing cup with volume measurements --- check.
Mixing stick --- check.
Disposable foam brush --- check.
Heat gun --- check
Courage --- Not so sure! Oh, well. Gotta do it sometime. Might as well be now.
Deep breaths --- check.
Begin the flood pour.
Waited 24 hours for the flood pour to cure before moving the tabletop down to the house where it will cure for an additional 72 hours, or so, before being delivered.
Overall, I'm very happy with the way this turned out. There are a couple of small blemishes I need to do some research on how to repair, but, DAMN, that finish really makes the juniper "pop". Hope the client likes this as much as I do.
Well, that concludes this series. Hope you enjoyed it, and on to the next project.
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