Cloudy System Three finish

[hikermc]

Help!

Yesterday I put what I thought would be the final coat of System Three epoxy on a strip canoe I've been refinishing. I was working outside in nice weather, about 75 degrees, and the job seemed to go well. Due to the fact that I was outside but under a covered area, about 1/3 of the canoe was in sunlight and the rest was in shade. I took a look at the canoe this morning and was horrified to see a very clear line in the finish: the area of the canoe that was in the sun had dried perfectly clear but the rest of the canoe has a somewhat cloudy finish (see picture below if I can figure out how to attach it). This didn't happen with the previous epoxy application and the fiberglass fibers aren't showing, so it isn't a problem with how the glass got wetted out. I'm assuming it's related to humidity. I've had the canoe sitting out in the sun all day today, but no change. I even tried a hair drier and then a heat gun to see if I could heat the humidity out of the finish. No luck. ANY suggestions would be most welcome. I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Sand it maybe?

-Mary

 

[Todd Bradshaw]

That's pretty wild and not something I've seen before. Rather than fish for possible solutions on the web, I'd call System 3's tech guys and see if they can help. If anybody knows what caused it and what to do about it, it's probably the manufacturer (who also happen to be the people who benefit most from you being happy with their product).

 

[Dan Lindberg]

And post back here what they say, so we can all learn.

Question, it's not just on the surface is it?

Dan

 

[Little bear canoes]

Help!

Yesterday I put what I thought would be the final coat of System Three epoxy on a strip canoe I've been refinishing. I was working outside in nice weather, about 75 degrees, and the job seemed to go well. Due to the fact that I was outside but under a covered area, about 1/3 of the canoe was in sunlight and the rest was in shade. I took a look at the canoe this morning and was horrified to see a very clear line in the finish: the area of the canoe that was in the sun had dried perfectly clear but the rest of the canoe has a somewhat cloudy finish (see picture below if I can figure out how to attach it). This didn't happen with the previous epoxy application and the fiberglass fibers aren't showing, so it isn't a problem with how the glass got wetted out. I'm assuming it's related to humidity. I've had the canoe sitting out in the sun all day today, but no change. I even tried a hair drier and then a heat gun to see if I could heat the humidity out of the finish. No luck. ANY suggestions would be most welcome. I'm at a loss as to what to do next. Sand it maybe?

-Mary

View attachment 2077

I would sand it out.. Sand it for awale then wet the canoe a little with a damp rag and look for clowds.. If you dont see any your all set. This happens to me when I fool around with epoxy from time to time. Some times if you fool around to much with the stuff it will turn also. Just roll a thin layer on and call it good..

 

[hikermc]

Waiting for advice from System Three

I've emailed the support people at System Three and I'll let you know what they recommend and whether it works. The cloudiness might just be on the surface- it's hard to tell. If it is, it's not residue since I've tried scraping at it and nothing comes off. What's odd is that when I wet down the surface with water, the finish looks perfectly clear and then clouds up as the water evaporates. I'll keep you posted on what happens.

-Mary

 

[Fitz]

Another coat?

I had this clouding/sun/shade issue happen with a coat of varnish once. I gave it another coat and it was fine - not sure that will work with epoxy, but you might try it in a small area first.

 

[MikeCav]

Sounds like the area in the sun got warm enough to allow faster drying before the epoxy blushed due to moisture in the air. If it is indeed amine blush, most epoxy manufacturers recommend a light sanding and cleaning with clear water and either a scotchbrite pad or wet & dry sandpaper.

 

[hikermc]

Amine blush

Heard back from the people at System 3. They also though it was an amine blush, so I've used a scotch-brite pad and a lot of warm water on it. It looks now like it's had a light sanding. I'm going to have to wait for a clear warm day to try another coat of epoxy, but I'm feeling more hopeful. It may have to wait until spring considering the weather in Oregon and my new fear of humidity

In any case, thanks for all the advice. I'll post again when I get the opportunity to put on another layer of epoxy.

-Mary

 

[Dan Lindberg]

Mary,

Why are you putting on an additional layer of resin? If you have the glass filled, all you're doing is adding weight.

Whether you put on one more coat of resin or not, you still need to sand it smooth (idealy glass smooth) and varnish, several coats, to protect the resin.

Dan