sifu
starting to shine!
Member since September 2010
Posts: 35
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Post by sifu on Apr 30, 2016 18:08:39 GMT -5
I just picked up a used 24 inch slab saw. Two previous owners. The box is fiberglassed plywood which has been painted. There are a few little problems here and there which I am going to fix. I'm taking it apart and also cleaning it thoroughly with simple green. Once I am done, I would like to paint and/or seal it since I doubt I will ever want to take it apart again once I have it moved into my basement.
Can anyone recommend durable products for this type of work? I would definitely like to paint it, as it is kind of a grayish baby blue (yuech!), but then I want to make sure that the basin is sealed really well, as there appears to be a leak somewhere. (It may be leaking where the screw from the drainage assembly come in - that would be an easy fix.) Ideally, a paint that did not require an additional coat of sealant would be awesome.
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 30, 2016 20:03:00 GMT -5
First, clean the box really well. When working with fiberglass you need to remove every trace of oil.
Next, go to a place that deals with fiberglass. A place that specializes in boats would be a good place to start.
Look for a product called GelCoat. Also look for a small tube of epoxy coloring agent in the color you want to finish the saw with.
Rough up the existing epoxy on your box with a medium coarse sandpaper, and use a shop vac to remove all dust & grit.
Wipe the whole box down with a clean rag & acetone. Let the acetone dry.
Mix the gelcoat according to supplied directions, mixing in your coloring agent a little at a time until you've reached the color you want. To slow down the gelcoat curing time, mix in a small amount of acetone. This will give you time to coat the whole box before the gelcoat starts to kick off. (Dry & harden).
It would be a good idea to mix only enough gelcoat to do just the inside first, let it cure, and then mix more to do the outside.
You'll notice that as the gelcoat begins to cure, it will get very hot. This is normal. However, you might want to carry any left over gelcoat in your mixing container outside to cure . I've seen left overs reach a high enough temperature to catch on fire.
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sifu
starting to shine!
Member since September 2010
Posts: 35
|
Post by sifu on Apr 30, 2016 23:48:02 GMT -5
Thanks!
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sifu
starting to shine!
Member since September 2010
Posts: 35
|
Post by sifu on Jul 2, 2016 22:24:20 GMT -5
Alright, I gel coated the interior. In my clean up, I noticed where, over the years some rocks dinged through the previous gel coat - leading to some seepage. So, I cleaned, degreased, sanded, vacuumed, cleaned again, and then gel coated.
At this point, I'm wondering if re-sanding and doing a second coat is needed? The interior looks solid, and this isn't a boat hull. So, second coat? Or good to go?
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 2, 2016 22:34:27 GMT -5
You'd need to sand the first later to rough it up enough for a second coat to stick. A second coat wouldn't hurt, but Gelcoat goes down pretty thick.
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