WEST SYSTEM: All in a day’s work
The technical team are always happy to give advice about any epoxy project over the phone, or in person, and they love seeing the remarkable uses customers have for epoxy. So, how do you coat a Victorian wooden basin?
When carpenter Joe Fancy arrived at the West System International’s HQ in Romsey in July, he bought with him a dough-proofing bowl, hand-carved from a solid piece of wood over 100 years ago. The basin was due to be incorporated into a rustic bathroom suite in a house restoration, so Joe wanted to know the best way to make it perfectly waterproof whilst also bringing out the full beauty of the timber.
One glance was all it took for product specialist Hamish Cook to recommend WEST SYSTEM 105 resin with 207 special coatings hardener, appliedy brush or roller. He reminded Joe that 207 hardener was mixed at a ratio of 3.5:1, rather than the usual 5:1 he would be used to.
Hamish poses with Joe and the latest challenge for the technical team. The basin may be old, but modern resin technology will preserve it for centuries to come.
“Cured epoxy is as near to being fully waterproof as it can be,” Hamish said. “By building up several coats, the wood grain will be fully protected from domestic warm water. If the sink is in direct sunlight for any time, then the epoxy will need overcoating with several layers of a suitable UV-resistant two-pack varnish.”
Hamish also suggested running the WEST SYSTEM 105 / 207 epoxy mix over the entire sink, front and back, so as not to leave any access for water or moisture to get in under the coating by migrating along exposed grain.
Interestingly, the basin had a natural knot hole very near the top. Would Joe want to fill that with some thickened epoxy?
“Oh no,” he said. “We’re keeping that as a natural overflow!”
If you have an unusual or technically challenging project requiring an epoxy solution, then epoxycraft would love to hear about it.