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Using this site means you accept its terms and conditions of use



Your Host and Tour Guide:

Paul Oman, MS, MBA - Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc. - (floor epoxies, marine epoxies, underwater epoxies, repair epoxies)

Member: NACE (National Assoc. of Corrosion Engineers), SSPC (Soc. of Protective Coatings)

Board member: Friends of the Suncook River - 501(c)(3) non profit ----- Founder: Friday Night Paddlers .

"Professionals helping Professionals since 1994"


NOTICE: Legal notices, Terms of Service, warranty information, disclaimers, health warnings, etc. are required reading before using website, ordering and/or using Products. Any such use and/or ordering, online or by telephone, shall constitute acceptance and knowledge of all such terms.

CLICK HERE (www.epoxyproducts.com/legal.html) to access these terms.


Clear Epoxy Resin and Non-Epoxy Clear Resin Coat Options

Marine Epoxy

Table Top Epoxy

Bar Top Epoxy

Low Viscosity Epoxy

Commercial Grade - Contractor Grade

clear epoxy


There are lots of reasons for putting a clear coat finish over surfaces and even more clear coat products to select from. Progressive Epoxy Polymers, Inc. offers several options, from epoxies to polyurethanes, to acrylics. Let's look at these options and hopefully determine which is best suited for your needs.

Clear epoxies are often used as a sealer and topcoat over decorative epoxy - colored sand (or vinyl chip) flooring systems. They also find their way on to table and bar tops and over fine woods (for that shiny - glassy look). The problem is that there is really no such thing as a stable clear epoxy. They soon turn an unattractive yellow and often get cloudy besides. They certainly lose their shiny very quickly too. All this is a result of exposure to the sun's UV radiation (
More on UV blockers). The best solution is to keep your clear epoxy out of direct sun and it will stay clear. Unfortunately, that's often not possible.

So why even mess with clear epoxy resins? Floor applicators like them because the typical solvent-free clear epoxy is basically odorless - an important factor in large indoor areas. Epoxies also provide good sealing and waterproof properties, as well as chemical resistance and when new and shiny they look great.


Getting the ultimate - longest lasting clear finish for your boat or furniture - results of a 1.5 year test

For about a year and a half I've been testing various urethanes, varnishes etc. to discover which will work best at sealing and maintaining its shine outside. My test platform was a wood slotted park bench I owned. My test zones where the right and left halves of the seat slots and the left and right half of the backrest - about 12 different ‘zones'. The bench was coated and left outside in New Hampshire for 2 summers and 1 winter (buried under the snow). The coatings consisted of our traditional spar varnish (we sell it as India Spar Varnish) , a clear polyurethane from Home Depot, our clear watery Low V epoxy, our 2 part (LPU) clear polyurethane with UV blockers and absorbers. Multiple coats of each were used and multiple products on each slot (except on the backrest where varnish was used on one side and poly on the other).

The absolute worst product was the Home Depot one part polyurethane. It failed and peeled miserably.

The best products were the epoxy and the varnish and the 2 part clear polyurethane (our Acrylic Poly UV Plus). For years we have been telling folks that vanish over clear epoxy was a winning combination. I learned that from maintaining the brightwork on a sailboat located on Galveston Bay for 10 years. Seal the wood with the epoxy and then protect the epoxy with varnish. This test proved how good that system works. The half slot still looked bright, shiny and new. The slot with the epoxy, varnish and the 2 part clear poly looked just as good. I suspect over time t(another year or two) his one would have been the winner as the 2 part poly is tougher than the varnish and should hold up better over time. The other combination of coatings all feel someplace in-between. All products really like having an epoxy base. The water- based product lost its shine and just didn't hold up as well as the other products (which matches my experiences with most other water based coatings).

So if I were going to clear coat a big wooden sailboat mast that wasn't going to get any additional TLC for a few years, how would I coat it?

1) one or more coats of our solvent thinned clear epoxy primer (ESP 155). The solvents help seal the wood and penetrate below the surface. This is important as I have found the coatings (even epoxies) begin to fail on edges and corners where air and moisture can get under the coatings. Anyway, begin by sealing with a solvent thinned epoxy primer.

2) I would then add 2 or 3 coats of our watery, clear, solvent free epoxy called Low V. This product could be solvent thinned too and used in place of the solvent based epoxy primer (ESP 155) mentioned above, but I would personally rather use the ESP 155 as I suspect it would penetrate better. The Low V epoxy in this step provides a serious barrier coat to the wood and adds film thickness. Film thickness is a good thing, it keeps scratches and nicks away from the wood.

3) Next would be 3 or 4 coats of varnish. I have never noticed a difference between marine varnish, spar varnish, or ‘varnish' from the hardware store (albeit I haven't done any tests). The varnish protects the epoxy and gives the surface a ‘warm' look and feel. It also adds more film thickness.

4) You could stop here and be very happy with the results for perhaps several years. However, I would suggest 2 or 3 coats of our 2 part clear poly on top of the varnish. The UV blockers and absorbers will protect all the coatings below it. The toughness of the poly should also protect the softer varnish under it. My tests show good bonding with the varnish (probably because of the large amounts of strong solvents in the 2 part polys, they chemically etch into the varnish, offering both a mechanical and chemical bond). When applied just over the epoxy, there was a bit of whiteness present, not the case when applied over the varnish (probably more ‘fusing' between the softer varnish and the 2 part poly that provided a better "air/moisture" seal. Note that the 2 part poly layers are very thin, not much protective additional film thickness.

Learn all about spar varnish - www.epoxyproducts.com/varnish.html


So remember, varnish over epoxy. Always. Our two part clear poly is unique because of its UV blockers and absorbers and not available any place else. It should serve as a good, long lasting protective coating for the varnish.


MORE INFO ON UV DAMAGE/CONTROL - CLICK HERE


Clear Products offered by Progressive Epoxy Polymers


Our
Low V epoxy is our recommended epoxy for sealing or as a penetrating epoxy when solvent is added. Clear, with just a trace of amber color. A very popular, general purpose, low viscosity, clear epoxy. Will bond to damp surfaces. Fast 'time to hard'. Also used as a primer on porous surfaces and under polyurethanes.

 

low v sealing epoxy

 action shot with IJN Kongo, IJN Nagato and DKM Bismark battling

three of over 50 model war ships sealed with Low V epoxy

see nwci.org

 

Mix really well - with parts A and B so thin and clear it is very easy to mix poorly and have uneven mixing within the same batch. This will produce tacky sections that never get completely hard and tack free.

Note: We have seen this product fisheye on old wood surfaces that have been 'bleached' and then stained. The oils in the stain or 'teak oil' (perhaps something in the wood bleach, I don't know) seem to remain in the wood despite solvent washing, sanding etc. Old teak trim is a good example. We've seen Low V fisheye on old teak being refinished that seemed to be 'weathered down to just wood'. I think the fix would be (not tested) to 'seal' the wood from the epoxy, say with a coat of solvent thinned varnish which would not be as affected by residual oils.


EMAIL (FEB 06): Hello:

I just bought some of your Low V epoxy and it is superior in every way to the system 3 products I (formerly) used, their clear coat and mirror coat.

Less money, better adhesion, better flow, better release of trapped gas, clarity, speed of cure, and machineability. It's like night and day, and their product is nothing to laugh at!

Great Product, I will buy *whatever* I need from you in the future.....


GREG




Clear Bio-Clear 810 (solvent free epoxy) - - very similar to our Low V epoxy with very similar viscosity. A cycloaliphatic epoxy. Crystal clear, with low yellowing. Approx. 20% flex/elongation. Slightly longer pot life than Low V, but much longer 'gummy' (B Stage cure) cure period which results in very low heat release (exotherm) during cure (generally a good thing).  Recommended for exterior exposures where yellowing is a concern, over broadcast floor systems, or in confined spaces were exotherm reaction during initial cure is a concern (such as epoxy injection into a weakened deck core).

MOST COMMONLY USED EPOXY FOR TABLE AND BAR TOPS (edges can be routered round) - SEE WEBSITE ON THIS INCLUDING WARNING, DIRECTIONS, OPTIONS, ETC - GO TO: WWW.EPOXYPRODUCTS.COM/BARTOP.HTML


Our Basic No Blush Marine Epoxy Resin, along with our Bio Clear 810 clear bar top epoxy resin are our two most clear epoxies. Note that all epoxies turn yellow in sunlight and even just over time.

THIS PRODUCT CANNOT BE BRUSHED/ROLLED ON AS A PAINT OR SEALER COAT. IT WILL 'dimple', 'creep', 'crawl' (whatever you want to call it) IF USED IN THIS MANNER. Use with fiberglass cloth, over broadcast non-slip surfaces, and with all epoxy thickeners and fillers. Especially recommended for mixing with our copper powder. It also works great as a poured, thick surface (i.e. table tops, etc. due to its low yellowing and clarity. This epoxy does maintain a certain degree of flex. This is a blushing (amine blush) epoxy. Sold in 3 gal kits and 15 gallon 'commercial' units.

CLICK HERE TO GOTO OUR USER NOTES SECTION: FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS WHO HAVE USED THIS AND OUR OTHER PRODUCTS.



Low V Floor™ a thin, watery, clear epoxy, slightly thicker than our regular Low V™ epoxy but with slower (normal) epoxy yellowing. Generally used as a clear coat / colored chip layer in floor applications. Listed only in our industrial/residential catalog (not in our marine catalog), under clear coatings.



ESP 155™ a thin, solvent based epoxy (about 24% solvent). Often used as a sealer or penetrating epoxy (compares with the industry major product which is 69% solvent!). Not for sale in Southern Calif.  Often used under paints and varnish as a primer/sealer or tie coat. Quick Buy -- ESP 155(tm) ePOXY -- Now



Acrylic Poly UV Plus
this is our gloss, (also available in satin)  clear two part acrylic polyurethane coating. Surprisingly most clear coatings have very little UV blockers added to them. This is an exception (just like auto clear coat, which is also an acrylic poly) - it has max UV blockers, so will greatly reduce or eliminate epoxy yellowing. (More on UV blockers). Cannot be sold in Southern California. More on 2 part polys (www.epoxyproducts.com/lpu.html) Sold by the Gallon.



Polyester Poly
 is our gloss, clear two part polyester polyurethane. The Polyester Polyurethanes/Urethanes are the toughest and most chemical resistant of the 2 part LPU coatings. Unlike the Acrylic Poly UV Plus product, this one doesn't have special UV blocking additives.  Cannot be sold in Southern California. More on 2 part polys (www.epoxyproducts.com/lpu.html) Sold by the Gallon.



UV Blocker - Inhibitor / Cyrstalac/CrabCoat UV BLOCKER - Cannot be sold in Southern. CALIFORNIA Protect your epoxy surfaces, including bar tops, table tops, and clear epoxy repairs from turning yellow for UV exposure. It also works on clear plastic outdoor fixtures like outdoor thermometer clear plastic covers or plastic bird feeders. It provides a clear waterproof and sealing, protective top layer. The product is water borne (but not water-based), providing the best features of water and solvent based products. It has easy water clean-up and low odor but with the smooth flow and even coating thickness associated with solvent based coatings. This product is much more user friendly to apply and friendly to use on many plastic/acrylic surfaces than our tougher, LPU coating and UV protector - Acrylic Poly UV Plus. Sold by the Pint.




Our
Basic No Blush epoxy  resin system is also very clear and has a medium viscosity. It has normal epoxy yellowing. OUR BEST SELLING PRODUCT BY FAR! PEOPLE BUY IT, TRY IT, AND COME BACK FOR MORE!

clear epoxy resin

Quick Buy -- BASIC NO BLUSH (tm) MARINE EPOXY RESIN -- Now


Protecting clear epoxies with marine spar varnish

Those show-piece wood strip canoes and kayaks, and sometimes the varnished bright work wood trim on yachts are sealed or built with any of the clear epoxies mentioned above. A few coats of varnish (pretty much any kind of varnish works) over the epoxy will protect the epoxy from UV damage. The epoxy seals the wood better and longer than the varnish, while the varnish protects the wood and bonds long term better to the hard epoxy than it does to the porous wood - a great win-win combination. I've tried all the other UV protecting topcoats over clear epoxy and for that mirror yacht gloss nothing works as well as varnish. Unfortunately, traditional varnish is being phased out. Find out why -
Click Here.


Our Premium No Blush  (tm) epoxy is similar to the Basic No Blush but uses an amber non-hazmat curing agent that allows us to send it overseas by air....

premium no blush marine epoxy

custom spear gun with Premium No Blush protective finish

Hi Paul,

Hope this finds you well... Here are some pics. Let me know what you think.

In terms of practical testing your Premium No Blush Epoxy in sea water...it is just Great...it stood against very harsh conditions and still going on very strong. Unlike W@@T Sys@@m Epoxy...it did not blush at all...and actually the yellowish color addition makes the guns even nicer...reacting with teak wood to a golden dark brown color...beat that!

Because of your epoxy, I had to recall most of the guns (coated with W@@T Sys@@m) sold locally and recoat them with your epoxy...just couldn't handle them coated any other way.

Best regards, Ihab - Egypt - Custom Spear Gun manufacturer. 


Another customer of ours (5/2013) uses the Premium No blush on parts of custom guitars that he makes. He also reports a superior finish with this epoxy compared to the finishes he gets with other epoxies.


Available in clear gloss only UV Blocking Products offered by Progressive Epoxy Polymers

1) Acrylic Poly UV Plus - a two part LPU clear gloss coating with max UV protection. LPU coatings are very tough. Similar to Auto Clear Coat. Not a user friendly coating. Best applied by spray, or "roll and tip" methods on most applications. Roller applied on floors. Often used to keep epoxy floors from yellowing. Sold in gallon units. High solvent levels. Not for sale in Southern California. Apply two coats.

2) UV Blocker - Inhibitor /Crysta-Lac /Crab Coat - a water borne (not water based) product that combines the best properties of water based and solvent based clear gloss products. Easy to apply with brush. Often used for epoxy bar tops and outside yard objects. Sold by the pint. Not for sale in Southern California. Apply two coats.


Find both in our marine catalog -
CLICK HERE -
Find both in our industrial catalog -
CLICK HERE -

Add a warming tone to your clear epoxy, solvent based clear coat, or enhance your India Spar Varnish amber tone. Order our 4 ounce "Warm-Tone Dye Solution" additive - good for warming about a gallon of clear coat. Find it in our Marine Catalog/Section 8-Misc. --- Industrial/Home Catalog/Section I-Misc. ---- (It's in the MISC section of our 3rd party storefront when you order online).

QUICK PURCHASE THIS ITEM NOW

Several high volume, core Favorite Products have a Quick Purchase Option. This option allows you to skip going to our Contact Page and our Storefront Primary Page and takes you directly to the storefront category section where this product is located for purchase. All legal terms, conditions and disclaimers still apply. To access this Quick Purchase Option, click on the product name. --- Basic No Blush 2 part marine epoxy resin --- Bio Clear 810 --- Wet Dry 700 --- Aluthane --- Fumed Silica (thickener and fishing aid) ---



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