: Ok, All the stripping is done and it’s time to start with the epoxy. Nick’s
: book recommends applying a filler coat of epoxy before putting on the
: cloth. I understand the reason for this primer coat. I’ve had raw wood
: soak up all the epoxy and starve the cloth leaving white spots.

: I’m using west 105 and it is very thick. The book suggests thinning the epoxy
: but no one out here seems to know what to thin it with. I put a thin coat
: on yesterday and put some more on today. I’ll wind up sanding most of the
: epoxy off to get a fair surface to apply the cloth to. Lot’s of drips and
: runs. There has got to be a better way.

: We use Smith’s Penetrating Epoxy in our wooden boat restorations. It seems
: like I would have been better off to brush on a coat of penetrating epoxy
: and avoid all the sanding.

: Anyone know what I did wrong and how I can avoid all this sanding in the
: future?

Randy, Newfound Woodworks sells a Applicator roller cover that is for epoxy. It is a bristle type roller similar to a mohair rooler cover and does not leave air bubbles. You can thin the West's epoxy by warming the cans in warm water, this will thin it some and make it kick off sooner, work a little quicker. You can brush on the epoxy or pour on and use the squeegee to spread it around. The roller evens out the coat nicely. Tip off the surface with a brush after using the roller to smooth out the semi rough surface left by the roller.

Works for me,

Larry C.