Good Wood

[georgieb51]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Any updates on this, auto clear over epoxy....georgie if I coated Ash with Total boat epoxy, 1/2 gallon thinned down maybe 1 good wet coat rewetting before it drys..both sides and auto clear over..3 days or so later ...this would be fleetside long bed. Not a show truck, parked inside. And sanding before epoxy, 320 grit?...what about recoating a thicker clear epoxy as top coat instead of auto clear?...Thanks....the paint to match wood floor looks amazing, but I do want to use the truck.

Hello Notsolo,
You are on the right track. To start with I would not sand the wood past 120. If you want to sand with 320 do that just before you put your topcoat on. But if you do what you are doing it should work out well. The key thing you are doing is thinning the first coat and getting a couple coats on both sides of the board (and edges, and ends). I would still sand with 120 after the first coat of epoxy.

Another key thing to keep in mind with epoxy is that sunlights degrades it. It will not hold up in the sun unless there are UV inhibitors on the topcoat. Most of my work is with wood boats so I simply use a varnish that clearly states it has a lot of UV inhibitors in it. I do not know if auto clear coat has any UV inhibitors in it.
Painting with a solid color topcoat will solve all your epoxy problems. And here is another TIP: acrylic latex primers work better over epoxy than any oil-based products. The oil will work but it just takes a long time to dry over epoxy. You could just do a nice job with a brush and it would probably look fine (especially if you know how to work with a brush). All the work I did on the boards in my truck bed was with a brush. The topcoat was the only coat that was sprayed.

Good luck with it and keep in touch. We love photos.

[notsolo]

Thanks for the follow up, I need to find some parts before I dive in to deep, truck has a steel floor and I would like to add aluminum cross pieces and the bed wood. Not opposed to painting the boards like you did, and using stainless strips. 120 grit sounds too easy, I like that.

[georgieb51]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Thanks for the follow up, I need to find some parts before I dive in to deep, truck has a steel floor and I would like to add aluminum cross pieces and the bed wood. Not opposed to painting the boards like you did, and using stainless strips. 120 grit sounds too easy, I like that.

You are right about the 120 sounding easy. I use 120 when I figure I am just going to coat it with another coat that will easily fill in the scratch marks from 120. The I can sand that coat with something finer before applying the subsequent coat. I would save 320 for just before the final coat, and even then 220 might do well if just brush painting.

[notsolo]

Just about done with my upper deck project, materials and program completely different from original plan....Stainless strips were backordered or too expensive, I decided to use what I have.3/4" cypress with pvc raised strips. Cypress milled and sanded, 1 coat of epoxy primer brushed on, 1 coat sprayed on. Base coat and clear spayed on the top. 1" pvc board, 4 dabs of polyurethane caulk hold each cross piece in place, nutserts used to attached the strips..with Stainless truss head bolts....Square Stainless tube at the rear covers the ends.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Just about done with my upper deck project, materials and program completely different from original plan....Stainless strips were backordered or too expensive, I decided to use what I have.3/4" cypress with pvc raised strips. Cypress milled and sanded, 1 coat of epoxy primer brushed on, 1 coat sprayed on. Base coat and clear spayed on the top. 1" pvc board, 4 dabs of polyurethane caulk hold each cross piece in place, nutserts used to attached the strips..with Stainless truss head bolts....Square Stainless tube at the rear covers the ends.

So you're adding wood to your tailgate, too? Neato.

[georgieb51]

Originally Posted by notsolo

Just about done with my upper deck project, materials and program completely different from original plan....Stainless strips were backordered or too expensive, I decided to use what I have.3/4" cypress with pvc raised strips. Cypress milled and sanded, 1 coat of epoxy primer brushed on, 1 coat sprayed on. Base coat and clear spayed on the top. 1" pvc board, 4 dabs of polyurethane caulk hold each cross piece in place, nutserts used to attached the strips..with Stainless truss head bolts....Square Stainless tube at the rear covers the ends.

That is quite ingenious and inventive. You are a man who thinks outside the box. And cypress is an excellent wood to use. i love what you have done with what you have on hand! Congratulations! Your truck is one of a kind.