Best speargun coating / finish ?

My concerns were not exactly the same, but I settled on penetrating epoxy and been using it for a couple of years. Teak oil is a PITA because you have to put it on regularly. Epoxy to get a nice clean coat you need to turn the stock. Unless something's changed since Griswold figured that out. I also dislike the glossy look of epoxy, I love the deep color of wood that you get with oil. Penetrating epoxy gives me that look, I just have to rub it. It doesn't need turning to avoid runs. It's so cheap it's almost free. It doesn't build up any significant volume. Touch ups are very easy, and it dries pretty fast. You don't hear of a lot of people using it though.

Here's what it looks like.

That looks nice Dan, I hated using teak oil on my firsts guns. It was a weekly thing as I dove every day when I lived in Laguna on the beach. I started using old BBQ motors to flow out Shellac on the fly fly rods and bamboo fishing poles us Yankee boys made to earn gas money for our ski boats. There are Cali guys that do that as well, from some of the perfectly flowed epoxy top coats I have seen. Here in Cali we dive rocky sea urchin covered surf entry's at times and the multi coat epoxy top coats can really save a gun for a few years.
Epoxy gloss can be made as soft as one wants with 1000 wet paper or rubbing compound.
All finish's have different strengths and weakness's in the salt environment. I used to us Sterling LP but the coast became too high.

Cheers, Don

If you are going to use Oil, I'd suggest using a good Teak Oil first and use a fine steel wool to rough it in to the wood. This should penetrate pretty well and then follow up with a few coats of rubbed in Tung Oil. This shouldgive you a good starting base coat which will last a while.

There are other Oil Like finishes which will last quite a while. For example there are some Silicone based sealers which will leave an oil like finish and can also accept a coat of teak oil or tung after for touch ups and look nice.

If you are going to go the route of Epoxy, it would be best to make your pin/screw holes slightly bigger ie @1.5mm as well as your Mech Box. I'd go with a Viscous first layer as a sealing layer. It would be better to do 1-2 thin coats of epoxy in the Mech Box and Screw/Pin Holes rather than mixing the Oil and Epoxy Finishes.

My own preference is that if I'm leaving a Natural Wood Finish including different wood stains, I will use Oils. If I'm going to be painting or adding some kind of effect, I use Epoxy. I look forward to putting a coat of Tung Oil on my guns and making them look brand new, but, if you get a good base coat to start with you will not need to Tung Oil it too often. I haven't needed to touch my guns up in a few months.

DAN ¿que material es este?

I don't know where to buy penetrating epoxy but I wouldn't buy it. You can mix it yourself with epoxy and Xylene. In my case I use west marine epoxy with 205 hardner, the mixture is approx 3-1/epoxy-hardener. That makes 4 parts, and then I add 6 parts of Xylene. To do a whole stock I use a teaspoon as a measurement of each part. And I end up having enough left over to do two more coats. Problem is it dries so you have to make a new mixture for the 2nd coat, but sometimes I'm able to use the first mixture for the 2nd coat if I keep it covered in a container. I put on 2-3 coats. You don't even need to worry about a brush, I usually cut up a foam sponge. You can put it on with a rag if you had too. It starts looking nice to me when I rub it.

When Behslayer is talking about a viscous seal layer it's probably another way of saying penetrating epoxy.

Don, a BBQ chicken turner motor is what I used in the past to turn the stock for the epoxy to settle nicely. Can you elaborate on this 1000 wet paper and rubbing compound?

Ramon, that is Hercliner over wood. You brush/dab it on. Lasts very well in saltwater.

Dan answered before me so my post was redundant....

...i will now use this post to add that the penetrating epoxy Dan uses is the bomb...it is a great multipurpose finish that was very easy to apply and looks great.

You can get Xylene at Home depot.

One negative effect of using penetrating epoxy is that the wood saturated with it becomes brittle to a depth of about 1mm. On most surfaces of the gun it doesn't make a difference. But in very thin areas, like the top part of the track, where as before if it would receive a hit you'd get a dent in the wood, now it will splinter off. It's not a problem with my guns though. If it does happen the wood can be easily refinished.

The epoxy that I've been using in my guns for finishing is Flex-Coat, a rod building marine epoxy used for finishing rod wraps. I comes in ''LITE'' and ''HIGH BUILD'' formulas. I like it because it is not a brittle epoxy that sets hard. It does tend to yellow but not as much as others epoxies, it might take years. I mix it with Xylene and goes on real easy, just hang your blank, no turning necessary. First coat is Epoxy 1:1 ratio plus 6 parts Xylene, don't mix a lot because 5cc of mixed epoxy plus the xylene will be enough to do a gun and have left over. Second coat is Epoxy 1:1 plus 4 parts Xylene with sanding in between coats after 24 hours of curing. 2-3 coats is enough for a mirror finish. Don't worry if you get a run, you shouldn't if careful but it could happen, just keep an eye on the gun the first few minutes after putting on the epoxy and hit the run with the brush. You will probably see the brush marks but it will level. Also don't get scared if you see that your left over epoxy doesn't cure even after a few days, IT WILL CURE ON THE GUN AFTER ABOUT 10 HOURS. If you don't like the shiny finish on the gun just sand it with 1000 grit sandpaper and soapy water or rubbing compound like Don said. I had a gun done like this 14 years ago and the finish still pretty decent, plus you can always sand and apply a real thin coat like the first and it'll be good as new again.

Quote from Dan

Don, a BBQ chicken turner motor is what I used in the past to turn the stock for the epoxy to settle nicely. Can you elaborate on this 1000 wet paper and rubbing compound?

Sure Dan. The time a epoxy take to cure varies with temp and the brand. like to wait 5 days at temps above 60 degrees, this gives the epoxy time to level well, shrink slightly and sand well.

I then use a rubber or foam sanding block with 1000 grit wet sand paper dipped in a bucket of water and with a few drops of dish soap and sand the gun. A more satin finish can be achieved with 600 grit paper.

Coarse rubbing compound can also be used to get a less glossy surface, if too flat move up to finer compounds until the desired shine is achieved.
I use hi pressure air to fully clean any dust from the surface.

Cheers, Don

Thanks Don. Where is rubbing compound sold?

Quote from Dan

Thanks Don. Where is rubbing compound sold?

Any Pep Boys or automotive store, same for the wet paper and sanding block, very fine Scotch Brite pads work too, but cut through a edge or hi spot if too much pressure is applied.

Cheers, Don

Penetrating epoxy is great to use for a finish, only problem is it has no UV protection.

I think Phils post about not using penetrating epoxy was for actually gluing up stocks not finishing them.
Most products say to apply the first coat thinned.

This is what I have used on the guns I have just finished making.

8 coats of everdure (evedure is a penetrating epoxy available in australia, not sure if you can get it in the US). It is very thin and easy to apply with a glossy finish.

4-5 coats of marine varnish. this is high gloss but dulls when sanded, can be buffed back to gloss but takes to long to sand with 600 and then 1200 then 1600

the fina 2l coats is penetrating epoxy.
the penetrating epoxy does yellow but takes along time as all the under layers are protected by the varnish.

When the top layer scratches I sand it back to the varnish and wipe another coat of penetrating epoxy over.

soon enough I will find away to gloss the marine varnish and then I can do away with the top coats.

To stop the epoxy and varnish going off between coats I put it in the freezer

Quote from luxemburg

Penetrating epoxy is great to use for a finish, only problem is it has no UV protection.

I think Phils post about not using penetrating epoxy was for actually gluing up stocks not finishing them.
Most products say to apply the first coat thinned.

This is what I have used on the guns I have just finished making.

8 coats of everdure (evedure is a penetrating epoxy available in australia, not sure if you can get it in the US). It is very thin and easy to apply with a glossy finish.

4-5 coats of marine varnish. this is high gloss but dulls when sanded, can be buffed back to gloss but takes to long to sand with 600 and then 1200 then 1600

the fina 2l coats is penetrating epoxy.
the penetrating epoxy does yellow but takes along time as all the under layers are protected by the varnish.

When the top layer scratches I sand it back to the varnish and wipe another coat of penetrating epoxy over.

soon enough I will find away to gloss the marine varnish and then I can do away with the top coats.

To stop the epoxy and varnish going off between coats I put it in the freezer

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i dont use penetrating epoxy when putting any other epoxy on as a top coat(s) it make for a very week bond for the normal epoxy. after the vocs evaporate you are left with a week void filled epoxy swiss cheese
penetrating epoxy was designed to stabilize rotted softwoods ther is little or no penetration into most hardwoods
here is a lot of good info on epoxy the text is straight of the west systems site
phil

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/how-to-use/
The object of barrier coating is to build up an epoxy coating that provides an effective moisture barrier and a smooth base for final finishing.

Apply a minimum of two coats of WEST SYSTEM epoxy for an effective moisture barrier. Apply three coats if sanding is to be done. Moisture protection will increase with additional coats, up to six coats or about a 20-mil thickness. Additives or pigments should not be added to the first coat. Mixing thinners with WEST SYSTEM epoxy is not recommended.

Disposable, thin urethane foam rollers, such as WEST SYSTEM 800 Roller Covers, allow you greater control over film thickness, are less likely to cause the epoxy to exotherm and leave less stipple than thicker roller covers. Cut the covers into narrower widths to reach difficult areas or for long narrow surfaces like stringers.

Complete all fairing and cloth application before beginning the final coating. Allow the temperature of porous surfaces to stabilize before coating. Otherwise, as the material warms up, air within the porous material may expand and pass from the material (out-gassing) through the coating and leave bubbles in the cured coating.

Prepare the surface for bonding.
Mix only as much resin/hardener as you can apply during the open time of the mixture. Pour the mixture into a roller pan as soon as it is mixed thoroughly.
Load the roller with a moderate amount of the epoxy mixture. Roll the excess out on the ramp part of the roller pan to get a uniform coating on the roller.
Roll lightly and randomly over an area approximately 2 ft x 2 ft to transfer the epoxy evenly over the area (Figure 30).
As the roller dries out, increase pressure enough to spread the epoxy into a thin even film. Increase the coverage area if necessary to spread the film more thinly and evenly. The thinner the film, the easier it is to keep it even and avoid runs or sags

phil, this epoxy is made for wooden boat hulls. It does penetrate into the wood but not much.
It is not some epoxy i have made up myself from a gluing epoxy and thinners. I dont put epoxy over the top, I use varnish as epoxy yellows unless it has additives (I am aware of your product, tried to get some sent over here was unsuccessful).
The only problem with the varnish is you cant sand it, I am yet to get a good enough finish but it is UV protectant and very hard. I put one or two more coats of the penetrating epoxy over the top and sand back and redo when it gets scratched. (most of my diving is in surging water around headlands so guns get hammered).

Is UV protection in the epoxy for the epoxy or for the wood?

a little expensive if you only want to do one gun but it's easy to put on, has very good uv protection and you can put many coats on while wet (i wait about 20-30 min between coats). i usually put on 3-4 coats, let dry overnight, sand with 220 grit and put on 3-4 more. i would recommend using the accelarator if you're in a hurry. http://www.bristolfinish.com/exterior.html