Newbie epoxy polishing problems

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Newbie epoxy polishing problems

Author	Message
myakpaul	m myakpaul posted 6 Years Ago Topic Details
m Group: Forum Members Posts: 4, Visits: 12	I have just finished my first epoxy coffee table and i sanded and polished it as per the video but it is coming up to a satin finish at best not a high gloss. what am i doing wrong? Thanks in advance
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Bhamoggy	B Bhamoggy posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
B Group: Forum Members Posts: 38, Visits: 420	Same here. Just completed first river table. Sanded down thru the grits to 2000. Using nanotech cut and polish 2 in 1 but can’t get a gloss finish. Still looks a Matt finish. ? Not sure what to do now
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Warren (Staff)	Warren (Staff) posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
Group: Administrators Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 7.9K	There is a bit of a technique to sanding, mostly cleanliness and ensuring you do not move up a grit until you are 100% sure you have removed the necessary scratches. Otherwise you will struggle to get a gloss finish at the end. Also bear in mind that many diminishing nano abrasives (such as our NW1) will require a fair bit or working to break them down from the initially coarse compound into a finer polish. If you polish it off too soon before the polish has broken down then the gloss will be poor. Also be aware to ensure you have left the resin long enough to cure in the first place. We recommend a minimum of 48 hours at 20C before any sanding or shaping takes place - if your room cools over night, you might be trying to sand green resin which will always be difficult. Warren Penalver Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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myakpaul	m myakpaul posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
m Group: Forum Members Posts: 4, Visits: 12	+x Warren (Staff) - 10/18/2018 8:16:59 AM There is a bit of a technique to sanding, mostly cleanliness and ensuring you do not move up a grit until you are 100% sure you have removed the necessary scratches. Otherwise you will struggle to get a gloss finish at the end. Also bear in mind that many diminishing nano abrasives (such as our NW1) will require a fair bit or working to break them down from the initially coarse compound into a finer polish. If you polish it off too soon before the polish has broken down then the gloss will be poor. Also be aware to ensure you have left the resin long enough to cure in the first place. We recommend a minimum of 48 hours at 20C before any sanding or shaping takes place - if your room cools over night, you might be trying to sand green resin which will always be difficult. Warren, Thanks for the info, just a couple of questions. What grit do i need to sand down too? Could you also explain what you mean by the polish breaking down? Do you mean that i need to polish for longer with the polishing machine? if so how long do i need to polish for? Thanks alot Myak
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myakpaul	m myakpaul posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
m Group: Forum Members Posts: 4, Visits: 12	+x Bhamoggy - 10/17/2018 8:55:06 PM Same here. Just completed first river table. Sanded down thru the grits to 2000. Using nanotech cut and polish 2 in 1 but can’t get a gloss finish. Still looks a Matt finish. ?Not sure what to do now Glad its not just me! how big is your table?
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Bhamoggy	B Bhamoggy posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
B Group: Forum Members Posts: 38, Visits: 420	First attempt so not gone too big. It’s 28” x 9 “ Not too happy with it at the moment. Think I expected a better finish than I’ve got so far. Here’s the top and reverse of the table. Trying to upload pic but it won’t do it ??? Edited 6 Years Ago by Bhamoggy
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Bhamoggy	B Bhamoggy posted 6 Years Ago HOT Post Details
B Group: Forum Members Posts: 38, Visits: 420	https://ibb.co/igKxwL https://ibb.co/cCqRqf
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myakpaul	m myakpaul posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
m Group: Forum Members Posts: 4, Visits: 12	+x Bhamoggy - 10/18/2018 7:28:39 PM https://ibb.co/igKxwL https://ibb.co/cCqRqf looks good. second photo has great depth of colour to it and nice grain to the wood. Thanks for sharing it
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Bhamoggy	B Bhamoggy posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
B Group: Forum Members Posts: 38, Visits: 420	First attempt and not sure which side to have as top surface yet. Gonna use a clear gloss yacht varnish and see what it looks like after. Already preparing for second project. Gonna be a Brighton beach table. Just laid out in preparation. Will do 3mm first pour hopefully tomorrow. What do you think of this?
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Warren (Staff)	Warren (Staff) posted 6 Years Ago Post Details
Group: Administrators Posts: 2.5K, Visits: 7.9K	Minimum 1200 grit, ideally 1500 grit or better. You polish it for as long as it needs. Diminishing polishes you will feel it as they break down and move easier becoming finer. The shells look good, but you may need to secure it all down with a thin layer of resin to avoid things floating away. Warren Penalver Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant
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