I got to wondering about this epoxy teatment for wood????tangentair wrote:Back to the wood, (that is a set up for Rick), there have been recent post that show really good use of wood throughout the boats to warm up the interior. I am thinking specifically of Zeno's Arrow as well as those cabin dividers (aft bulkheads) along with the Ozzies' mods. They do seem to have the time and materials, but I am heading off on a tangent.
While at the local lumber yard, I was checking out the veneer products - they had cherry, walnut, red oak, and several others in 1, 2, and 24 inch widths. With a proper staining, and a coat of epoxy they would certainly make nice trim options for around the v-berth, over the mirror (s) and around the galley. It is very light weight, and the second coating of epoxy could be used to glue it in place.
West Marine has a video of the west epoxy products, and MAS epoxies website has many also, showing how epoxy can be used to protect and perserve wood in a marine environment. I may try this when the major mods get finished. If my wife and her plans ever let me get started but that is another story.
On my '03M there is substantial use of wood, moreso than later models. I have factory installed wood inlays over the salon floor, head floor, and hall floor (cabinsole beside daggerboard trunk) not to mention the usual wood that is used to fashion the wall of the head, galley cupboards, and dinette tables. Then there are the companioway ladder steps that get water tracked on them constantly.I sanded mine and painted them with plastic varathane for protection. As far as protection goes there really is no special treatment done to any of the wood aside from the shiny surface of the wood on my dinette tables and galley covers, the rest of it is a somewhat dull flat surface that I coat with lemon oil cleaner at the start of each season. So far all the wood has held up fine with no need to use epoxy but then again I never really contemplated the use of epoxy until I heard it here. Wouldn't something like plastic varathane be sufficient for all the wood? Of course I cannot access the undersidwe of the wood floor pieces but I could do the top sides. I am kind of wondering if the epoxy treatment isn't just a bit over the top..., do we rerally need that kind of protection on a trailerable boat?
Hope this is what you wanted to see !
