552. EPOXY RESIN GRANITE WORKTOPS

[@pathanson9760]

James get some painters tack cloths. To wipe your surface down. Just before you apply your resin. The floor damp it down. To prevent dust being kicked up. Whilst you're working. Hope this helps.

[@TairnKA]

Funny, I spotted this after I added my comment. ;-D

[@sarkybugger5009]

@@TairnKA Me too. Great minds, and all that stuff. 😉

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah great tip about damping everything

[@claire4486]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt Can't humidity effect epoxy?

[@sarkybugger5009]

It's dust, James. Hoover the boat from stem to stern, including the ceiling and walls, then wipe the board down with proper tack cloth, before applying the resin. This is why proper paint shops have sealed rooms with fans and air filters. Just you, moving around, is shedding skin flakes and dust from your clothes. Get some of those disposable overalls. Good luck for the top coats.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I know it’s dust not air bubbles - I’m going to try to hoover and clean everything many times - keep movements to a minimum and stay off the boat. I’ll cover the piece once the resin is down and leave it

[@mhd5826]

I would also put plastic dust sheet 'curtains' /'airlocks' in the door ways to stop the spread of sawdust from the other parts of the boat.

[@_Tiamat_.]

💜💙💚

[@suecox2308]

Resin can be wet sanded once it's thoroughly dry if you get dust motes and want to smooth the final surface. Looking good James.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll be testing this - thanks

[@johnnydee6340]

Your supposed to use a heat gun to pop the bubbles then sand it all down when its dry then polish it up

[@TairnKA]

Doing the underside, is a test on what has to be done on the top, he'll see? ;-) That's why you should do passenger side auto body repairs first, for practice.

[@Transit_Biker]

If you’re going to be sanding down the resin, I would recommend doing a second coat so you don’t sand through it. Also remember to wear that respirator when you were sanding the resin. Probably a good idea to start with a lower grit, sandpaper and work your way up, but not too high to keep that matte finish. Good luck!

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

The top coat is going to be about a mm thick so I hopefully won’t sand through it A second d coat would then make it glossy again

[@Transit_Biker]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt what I mean is add a second coat before you start sanding to increase the thickness.

[@NeilB247]

If you are doing a dark or opaque apoxy then you can use car body filler on the edges sanded back for a strong smooth edge or you can make a faux stone edge by slapping it on and sanding back the high spots. Nice effects can be acheived.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’m not too keen on the faux edge for this piece - I’ve seen it done and it can look pretty cool

[@KennaGreen]

At least this the bottom. And you know what needs to be done for the tops. Don’t quit now.😊

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I’m certainly not going to quit. I just hope that my test pieces come out better

[@briancoetzee339]

Follow all the previous cleaning advice and also very important, once you have finished the coating build a tent of plastic sheeting over the whole project. There is a huge amount of airborne dust around falling on the still wet coating.

[@PinkLittleElephant]

Some of your power tools like the track saw have hoover attachments.... If you attach a hoover with a long hose then that will catch some dust at source. Or, like someone else suggested already, do the sawing and routing outside.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

There’s no more sawing to be done until the resin is on so I’m just going to clean and clean again. I did try the hoover hose on the router but it was nearly impossible to see or use

[@davidcook380]

Always use a small blow torch on resin bubbles , gone in no time James

[@annjarvis9300]

Good luck for next stage of the resin tc now the oldies👍👍

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Thanks - I’ll need all the luck I can get I reckon

[@dircia7754]

Keeping a clean and organized workplace is essential when poring resins.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’m getting there

[@RetireMentalityChallenged]

A wet sand followed by a buffer will polish that up nicely.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I’m going to try this

[@garyneilson1833]

That is looking really good James, the only advice I can give regarding resin is try warming it up before mixing it.I used it years ago in my work and we kept it at temperature whilst mixing and pouring.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I’m working at around 20 Celsius which should be ok for the resin to cure in time

[@kevashton8500]

Use a blow torch after you laid it to get air bubbles out

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I will be doing that

[@Marklovescarpfishing]

Looking good. You should put the black pigment in before the hardener as it will give you a bit more time before it goes hard. Put the hardener in last.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

It needs the hardener to make it easier to mix - the resin and pigment alone are really gloopy

[@jasonharris8546]

Hi James when your doing your Epoxy top when you have finished applying it, when it's still wet run a blow touch over the top and it will pop any little bubbles and it will level out before it sets. This can also be done on the edges when you let it roll over if needed. Doing a great job we love your videos I watch it with my wife 👍

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Hi Jason Thanks for the tips which I’ll defo be doing when I do the tops

[@jamesforehan2809]

The heat gun might not be needed for bubbles. But thinking it will help the resin flow and level off smoother.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

A hair drier on a cool setting is used to help the resin flow level without encouraging a premature cure

[@jonny7491]

Those four inch roller sponges are good, use them on there own as you would a brush no actually not with a roller handle.

[@YaaLFH]

You need a much better dust free environment to get a good finish on the top. Get enough plastic dust sheets to create a tent around your working area (including ceiling and floor!) and disposable coveralls (ideally two sets, one for each worktop). Do all the prep, routing and sanding, then hoover. Spray around with a fine mister (this traps dust particles floating in the air). Leave to dry. Tape the plastic sheets around your working area, leaving an overlapping curtain entrance. Clean the top surface of the piece you're going to work on, put on the coveralls and move the piece inside the tent. Now you're ready to pour.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah that’s exactly what my plan is - what it will look like I’m still yet to discover

[@YaaLFH]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt Good luck!

[@markhayward3017]

Fairly vigorously! Watch out for splinters!😂😂

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I’ve picked up a few nasty splinters on this

[@peterboydell251]

800 grit is still very coarse and scratchy on a hard surface. In my experience you’ll need to go down to about 2000 or 2500 grit to get a smooth Matt surface which is also hygienic. Halfords do a polishing pack of wet and dry which would do you or it’s available online.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

That’s good to know - I have 1500 grit but that’s it. I’ll be testing this out a few times before the main pour. Wet and dry is the way to go I think too

[@sunnysyl7]

Love your boat

[@jessgibson4790]

Holy shit, James especially for a first attempt, that is seriously impressive! Certainly bodes well for the rest of it.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Good comment - thanks

[@ACarpist]

Need a blow torch to blow the bubbles out

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yep on it

[@222jimrice]

Don’t burn it though….Resin can be a world of pain. I did a lot of art work with it. Weighing the solution gives you the wrong formula ,it’s by volume not weight - the hardener is heavier than resin….. I can’t remember, you need to look it up. The final finish will be softer otherwise. The room needs to be scrupulously clean I built a tent over the work. You will never get all the dust out of the room. Good luck.

[@uponreflection]

Hi james, i used to work with Epoxy on a much smaller scale when doing my art but apply heat a small handheld blow torch to it after you pour it on to erradicate the air bubbles. 😊

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Thanks I will be doing that

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid good see you get lot do on the done keep the good vid you do thanks lee

[@techadvice]

We were at the Natural History Museum in Tring today!

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Oh wow Small world

[@benbainbridge]

thanks for sharing

[@ProjectNarrowboat]

The resin looks pretty tricky to use but I think you are on top of it. And if you are going to buff it down to a duller finish it'll probably look perfect. I think the dust particles in the first coat are probably 90% just from the bare wood (especially being picked up from the routed out channel). The second thicker pour may well come out much less contaminated. How are you going to get enough on the edges? Good luck with it all.... thank god for the bigger brush!

[@TillerQueen]

Hope you don't mind me saying (and you might be finished this now anyway) but it's a good idea to use a respirator with an organic vapour cartridge when using epoxy. It can be pretty nasty stuff and you can develop issues with it. Polyester and polyvinyl definitely need a respirator.👍

[@mikestickersm3mxb279]

I always go over with a heat gun to get the air bubbles out

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll be doing that too

[@danlake5258]

Hi James such an epic job, miss you guys already, hope to see you soon , take care mate……. Sweary Dan😀

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Ahh bless you mate Miss you too - we’ll drive up and visit you very soon

[@danlake5258]

👍

[@ProTroll_UK]

That routing is rough as.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I know - sorry

[@TairnKA]

It's likely too late to suggest this, but general clean up (vacuuming) of the area, would help prevent dust infiltration, also as part of your prep work, especially for the top (visible) surfaces, "tack cloths" would help in removing dust from the panels, before applying the resin? ;-)

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Not too late at all - well it is for the last two sides but I’ve got 2 more undercoats to do and then the two top coats so thanks for the tips

[@bluedeva]

Treat yourself to some silicone jugs for mixing your resin as any remaining epoxy is super easy to remove so you can reuse it, also definitely treat yourself to a car paint buffer kit and a great selection of super fine wet and dry up to 5000 sandpaper this will really help, sanding, then using cutting compound and buffing will really give the best finish. Plus you get to use it again when you paint the outside of the boat 😉🤗

[@Davewislon]

The router cutters will burn when blunt clean back of cutter looking great

[@pocketchange1951]

👍👌❤️🇨🇦, gr8 stuff

[@dougirvine6978]

Did you see the 'dressed fleas' in the museum? I went there when I was at school in Tring over sixty years ago and I believe they are still there! Good work. Regards, Doug

[@De_Raaf]

Dressed as Mexicans if memory serves, also 60+ years ago.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Those things freak me out

[@rubberdc]

could you put your sockets in upside down ?or at the side of the units ? the side walls .

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

I’ll have to put them somewhere else - I can’t have them upside down

[@rubberdc]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt on the side of your units ? you know , at the ends of them .

[@Tomthumb222]

Hi James. Fabulous build and brilliant attention to detail too. May I suggest that for the epoxy finish, you build a clean room area with polythene, just big enough to work in and vacuum the floor prior to applying the resin, including a small area to stand on before entering. There is a lot of air contamination at the moment due to the various sanding, sawing and related work. Also keep an un-opened cover all inside this area which you can put on before starting work in there. Good luck with this job as it’s going to be the focal point of the whole build. Keep the videos coming as I can’t wait to see the finished job.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yes my plan is to shield the area after lots of cleaning. Once the resin is down I was going to arrange a cover so no dust can fall on it during the cure

[@jcgreen926]

Those are air bubbles in the surface get a heat gun and go over the surface with the heat gun to pop the air bubbles out.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

@@jcgreen926 I think you’re right but I’m not 100% sure - they don’t feel like air bubbles tbh but I’m coming to use a blow torch for sure - got a few more practices before the main pour Thanks

[@jcgreen926]

@@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt you rock James. Keep up the great work.

[@Jax240jk]

You could have single plug sockets on that back board but turn them on their side.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I know but I don’t like the sight of sockets not correctly installed

[@bops3y]

as others have said the heat gun / blow torch should help get rid of bubbles , its not like there`s a downside to it

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll doing this for sure

[@FlashGormless]

your working it to much James, pour it, spread it, leave it. then blow torch quickly to get rid of the bubbles. work quickly then leave the boat so you don't disturb the air. Also you need to totally clean the boat then leave it for a day to settle the dust.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I saw that on the edit. I’m painting it on rather than pouring it on. Thanks

[@sueevans1152]

Apply heat to get rid of the bubbles

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll use a blow torch

[@stephenbrentnall]

James you can put your plugs upside down then they will work.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Lots of people are saying that - but I won’t like the look of that I’ll move them

[@juliedouglas2888]

2nd Comment, great job James.

[@stephenbrentnall]

You can also use a blow lamp to reduce the bubbles in the resin.

[@stephenbrentnall]

Should of watched flog first lol

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll be doing that

[@jeremywood2129]

you'll get a more even, level coat by pouring the resin then spread it out with a notched trowel instead of using a brush

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

Yeah I’ll be doing that on the main pour definitely

[@STW1964]

Routing inside? Why can't you put it on the towpath.... do it outside? Doing it inside, the dust will just be in the air inside the boat and settle on your wet epoxy.

[@TheNarrowboatThatJamesBuilt]

It’s a heavy piece to be moving it onto the tow path - I just need to clean better

[@mickyfinn7969]

James lay off the snow fella . Your gonna blow a gasket .

[@crantockbob]

James....solution to the plugs in the splash back.....Put them in upside down....just a thought.