What else can you use epoxy for after the floor?....

[pauls_workshop]

Ok folks, thought I'd start a new thread here. Most of us end up with a bit of extra epoxy at the end of our floor jobs. I wanted to start a thread where everyone can give ideas of what to do with epoxy other than the floor. Please all join in! Let's have fun with this one!

I will start this off with one of my own I want some feedback on: Can or should you coat the top of tool tables with epoxy or workbenches? I'm thinking about a table saw mainly, either over the main cast iron top or the extension table. But the same could apply to a router table top or band saw table top, etc. My thoughts are that epoxy would offer a smooth low friction surface which is highly desired for these tool tops and that it would be very long wearing as well. An added bonus not to be overlooked would be corrosion protection for the metal tops. I'd like some opinions on this one from our pros or anyone who has ever seen or done such a thing. Now a risk would maybe be that the iron table top is super smooth now. Would epoxy stick to that ok? - Paul

 

[pauloman]

if it is 100% solids (0 VOC) you can build a boat with it. Only differnce between a 0 VOC floor epoxy and a marine epoxy is the pigment (and the marine epoxy may be a tad more brittle).

Alternately you could use a marine epoxy on your floor and paint over it within the epoxy cure window (several days) to get mechanical and some chemical bonding between the epoxy and then enamel paint.

Alternately you might use any floor epoxy, even water based, as a primer on wood or concrete. Solvent thinned or water based is best.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Ok, thanks guys! So my thoughts are valid ones for tool top surfaces. Here's another idea. Anyone ever use a bit of epoxy to coat the handles of tools? I'm thinking of things like wrenches, ratchets, pliers, hammers, maybe garden tools. Maybe just a little bit on each brushed on. Come back 1 hour later and squeeze hard with your plastic glove covered hands and put a custom grip into the not yet fully hard epoxy that perfectly matches *your* hand! Much more robust than any plasti drip type grip could ever be. Probably last the life of the tool for a grip. I might try this one out. I get tools and things sometimes at garage sales that need this or that to them.

Let's get some more ideas going! - Paul

 

[rugerlady]

I have people that use our epoxy for sealing concrete showers, they use the clear for craft type tables so they can put coins, pictures, all kinds of items in tabletops.
Every once in a while I do get some really strange calls about uses.....like a laundry chute, inside of a toil ... the list goes on and on

 

[tncatadjuster]

I have put it everywhere for the last 20 years, you name it, I have tried it.

It's best if you do the wood on both sides, but once it cracks or get a hole in it rotting will occur due to wicking in and and never drying out. If wood is involved it must thick and protected. I have a trailer deck that I have to chip out and repair every few years, every 10 or so I replace it.

 

[rsanter]

Top of a table saw or router table.....no. Not flat enough IMO and the cast iron is a good low friction surface as it is

Coating garden tool handles, inside potters to seal them, work bench legs and even tops all sound good and I will now have to think about this as I am getting ready to epoxy my garage floor and didn't even think about the use of the extra material

Bob

 

[dcs Inc]

The epoxy should have at least a one year shelf life. You might think about holding back on using it all up just incase you have an "oh $hit" moment and cause a major chip or sumpin.

I have epoxy in my work area that's well over 2 years old. I'd still trust it on a project. (I use it in my training seminars)

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Mix with sand for an impromptu concrete patch. Use it inside, outside.
100% solids works the best.

Broadcast sand over the top of the patch for a concrete-like appearance.

 

[pauloman]

I have heard of folks using 28 year old epoxy. Customer call me about using epoxy from me the got years ago.

#9 is right on the money. Airport runways, chem plant cracks, broken step fronts etc are all fixed with 'epoxy cement' made with epoxy and lots of sand. The sand really does the work - the epoxy is secondary. - Note this is how giant turbines in power plants, and engines on navy and other large ships are mounted. - "chocked' on an epoxy @ sand like base. I've seen so much sand added to epoxy that it was a porous sponge.

 

[pauls_workshop]

Wow! Thanks all for this excellent discussion! I really like 9 also. I have some pitted concrete right at the entrance to my garage and some under the door seal. (previous homeowner threw salt all over in the winters and didn't like to shovel snow at all). It is hard to get a concrete patch very thin to stick and stay permanently.

On the table saw topic from 7 above, I think it could be thin enough to not be an issue on flatness, but I hear you. My delta contractor saw though has a cheapo wood extension table on it. It has maybe a thin clear coating on top of it and otherwise particle board. I'm thinking that at least could benefit from epoxy on top. If anyone ever has done this to actual power tool table tops like saws, etc., tell me how that turned out!

I have another one. I used a little bit on an old pair of shoes I had with the soles cracked then split right in half! Just two thimbles full of epoxy and then clamped together and those work shoes are good to go another few years again! Seems modern shoes made in China have rubber sole degradation issues after only a few years now. Used to have shoes go 20 years without sole issues. Now they fall apart on their own after a few years, even if sitting on a shelf. Beware for instance of Sears steel toe work boots. I had a $60 pair on sale that sat on a shelf 3 years before I started using them. First week I used them, the rubber sole fell apart literally in several spots, cracked, chunks came out, then there was no sole left. If the Beatles had owned this pair, they would have renamed their album "Rubber Soleless" or "Ain't Got no Rubber Sole". My recent Rebok white tennis shoes also lasted only 3 years. Earlier Reboks from 15 years back I still have with out any issues. The Reboks had the whole sole start to separate off the rest of the shoe rather than just split. My old Reboks simply started to wear out at the heel part. A little epoxy at the back of those and I have a new hard wearing surface for the worn out part of that sole. The other pair got the clamp repair above. I like my old reboks - they were my epoxy floor pointed toe shoes with my bigfoot hand made drywall screw spiked base under them! I like to have one or two pairs of old leather tennis shoes around for yard work shoes. Best ever quality: Converse leather tennis shoes! Had a pair last 15 years of hard use! Don't know about modern ones though sadly....

Ok, let's get more ideas going! What things have people actually tried with success?