Epoxy extra pour instead of sanding?

[mike freeman [OP]]

Ive been looking through the internet for why people dont pour a last thin coat of clear after sanding and making perfectly flat. Im at that point now with a cheese tray that just came out of the planer and dont want to waste another coat and end up sanding it anyway

[Bellsy]

Did you plane off the top coat? If so refinish and pour another top coat and let it cure. I have done a few re-coats when surfaces are not quite to my satisfaction. There's no need to remove the previous coat if it's epoxy.

[mike freeman [OP]]

Did you plane off the top coat? If so refinish and pour another top coat and let it cure. I have done a few re-coats when surfaces are not quite to my satisfaction. There's no need to remove the previous coat if it's epoxy.

I did plane it smooth. Just wondering why I wouldnt just hit a thin top coat if it will be clear and then why do people sand it through 10 grits and polish if a top coat would make it flat and clear again?

[Bellsy]

No need to do anything after the last clear coat except make sure the bottom edges are smooth and drips are removed.

[Greg from K/W]

It's the finish they desire. It gives them a top smooth finish with no flaws and a nice even shine to it. Its what they want to do personally. There is no right or wrong answer. Do what makes you happy. If someone doesn't like it that is their opinion. If your happy with the results that is what matters.

[RV Sam]

I shouldn't go here but what the heck, i have a few minutes.
Wood from a planer is indeed smooth, to smooth. Sanding Opens the grain to allow better penetration of the finish.

[Doug G]

I took a finishing course at Lee Valley a few years ago. The instructor pointed out the difference between an ok finish and a beautiful finish is to, as he said, "finish the finish". We started with a board he had previously coated with multiple coats of varnish. From a distance it looked shiny and uniform, up close it had lot's of defects, brush marks, dust particles, drips etc. none of which were apparent from a few feet away. We sanded it thru a series of grits at first it looked worse as the high spots looked opaque and scratched and the low spots still looked clear and shiny eventually the whole surface looked worse, dull and opaque. Gradually it looked shinier and shinier until eventually the whole surface had a uniform high gloss finish even from close up. Kinda like the difference between a production car finish with moderate orange peel and a show car finish that has been hand rubbed for hours to a mirror like finish. So it all depends on what you want, an ok finish or a show finish. Most of the time an ok finish is well just ok, sometimes you want a wow show quality finish.

[stickman]

What you can do to make epoxy smooth is put clear plastic over it for example a clear sheet of acrylic
the epoxy will replicate the form as if it’s a mold and since the plastic is flat so then is the epoxy and once it’s dry it won’t bond to shunt smooth plastic. The epoxy cures by chemical reaction so blocking the air has really no effect over dry or curing time

you could get bubbles between the epoxy and your plastic and you could use vacuum to control things better but you get the idea

a boat comes out shiny becausw the mold is polished same idea.