epoxy problem

I noticed on one the deck layer of epoxy it set up unevemly on the surface. Almost an like water puddles on a new waxed surface. Any ideas what I did wrong. Could the rag I wiped the deck down with, after sanding out some drips and before applying the next coat of epoxy, had something on it to effect the way the epoxy set up?

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RE: epoxy problem

"the deck layer of epoxy set up unevemly on the surface. Almost like water puddles on a new waxed surface..."

Do you mean that some areas didn't cure? If so, you could try applying heat for a while. If instead you meam that it cured, but with "puddles" that were thicker, how did you apply the coat of epoxy? Did you use a brush, spreader, roller, etc.? Using a brush only could apply it unevenly. A rolller without enough rolling could leave it thicker in some places. 

"Could the rag I wiped the deck down with, after sanding out some drips and before applying the next coat of epoxy, had something on it to effect the way the epoxy set up?"

I'm still not sure if you mean that some areas didn't cure or it cured but was thicker in some areas. What could have been on the rag? Are we talking about natural oils off a hand, or something more like vinegar used for cleaning tools, or some kind of solvent? Vinegar could prevent it from curing. A goof in the epoxy / hardener ratio is a possibility if it didn't cure. Inadequate mixing could leave some areas starved of hardener.

If you have any drips or blobs, try to deal with them before they cure. You could use something like a plastic stir stick for this. It's a lot easier before it cures. I speak from experience on this! Once it has cured, try a cabinet scraper instead of sanding. I've used scrapers, chisels, and a random orbital sander on cured blobs. Scraping seems to give me the best results on cured blobs, but getting rid of them before it cures is less work.

Good luck with it - Keith

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