I have used all kinds of interior and exterior surface treatments for durability. Last time I bought a fe gallons of high wuality fibergalssing epoxy, mixed it up, and brushed it on. Worked great, the only thing to hold up better was actually fiberglassing the exterior. I thinned the first coat of epoxy for deep penetration into the wood. I used epoxy with little "blush" so ew chemicals come out to the surface, so it was a good choice for multiple coates without needing any treatments between coats. Then I carpeted over the epoxy.
Now I moved and I don't really know where to buy boat building suppiles or fiberglassing supplies, but I could find out (I'm near a big harbor again).
But I'm seeing some durable floor treatments. There's one-part and two-part epoxy garage floor paints, and the price even seems reasonable. And they're evailable right at my local LOWES or Home Depot.
Then there's some ruberized floor stuff they use for gyms, applied to concrete floors. Also very durable.
I've heard of people putting on pickup truck "liquid bedliner"
When I used real fiberglassing epoxy, I thinned it with Klenk's tub and tile epoxy thinner (toluole and zylene and alcohol). In fact, I painted some cabinets with Klenk's tub and tile epoxy. But the EPA pretty much put them out of business.
Anybody ever tried painting PA enclosures with tub & tile epoxy or with garage floor epoxy or liquid truck bed protectors?
Now I moved and I don't really know where to buy boat building suppiles or fiberglassing supplies, but I could find out (I'm near a big harbor again).
But I'm seeing some durable floor treatments. There's one-part and two-part epoxy garage floor paints, and the price even seems reasonable. And they're evailable right at my local LOWES or Home Depot.
Then there's some ruberized floor stuff they use for gyms, applied to concrete floors. Also very durable.
I've heard of people putting on pickup truck "liquid bedliner"
When I used real fiberglassing epoxy, I thinned it with Klenk's tub and tile epoxy thinner (toluole and zylene and alcohol). In fact, I painted some cabinets with Klenk's tub and tile epoxy. But the EPA pretty much put them out of business.
Anybody ever tried painting PA enclosures with tub & tile epoxy or with garage floor epoxy or liquid truck bed protectors?
I've used epoxy for about everything. Factories use it for walls and machines, way more durable than oil or water base paint. Sherwin Williams even has a water based epoxy topcoat that avoids the evil smell. The toughest thing I know is Sherwin Williams recoatable epoxy primer, about $80 for a 2 gallon set and smells awful. but you put some water based epoxy top coat over that, pretty tough. Dull finish. Requires sanding if brush painted before the finish coat. Porter paints has a similar product. Better looking topcoat is SW Tileclad, that dries to a shiny gloss white finish. Really vile smelling.
I've used the epoxy floor patch on floors, it has sand in it. Sand is great for compressive loads, but not an instrument coating.
Dupont has an epoxy spray paint. So poisonous, requires a forced air mask for the painter. Imron. Looks great though, street rod people use it a lot.
I use bondo epoxy/fiberglass mix auto body compound to patch rotted floors in bathrooms and kitchens. I'm no respector of labels. Not since I found the dentist was using something like it in my teeth.
I've used the epoxy floor patch on floors, it has sand in it. Sand is great for compressive loads, but not an instrument coating.
Dupont has an epoxy spray paint. So poisonous, requires a forced air mask for the painter. Imron. Looks great though, street rod people use it a lot.
I use bondo epoxy/fiberglass mix auto body compound to patch rotted floors in bathrooms and kitchens. I'm no respector of labels. Not since I found the dentist was using something like it in my teeth.
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Never heard of Duratex. What is it?
I've used Imron, a catalyzed acrylic lacquer, and plenty of catalyzed acrylic enamels for cars, but my cabinets are more industrial; I don't intend to do the kind of prep an automotive finish requires.
bondo and many auto patch fiberglass kits are catalyzed polyester not what I consider real epoxy.
I'm surprised nobody's tried the new garage floor epoxies on industrial cabinets yet. I wish I had a sample to play with.
I'll definitely look into West Marine Thursday night, as Thurs. is payday.
I've used Imron, a catalyzed acrylic lacquer, and plenty of catalyzed acrylic enamels for cars, but my cabinets are more industrial; I don't intend to do the kind of prep an automotive finish requires.
bondo and many auto patch fiberglass kits are catalyzed polyester not what I consider real epoxy.
I'm surprised nobody's tried the new garage floor epoxies on industrial cabinets yet. I wish I had a sample to play with.
I'll definitely look into West Marine Thursday night, as Thurs. is payday.
Its a water based catalyzed coating that is specifically designed for speaker enclosures. Goes on really nice and has very little odour( you can coat your boxes in your house
) dry time is temp dependant and finish is humidity dependant but I haven't had any problems with it glazing. I think it is what JBL uses for their boxes. Look up Acrytech coatings, they ship right to your door.
) dry time is temp dependant and finish is humidity dependant but I haven't had any problems with it glazing. I think it is what JBL uses for their boxes. Look up Acrytech coatings, they ship right to your door.
I've used coal tar epoxy rolled on for some plywood cabinets I have hanging outside under an eve of my house. I found 2 gallons for 20 bucks at a local surplus store. I put it on with a textured roller intended for truck bed liner which left a nice textured finish. It is holding up well so far but I really wouldn't recommend it unless you can get it cheap because it smells horrible and stains everything brown that it comes in contact with.
Jeez that made me laugh so hard, I was imagining a bucket of poop. No offense to your suggestion , I've got a weird sense of humour.
+1 on that. I live in Redondo Beach and I've been in the LB West Marine. Nothing is going to beat the West System epoxy (No relation to the store, both just happen to have "west" in their names) The neat thing abut West Epoxy is the fillers they sell. Mix in some milled fiber and you will not even be able to sand the coating.
Have you tried Duratex? I love it
I ordered a large quantity. I doubt it will hold up anywhere near as well as epxoy but it will look good at least initially. I didn't purchase their rollers, so I'll have to figure something out. I just can't afford high-quality marine epoxy at those prices.
Someone mentioned a place for hardwre too, and I even found some corners at the correct angle for trapeziod cabinets.
Now I need something heavy and stiff but rubbery to spray or brush inside to dampen the plywood panels. I'm adding a brace, but it needs something more.
I just finished a small combo amp. It has an 8" speaker and about a 1 cubic foot box. The varnish I used is slightly pricy but I only used about 3/4 of an inch out of the can. It goes a long way. So maybe it cost me $4.
You'd be surprised the amount of physical abuse a 3/4" pine box with just varnish and no metal corners can take. I built some sample test parts of the joints and smashed them up with a 5 pound sledge hammer, without the hammer it was not going to came apart, tossing it 10 or 12 feet into the air, landing on concrete did about nothing. Other type of construction (nailed but joints, biscuts,...) did not hold up the photo below shows the winner.
I like NOT having metal corners on the equipment because the inside of my car and home furniture takes less of a beating. Mostly the stuff I'd bump with a speaker box is more valuable than the speaker box, so no corners, and like I said the speaker box will survive anything short of a sledge hammer
here is a photo
https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/28915695/1/Champ?h=13e8ee#gallery:0
You'd be surprised the amount of physical abuse a 3/4" pine box with just varnish and no metal corners can take. I built some sample test parts of the joints and smashed them up with a 5 pound sledge hammer, without the hammer it was not going to came apart, tossing it 10 or 12 feet into the air, landing on concrete did about nothing. Other type of construction (nailed but joints, biscuts,...) did not hold up the photo below shows the winner.
I like NOT having metal corners on the equipment because the inside of my car and home furniture takes less of a beating. Mostly the stuff I'd bump with a speaker box is more valuable than the speaker box, so no corners, and like I said the speaker box will survive anything short of a sledge hammer
here is a photo
https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/28915695/1/Champ?h=13e8ee#gallery:0
Hey cycle camper,you could try a stucco roller brush for the duratex. They look similar to the acrytech roller brush just alittle more open. Also if you want a super tough finish you can always put another coat of the duratex on later. Or try a sprayer, I got one from Dominion sure seal thru Canadian Tire for $23 ,I think it uses a regular HVLP paint pot.
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