Reloading Bench Build
- Thread starter Oso
- Start date
danny
Silver $$ Contributor
I used that same size swivel foot on my first NRMA Bench. The footing size is nice, but the load rating for them is way overkill on a reloading bench. I ended up using slightly smaller ones on my second one, only because I could not seem to find the same size threaded insert that I used for the first bench.Josh... no this thing weighs as much as a Honda. I have enough tools on wheels that it feels a bit like a Rubik's Cue when I need to do a large project. Instead, I settle on a fixed placement and settled on some impressive feet to level the bench!!!
The flange...adapters set into the legs are actually flange nut for a cutoff grinder. I had a lot of fun finding creative solutions and workarounds.
Danny
The two components were clear when I poured them into bucket to mix, with one being very lumpy and thick. As soon as I started to mix them the solution went opaque liked watered-down Elmers glue. After pouring the epoxy on the table surface I off-gassed the epoxy as it was setting up with torch and heat gun. I couldn't spread it with anything other then plastic scraper... foam brush couldn't drag the finish. The majority of the finish fully cured in 5 hours... not the 24 hours on the instructions... there is one section that cured in 30 minutes. The color has stayed milky and there are no bubbles...chingado!
If I had more experience with this type product I would have realized something was wrong and either not poured it or scraped it all off before it hardened. Now I have to hand chisel the epoxy off the entire surface and refinish before hitting reset and trying again with another manufacturer's product. There goes another day of work with no real benefit... going to buy a Delorean on Ebay and go back in time...
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Agreed. Foot size and price were perfect, and weight rating was crazy. I got creative by first stumbling upon the insert (nut for right angle grinder) that was adequate size for my 3" square legs, and then I worked backwards into finding a foot with same diameter threaded shaft.
Sorry to hear that the finish went bad on you. I know it is very frustrating.
I love doing wood working. But hate finishing. Too many times my beautiful work was ruined by that last step.
I love doing wood working. But hate finishing. Too many times my beautiful work was ruined by that last step.
Here is a photo of the top ... it looks better in the picture. You'll notice that you can barely see the different strips of wood or their grain. I pulled some of the overflow off of the plastic tarp covering the floor. For perspective, the overflow placed on bench top is about 2' long, 4"-6" wide, and 1/8" thick, and the distinct white coloration is not bubbles. It really looks like dried white Elmer's glue... and definitely not crystal-clear top coat.
20/20 Hindsight - this is clearly a product issue, and not a user issue. Now I have to fight to get an $80 refund and spend a day removing it from the surface of wood with either a scraper/chisel or router (like flattening a slab). I've been staring at this for 1.5 hours and the only thing that comes to mind is PITA!!!
20/20 Hindsight - this is clearly a product issue, and not a user issue. Now I have to fight to get an $80 refund and spend a day removing it from the surface of wood with either a scraper/chisel or router (like flattening a slab). I've been staring at this for 1.5 hours and the only thing that comes to mind is PITA!!!
Oso, have you tried contacting the epoxy manufacturer about removal options especially since it still relatively fresh? There may be a chemical which will assist. As I'm sure you are aware it will take forever to sand out the errant gouge, especially in rock maple. I wonder if a rented wood floor sander might speed the process without doing more damage than other methods. Just throwing ideas out there.
I feel your pain, but from what we have seen of your work, you are no doubt aware the difference between a good and bad woodworking project is the craftsman's willingness to do over again and again as needed.
I feel your pain, but from what we have seen of your work, you are no doubt aware the difference between a good and bad woodworking project is the craftsman's willingness to do over again and again as needed.
If you are going to go with a Polyurethane then keep in mind that the Formulas that state "Water Based" on the label will stay clear forever (don't patina and no amber coloration), whereas the "Oil Based" have a slight amber hue and will darken over time.
Here is a well respected water-based finish
https://www.rockler.com/general-finishes-high-performance-water-based-top-coat-gloss
I initially did a test with a chisel to see if I could get underneath the epoxy and separate it from the wood... got a nice tear out instead. I opted for the Router over the belt sander, because it would take out large flakes instead of creating fine dust and also potential to gum up the sanding belts quickly. I can't believe that I don't have a Router Sled, yet!!!
Hard to believe I had just dusted and blown out the shop to remove any dust for doing the Epoxy Top Coat a day ago...
3 hours later I have exposed/exhumed 70% of the naked wood. Take a look at the quality finish. If I had dragged it down the road for 30 miles it would be smoother. I need to get a Router Sled for flattening slabs!!!
Check out the rear wall now...
I case anyone has comments on the Little Red Shopkeeper's Broom - that is my son's work station with his earmuffs, safety glasses, and yes - he insisted on having his own broom and dust pan. He is 4 and loves coming into the shop to help clean up. You should see his workbench!
Hard to believe I had just dusted and blown out the shop to remove any dust for doing the Epoxy Top Coat a day ago...
3 hours later I have exposed/exhumed 70% of the naked wood. Take a look at the quality finish. If I had dragged it down the road for 30 miles it would be smoother. I need to get a Router Sled for flattening slabs!!!
Check out the rear wall now...
I case anyone has comments on the Little Red Shopkeeper's Broom - that is my son's work station with his earmuffs, safety glasses, and yes - he insisted on having his own broom and dust pan. He is 4 and loves coming into the shop to help clean up. You should see his workbench!
What does the other side look like?
I am assuming that you mean the other side of the shop, And not being Cute pointing out that I could have simply flipped the top and stuck the imperfect epoxy side facing down. No, I hadn't even considered that option... Have you ever gotten yourself locked into a mindset. Where were you with this great idea like at 7am this morning???
In all fairness it is a great idea and reasonable. The bottom-side of the bench top was not very attractive with irregular surface and some rough wood. The manufacturer did not spend very much time prepping or finishing this side of the table blank. It would have taken me the same amount of time to flatten, level, and sand. Mentally, I was locked in to an orientation for the bench top because I had pre-drilled and aligned the holes from the bench top to the legs. These holes are hidden under temporary plugs (dark circle rings) that I installed to keep the recessed holes from filling with epoxy during the top coat process.
As I stated earlier... Mistakes were Made and then diligently Covered Up. After 2-3 hours with a Router and 1 hour with Belt Sander, the only way you can tell that something went wrong is the top is 1/16" thinner then it was yesterday.
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No, I didn't think you were being a smart A$$...we're good. I was giving you grief for a solid idea that I should have come up with myself. This morning I flipped over the bench top to route off the hardened drip line. The underside of the top was as I remembered... not pretty with some defects.
I have spent money on tools... I wish I had more skills and then I wouldn't need to be so good an repairing and camouflaging mistakes. If I were getting paid for this work as a living and factored in the repair time then I would be hoping for minimum wage... this is why it is a hobby for me... I'd starve otherwise!
What I learned this morning - - -
I spoke to Mas Epoxy regarding the failure. As suspected this was a product issue (not my fault!!!). Apparently, one of the components, the Resin, must have started crystallizing similar to what honey does when it is stored in cold temperature. The natural state of Resin is as a solid and so the changes in temperature can jump start the process to change back from liquid to a solid. I asked if this was a bad batch of product, and he stated no it was a storage issue of how/where Rockler had warehoused the product that exposed it to cold temperatures or significant temperature variations, such as stored in warehouse in Minnesota in winter and then transferred to store location in Texas. This crystallization condition is reversible by soaking the Resin container in a bucket of hot water (general guidelines: 125F-130F for 45 minutes) until crystals disappear and Resin returns to liquid state. He was aware that this was unrealistic for a hobbyist and it shouldn't be expected if you just bought it at the store. They are shipping me a replacement batch.
Picture I hijacked that shows Resin with varying degrees of crystallization.
I now know what to look for...
1) Seal Coat - always helps to do a thin Seal Coat first before the Flood Coat. The Seal Coat serves to close off open pores in the wood. With the coating being so thin the air/gas is able to easily transit through this coating and get released without any issues, and now there is a barrier that retards or stops the release of additional air when you do the Flood Coat. After 3-4 hours you can come back and apply the Flood Coat (thick coating) without concern of excess amounts of air trying to escape the wood and get trapped inside the thick epoxy coating.
2) Both components should readily flow out of their containers, and not the chunky globulets that I encountered out of the Resin container.
3) Using paddle mixer is totally fine - just keep it at low speed so that excess air bubbles aren't introduced into the mixture.
4) If mixing the full 1 gallon pour then you'll need 10 minutes of total stir time. First, pour Hardener into the bucket and then pour the Resin on top, and mix for 8 minutes making certain to scrape the sides and bottom. Now pour mixture into a second clean bucket (scrape out everything from 1st bucket) and continue to stir for another 1-2 minutes to ensure complete even blending and no unmixed pockets.
5) Epoxy should be relatively clear when it is poured.
As per MAS Epoxy, the only way to remove the epoxy once hardened is my "Mechanical" means - grinder, sander, etc.
I spoke to Mas Epoxy regarding the failure. As suspected this was a product issue (not my fault!!!). Apparently, one of the components, the Resin, must have started crystallizing similar to what honey does when it is stored in cold temperature. The natural state of Resin is as a solid and so the changes in temperature can jump start the process to change back from liquid to a solid. I asked if this was a bad batch of product, and he stated no it was a storage issue of how/where Rockler had warehoused the product that exposed it to cold temperatures or significant temperature variations, such as stored in warehouse in Minnesota in winter and then transferred to store location in Texas. This crystallization condition is reversible by soaking the Resin container in a bucket of hot water (general guidelines: 125F-130F for 45 minutes) until crystals disappear and Resin returns to liquid state. He was aware that this was unrealistic for a hobbyist and it shouldn't be expected if you just bought it at the store. They are shipping me a replacement batch.
Picture I hijacked that shows Resin with varying degrees of crystallization.
I now know what to look for...
1) Seal Coat - always helps to do a thin Seal Coat first before the Flood Coat. The Seal Coat serves to close off open pores in the wood. With the coating being so thin the air/gas is able to easily transit through this coating and get released without any issues, and now there is a barrier that retards or stops the release of additional air when you do the Flood Coat. After 3-4 hours you can come back and apply the Flood Coat (thick coating) without concern of excess amounts of air trying to escape the wood and get trapped inside the thick epoxy coating.
2) Both components should readily flow out of their containers, and not the chunky globulets that I encountered out of the Resin container.
3) Using paddle mixer is totally fine - just keep it at low speed so that excess air bubbles aren't introduced into the mixture.
4) If mixing the full 1 gallon pour then you'll need 10 minutes of total stir time. First, pour Hardener into the bucket and then pour the Resin on top, and mix for 8 minutes making certain to scrape the sides and bottom. Now pour mixture into a second clean bucket (scrape out everything from 1st bucket) and continue to stir for another 1-2 minutes to ensure complete even blending and no unmixed pockets.
5) Epoxy should be relatively clear when it is poured.
As per MAS Epoxy, the only way to remove the epoxy once hardened is my "Mechanical" means - grinder, sander, etc.
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Yesterday, I received the replacement MAS Top Coat Epoxy package from the manufacturer. Today, I poured the Seal Coat and it was a noticeable difference in the product and process. All voids or glue line gaps were successfully filled during the previous failed coating attempt. Even with this done, there was still plenty of absorption by the wood and bubbles being formed. It was easier to use a plastic spreader card over using a foam brush.
I found that a propane torch worked better than the heat gun for popping bubbles.
I'll let is cure for a day or 2 and then give it a light sand and then the flood coat. Maybe in a week I can reassemble the bench and install my 1050 as well as install the Ultramount Quick Change base plate that I plan to use for my other presses.
I have sworn off any more activities in shop until the top is completed so that there isn't any new dust in the air.
I found that a propane torch worked better than the heat gun for popping bubbles.
I'll let is cure for a day or 2 and then give it a light sand and then the flood coat. Maybe in a week I can reassemble the bench and install my 1050 as well as install the Ultramount Quick Change base plate that I plan to use for my other presses.
I have sworn off any more activities in shop until the top is completed so that there isn't any new dust in the air.
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