Z-POXY : Love it or hate it?

epoxy cut my time grain filling quite a bit. The paste fillers always shrunk so I had to let it sit forever to make sure it was very dry before I sealed.

I love the System Three stuff, but will try the Z-Poxy at some point. I'm never looking back!!
 
Z-Poxy is OK but I like the ease of System III myself. Just make sure you wait until it dries before applying your finish. I wait three days. The lacquer I've used don't stick well to epoxy so a barrier coat, either shellac or vinyl sealer is a must. Looking good.
Be aware that even epoxy will shrink back into the pores in time. Just not as fast or as much as the acrylic or mineral based stuff.
 
I'm planning on Z-poxy followed by tru-oil on my first build. Do I need a sealer in between the Z-poxy & tru-oil?
 
Moore Bettah Ukuleles said:
Z-Poxy is OK but I like the ease of System III myself. Just make sure you wait until it dries before applying your finish. I wait three days. The lacquer I've used don't stick well to epoxy so a barrier coat, either shellac or vinyl sealer is a must. Looking good.
Be aware that even epoxy will shrink back into the pores in time. Just not as fast or as much as the acrylic or mineral based stuff.
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What is it you guys like about system 3 over z-poxy? I got them both at the same time. Figured I'd use the crystal clear stuff on a lighter colored wood. Is it easier to use, better looking, easier to sand? The z-poxy didn't give me any trouble at all, I thought I must have been doing it wrong.:p
 
Steiner said:
I'm planning on Z-poxy followed by tru-oil on my first build. Do I need a sealer in between the Z-poxy & tru-oil?
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I put the first coat of oil finish over the z-poxy on this here one today. It seems to be sticking ok and is giving it that wet look satiny glow I was looking for. I'm not using tru=oil, though, I'm using the original wood finish found here..http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=45105&cat=1,190,42942.

Give me a couple days and I'll let you know how it turns out.
 
OK as promised, I'm getting back to you, Steiner. After three coats of oil finish directly on top of z-poxy, my not so expert opinion is that it works great. No adhesion issues at all. I'm using a different oil finish than you so you might want to test it out on scrap first. Good luck.
 
thistle3585 said:
Do you have to deal with amine blush with Z-Poxy?
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Excellent question, T3. I am only familiar with amine bloom from reading about it. I searched the four main lutherie forums I frequent to read up all I could before starting. It seemed that everyone that loves the stuff has similar technique, and everyone that hates it has similar technique. I tried to follow the technique of those who love it, including a good wipe with slightly soapy water before and after sanding. I don't know if it was good weather or good luck, but I never noticed any bloom. I'm assuming that you know it when you see it. It's been nearly a week since applying the last coat of epoxy and it still looks clear.....
 
My experience with amine blush stems from my work on wooden boats. The standard on the dinghy's we sail is a couple coats of epoxy to seal and protect the wood followed by multiple coats of spar varnish for UV protection. Generally, the blush creates a residue that will eventually cause the finish over top of the epoxy to blister and flake off. It takes wear or expansion and contraction to promote blistering of the surface coats. Sanding doesn't eliminate it, but washing with soap and water does. West System in notorious for amine blush but you put up with it because it is a superior product for marine use.
 
Some say fillers and some say sealers. Are you guys talking about sealers that do both? fill porous wood and seal it at the same time? :/
 
Janko said:
Some say fillers and some say sealers. Are you guys talking about sealers that do both? fill porous wood and seal it at the same time? :/
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I am also curious about this... if I do z-poxy for grain fill, do I need to apply a sealer before applying lacquer finish? Or does it suffice for both grain filler and sealer?
 
zdiver7 said:
I am also curious about this... if I do z-poxy for grain fill, do I need to apply a sealer before applying lacquer finish? Or does it suffice for both grain filler and sealer?
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The sealer, whether vinyl or shellac, is for adhesion purposes, to make sure the lacquer sticks to the epoxy. Do you need it? You could run some tests on scrap to find out. Chuck Moore, who has built about a million ukuleles, says he had adhesion problems without it. That's good enough for me.
 
I'll try to zpoxy grain fill and finish with tru-oil on scrap walnut without any sealer. I'll try to post pics.
 
A week later, I wish I had thrown on a coat or two of shellac. So far everything is fine, but Chuck rarely gives advice that is NOT OPEN TO INTERPRETATION. Now I've got that bug in my ear or my brain or whatever that says, "man you should have hit that with a little shellac." Test both. Life is better without the bug in your ear.
 
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