> Let me get this straight, are you saying that you induce the outgassing
> process by applying heat? When the process changes from warming to
> cooling, I'm assuming,you have remove bubbles at this point. (which
> suggests a sort of in-gassing. (if that's possible)). Please explain the
> theory.

> Derek

Hi Derek,

I am no "expert" on the subject of epoxying, but here is my theory based on my observations.

I figure outgassing is caused by "gas" in the wood or air trapped while applying the epoxy expanding as the temperature increases forming bubbles that are trapped in the film of epoxy. The temperature increase is caused by the environment and by the curing of the epoxy itself causes a bubble problem. I would think that in/outgassing of materials is a normal thing that happens all the time - just that we are not aware of it until we trap the gas under a film of epoxy.

What I try to do is to force the outgassing to occur at the time of applying the epoxy by warming the wood. With the wood at a positive internal pressure (warm) and bubbles formed, I "tip" the surface with a brush to break the bubbles and "close" the surface. With the pressure relieved (bubbles created and broken) and the surface covered by a film of epoxy, the falling temperature would cause the internal pressure to try to reduce and eliminate the mechanism that forms the bubbles. I don't think that the negative pressure of the cooling gasses are enough to cause "ingassing" because the epoxy is quite viscous. There seems to be better penetration of the epoxy but that is probably due the epoxy being thinner when it is warm.

Those are my guesses - I may be full of... er... gasses. Anyway, this has worked for me and given me good results.

I would like to hear comments from some of the more knowledgeable people on the BBS.

Hank