That's what I thought - epoxy doesn't need anything between itself and wood. My initial plan was just to epoxy (like everybody does). Then I've read somewhere about alternative: Thompson + spar varnish. As I see it, the main advantage of this alternative is ease of coating. Considering mere couple of sq.ft area, epoxy won't be a problem. Plus, Rob Macs scared me - additional chemo-hazards are definitely not in my plans. Epoxy probably isn't healthy to inhale too - before it's cured. But later it seems to be OK when solid. Thompson Seal doesn't say anything about it's composition, btw. I couldn't find it anywhere.