Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadence
I believe the epoxy would be worth the money in the long run. Poly tends to delaminate on plywood. JMHO
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In my experience, poly/wood
delamination is almost always caused by water intrusion, and this is true for epoxy/wood as well, though the greater bond strength of the epoxy helps in this regard.
In John's description of his process, it seems he's covered the bases, the only caveat I see is using wood with zero moisture content; given the slight permeability of poly resin, a very good, impermeable, two part epoxy primer and some kind of two part finish (acrylic?) seems necessary to avoid possible eventual
delamination caused by the expansion of the wood as it reaches a more natural 10-15% moisture content, and the contraction of the poly resin as it looses volatiles, a situation that may or may not be encountered with epoxy. Had epoxy been used, a less expensive finish coat and primer could be applied so who knows where the actual final cost would have wound up...
In either case, the life span is likely decades, given its' intended use, so it's kinda a moot point with (for me) merely academic interest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Terra Nova
If absolute lowest cost were always the determining factor, decision making would be a no-brainer. It is for some.
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'Lowest cost' is not determined by a
single factor. If one product provides the same
service as another product that costs three times as much, then to buy the more expensive product is foolish. (even if one has money to throw away)
For those that
don't have money to throw away, the default position is to use the product that provides the overall best value; i.e. lowest cost.
Sometimes that means paying more up front, for a variety of reasons.
Sometimes that means knowing when to use the the less expensive product, because, for example, it has properties not needed in a specific application.
A logical case might be made for the use of a thrice-expensive product based purely on an unknown life expectancy, or any combination of that and of perceived shortcomings, or ignorance of the real properties of a correctly used product.
Obviously, experience is important in making these decisions, and since 'experience' is somewhat subjective...