Subject: Driftwood Name Board
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2003Dear Sir,
I have recently come across some information about your product CPES™ which I had not heard of before. I own a shop in CT which deals in, among other things, marine salvage and surplus so ,naturally, I am curious. I have a project in mind to try it on. I have a piece of driftwood that I would like to impregnate with epoxy and make into a yacht name board. Either before or after treatment the board would be carved with the boats name. It is about 54"L x 7"W x 1 1/4"T. It is probably pine and has considerable rot and deterioration. Would CPES™ be suitable for this application? If so, how much would I need and can you suggest any special techniques to ensure full penetration? Would it be better to carve the board before or after application?
Sincerely,
Mike HMike,
CPES™ would probably be your best means of preserving this piece of wood.
CPES™ is used by wood turners to turn "spalted" wood in bowls. If the wood is soft and on the verge of disintegration, they will saturate it with CPES first, wait until the CPES™ cures (about a week), and then turn the wood. This prevents disintegration during the turning process. They will often re-apply the CPES™ as they turn if they hit additional soft wood.
In your case, you would have to evaluate the "carveabilty" of the wood. If you think it can stand up under the blade without coming apart, I would carve it first and then saturate it with the CPES™, probably several times and allowing at least 5 days between applications. This will give the wood good epoxy solidity. If the wood seems too soft to carve easily, treat it with the CPES™, carve, and then treat again with the CPES™ for final preservation.
It should be protected with paint or a marine-grade varnish after you have completed the project. The CPES™ will increase the durability of the final coatings.
I would think a 2-quart unit of the CPES™ would be sufficient for the project.
Hope this is helpful, and feel free to come back if you have additional questions.
Doc