Product Application

No. The EndRot Kit and components alike are for cosmetic repairs only. 

Yes.  Our EndRot Kit and the component products in it were developed initially for use on wooden or wood frame boats, but adapt perfectly for architectural use.  For complete information and application instructions, click here.

The Board Defense powder is really designed to be used as a first step to our System Three End Rot System to make sure that wood destroying organisms are killed before it is repaired and patched. It is effective in destroying any decay, insect, or fungi in the instant it is applied and can last for a few months without any other protection. For long lasting repair and protection, please check our End Rot system here: https://www.systemthree.com/pages/rot-repair

For an epoxy adhesive or solvent-free coating to bond well to a wood surface, the moisture content of the wood should be 12% or below.  To give you some choices, here's a link to the adhesives page on our website.

For an epoxy adhesive or solvent-free coating to bond well to a wood surface, the moisture content of the wood should be 12% or below.  To give you some choices, here's a link to the adhesives page on our website.

We recommend the G-2 Adhesive for oily woods. Surfaces to be bonded should be free of oils for optimal adhesion. With a clean cotton rag liberally moistened with lacquer thinner, vigorously wipe area to be bonded. While surface is still moist with solvent, wipe with a dry rag and allow to dry completely. If necessary, repeat wiping until surface dries to a whitish color indicating extraction of surface oil. Once dry, sand using 120 grit to open up the grain. Bond within eight hours of cleaning.

Gel Magic is the best recommended product for ABS plastics. Please keep in mind that epoxies in general have weak bond strength to thermoplastic materials such as ABS. Flame-treating will help promote a stronger adhesion. 

If your Mirrorcoat® project is going outside, and will be exposed to a significant amount of sun, it needs to have UV protection.  The epoxy coating cannot be modified to provide this protection for itself.  So, for exterior applications, to keep your project looking its best for the long term, apply one of our UV-resistant coatings over the epoxy.  We manufacture two:

Marine Spar Varnish

WR-LPU

The Marine Spar Varnish can be thinned with mineral spirits at up to 10-15% by weight.

System Three® Marine Spar Varnish can be used over some sanding sealers but it will depend on the formulation of the sealer. Most lacquer-based sanding sealers are not recommended because the sanding aids are wax-related. We recommend testing the varnish over any other sealers in a small section to ensure you get good adhesion between the two coatings.  Also, for future reference, the Spar Varnish does not require sanding in between coats if applied within 12-24 hours of the initial coat. 

RotFix has an estimate coverage of 300-350 square feet per gallon. 

While we haven't done extensive testing with wood preservatives besides System Three EndRot™ Borate Powder(sodium borate), we know that copper and zinc naphthenate are compatible with RotFix, when the preservatives are given at least 7 days to penetrate and dry.

We know that System Three® finishes, WR-LPU and Marine Spar Varnish 
are compatible with RotFix™.  Nitrocellulose lacquer, waterborne finishes, and 2-part polyurethanes will work as well.  As far as oil and 1-part polyurethanes, you will need to test for compatibility.

RotFix Sealer is a great product for consolidating or hardening soft or rotted wood.  It's also useful as a general purpose wood sealer.  If you have wood to paint, and it's a little soft, but not rotted away to require a full repair,  Rot Fix epoxy sealer will act as a primer for paint.

Yes.  There are a few options:

1)  Dry pigments can be added into the mixed products in any proportion. 

 2)  Liquid dyes or paint colorants can be added into the mixed at up to 2% by weight.

 3)  System Three® Epoxy Paste Pigments can mixed into the Part A at up to 10% by weight and then mixed 1:1 with the Part B.

Unfortunately, no.  The resin content of the products is high enough to effectively have them function somewhat as sealers, and the stain will not penetrate like it will into the bare wood.

The suggested workaround is to mix dry pigments or house paint colorants into the paste or putty as you combine the Part A and B.  This can approximate the color of the stained wood around it.

SculpWood Putty can be applied over the RotFix immediately after application.

Mirror Coat requires a total of 4.5 ounces per square foot (1/2 ounce for the seal coat and 4 ounce for the flood coat) of mixed resin and hardener. Therefore, you can multiply the square foot area of your project by 4.5 to calculate an estimate coverage. 

Yes, Mirror Coat can be applied over previously varnished wood provided the varnish is sufficiently cured, clean, and sanded. 

Yes.  System Three® offers a sanding and buffing kit for sale on the website.  Contents are shown below.  The video shows its use with Mirrorcoat®, but it also works well on WR-LPU and coating epoxies like Silvertip™.  Click on the image for detailed information and to purchase.

A white paper literature piece can also be downloaded from the website here:

Guide to Buffing and Polishing

From our experience, cratering or fish eyeing almost certainly indicate that one of three things occurred during your application:

1. Insufficient drying and/or incompatibility with a stain or oil: Pre-testing is always recommended when using products from another manufacturer.

2. Sanding too smooth can cause the epoxy to draw away from the surface. For example, sanding higher than 220 grit will make it difficult for the Mirror Coat to overcome the surface tension of the substrate. 

3. Lack of coverage: We specify pouring the MirrorCoat at 4 oz/sq ft to allow enough coverage on the substrate. Any less will result in a lack of adequate coverage.

Yes.  System Three offers a sanding and buffing kit for sale on the website.  Contents are shown below.  The video shows its use.

A white paper literature piece can also be downloaded from the website here:

Guide to Buffing and Polishing

The rule of thumb with cured Mirrorcoat® and how much heat it will tolerate is this:  If an object is not too hot to hold in your hand, you can set it directly on a Mirrorcoat surface which is completely (more than a week) cured.  If it is hotter, you must place a coaster or hot pad underneath the object.

If you happen to put an object that is too hot on a Mirrorcoat surface, and it leaves a ring, the ring can many times be removed by passing a hairdryer back and forth over the affected area.

Allow epoxy to cure at least 7 days at 70F or above before applying WR-LPU. Please see the Technical Data Sheet and the Paint Literature for more information on application. 

System Three Silvertip Yacht Primer and WR-LPU Topcoat paints are guaranteed for 3 years from the date of manufacture. However, the shelf-life can be extended if stored well sealed above 50F. After 3 years, we recommend pre-testing a small sample prior to use. 

Batch code: X(YEAR) XX(MONTH) XX(DAY) X (INTERNAL CODE).

The WR-LPU Topcoat may be thinned with clean deionized or distilled water at up to 25%. 

WR-LPU waterborne polyurethane topcoat comes in 12 standard colors.  We will match any color sample you send us for an upcharge with a minimum order of 1 gallon.  Small 4 oz. samples of all 12 colors are available for a nominal charge from the website.  These can be intermixed in any proportions to obtain the color you want in order to have it matched.

You can paint your design under or over the epoxy coating.  If it's underneath, ordinary house paint will do.  If it's on top of the resin, we would recommend our WR-LPU.

• Recoating or applying one product on top of another for most of our 2:1 epoxies (General Purpose, SilverTip, Clear Coat, MirrorCoat, RotFix, etc.) can be done without sanding if done within 72 hours of the previous coat or product. Beyond that, sand the previous coat or product with 80-120 grit sand paper to ensure the next layer adheres to the previous one. 

• For S-1 Sealer and Cold Cure products, sanding must be done after 24 hours. 

• For all System Three adhesives (Quick Cure, T-88, Gel Magic, MetlWeld, etc.) putties or fairing compounds like QuikFair, please allow to fully cure then abrade or sand if additional product is to be applied.

If your Mirrorcoat® project is going outside, and will be exposed to a significant amount of sun, it needs to have UV protection.  We manufacture two products compatible with Mirrorcoat and are easily applied after simple surface preparation:

Marine Spar Varnish

WR-LPU

Although epoxy adhesives have never been expressly approved by the FAA for general use in certified aircraft repair, T-88 has been used for years on these repairs.  Please review the attached document(s) for guidance.

Here are two excellent options(please follow the links for detailed information and pricing):

1)  Use System Three® T-88, our original structural epoxy adhesive.  The viscosity is high enough so you don't need to be concerned about starving the joints.

2)  Use Silvertip Gel Magic™, our non-sagging, gelled epoxy adhesive, with toughening technology to withstand increased vibration and impact resistance.

Both will form permanent structural bonds when the parts are laminated in a jig.  The cured bows will still flex without cracking.

Most primers for metal are applied to prevent corrosion.  Silvertip Yacht Primer does not contain anti-corrosive or flash-rust preventive pigments.  So it is not suitable for application directly on metal to prevent corrosion.

Depending on your specific application, there are any number of options.  If you want a clear product, or one that can be colored, a pourable, self-leveling epoxy like Mirrorcoat® or Mirrorcast™ will work very well.  For vertical surfaces, a non-sagging product like Gel Magic, primarily used as an adhesive, is easily mixed and spread, filling gaps without shrinking.