Have any of you used the mini foam rollers for putting on epoxy after the initial coat? They have a lot of different sizes and are reasonable in price. Wondered if they worked the same as a 9" roller cover cut in half.
My Home Depot has 1/4" foam roller covers for epoxy and the mini rollers. I'd rather use the mini ones but they are thicker. Wasn't sure if that would lead to more bubbles.
I have used the mini foam rollers but then switched to the WEST system 4" foam rollers. I found the 4-inch rollers by West to work better as they did not hold as much epoxy. I got a lot fewer drips and a smoother finish. I am sure plenty of guys use the foam ones, but I preferred and got better results with the larger and thinner WEST product.
I do the cut in half thing with CLC roller covers. A Japanese razor saw makes a nice clean cut with no disintegrating edges.
Laszlo
I had some of the yellow cut in half rollers from CLC. I was not that fond of them. I never really found a way of cutting them that didn't leave a rough edge, which woud start to fall apart and leave little yellow bits in my epoxy. I switched over to the rollers you are talking about with great results.
Hi --
I've used both the yellow rollers cut in half and the mini-foam rollers (from Lowes). I found that the latter gave me a better finish and were easier to maneuver. Also, with the rounded tip (verses the flat end of the cut roller), I could get epoxy into most tight spots. When the undercoats are well prepped, the mini-rollers give me a smooth, final surface that needs little sanding before applying either paint or varnish. I'm a fan.
What is the brand of foam roller covers you all are referring to from Lowes and Home Depot?
What is the brand of foam roller covers you all are referring to from Lowes and Home Depot?
@MountainSailor I am curious what brand you had good sucess with?
I don't recall the brand I used--they're white and about 6" wide, got them at Ace Hardware--but I prefer them for both epoxy and varnish. They seem to cause fewer bubbles; also, I don't have to worry about little black bits of foam getting into my finishes since I don't cut them down. About cutting down foam rollers--I was using a saw but later switched to a sharp box cutter like Olfa to cut through the foam until I reached the cardboard roller; then I cut the carboard with a hacksaw. But I now longer do that since I just use the white foam rollers.