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Edit Step 9
— Prep for Second Coat
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Allow the first coat to completely cure - generally 24-36 hours
Check the surface for air bubbles or other imperfections. Use a small drill bit and knife to open up and round the edges of the bubbles or other defects. As long as they're open and clean, the second coat will fill them in completely.
If you don't want to put a border to your surface, remove whatever material you used for a dam on the first coat, and put down a mask on the floor and any appliances/cabinets under the surface. We opted to paint our edge black at this stage, then the second coat was allowed to run over the edge to make it glossy.
If it's necessary to clean the surface between coats, use Acetone, which is recommended by the epoxy manufacturer.
Edit Step 10
— Edge Cleanup
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No matter how careful you are, there will be a few drips along the underside of your surface. Once the epoxy is partially set, you can use a razor blade to remove these. If you wait until it's fully cured, you will need to use a sander instead.
Note: Even with the polyurethane, the epoxy is still somewhat soft. If you leave a heavy item on the counter for a while, it will leave an indentation. The good news is, when you move it, it will gradually level out. You can avoid this by avoiding heavy things with relatively small feet, or by placing such items on a flat board or plate to distribute the weight more evenly.
Edit Step 11
— Apply Polyurethane
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Why polyurethane? The clear epoxy is strong, but soft and relatively elastic. It will hold up fairly well on it's own, but is not really well suited to a kitchen or other high traffic area. The polyurethane coating makes it rigid, and protects the epoxy beneath from damage and discoloration by UV, and common cleaning solvents. This step is technially optional, but strongly recommended
Once the epoxy is fully cured, wipe the surface down with alcohol to remove any dirt or debris.
Apply the polyurethane according to the instructions.
Do this in a well ventilated area. Most of the clear epoxies don't smell and are pretty safe in that respect, but marine grade polyurethane reeks, is HIGHLY flammable, and the fumes are nasty.
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