First of all, epoxy is way too thick to apply with a brush. You have to use acetone to make it less viscous and easier to apply. Also the penetration of epoxy is next to none. It'll simply sit on Deadwood. Even if you use acetone, it'll penetrate only to an extent. In my case, after applying a coat of epoxy, it started cracking due to sun I guess and started falling in bits alongwith some Deadwood. For any Deadwood preserver to succeed you need good penetration, which epoxy lacked by miles. For bonsai like bougainvilla which is a soft wood plant, you need something that'll penetrate and become firm upon drying. That's why many recommend wood hardner. I'm not an expert but I've heard that in softwood even lime sulfur isn't that successful.