Epoxy primer with less stink?
11-26-2009, 01:07 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SFV, Calif.
Posts: 404
Epoxy primer with less stink?
I almost killed myself and my neighbors hate me. 7am Thanksgiving morning, thought I was getting it out of the way while everyone slept in. I used a low VOC (2.1) "Rubberseal Direct to all Metal" Epoxy primer. Even before mixing, I knew this was a problem by the smell. Spraying it got all of my neighbors out of their houses giving me dirty looks! I have the area tented to protect everyone from overspray, but the smell is just too much!
Houses are 15 feet apart and I have no option for another area to work.
Is there a waterbased Epoxy primer? Something with low odor? How about spray can epoxy? Any good? I could probably get away with the spray-can since I use other spray all the time with no complaints. Anyone have any suggestions so I don't have my neighbors fire-bombing my car in the middle of the night?
Houses are 15 feet apart and I have no option for another area to work.
Is there a waterbased Epoxy primer? Something with low odor? How about spray can epoxy? Any good? I could probably get away with the spray-can since I use other spray all the time with no complaints. Anyone have any suggestions so I don't have my neighbors fire-bombing my car in the middle of the night?
11-26-2009, 01:16 PM
#2
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 5,896
Nothing I'm aware of. Great smell, huh? 
Even in the super strict reduced-emissions parts of CA (like where you are, and where I live), primers are still two- or three-part with a <2.1 VOC content. It's the VOC's that smell.
Even in the super strict reduced-emissions parts of CA (like where you are, and where I live), primers are still two- or three-part with a <2.1 VOC content. It's the VOC's that smell.
11-27-2009, 09:27 AM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SFV, Calif.
Posts: 404
Well, I do own a 1/2 acre in the middle of no-where Arizona. About 45 miles from the closest neighbor. I could load up the car, compressor and generator and spend the day out there painting in the desert.
Primer and sand...hmmm...
Really, I guess I will take a day off and try getting the primer on while all the neighbors are at work. The wives and kids will get angry but it has to be done...
I only did my trunk lid with the stuff I mixed yesterday, it came out amazing and I love it. The stuff is like plastic armor plating. No way I could go with the rattle-can high-build primers after seeing this stuff in action. I would even feel protected letting the car weather in this till the temps change next year and get a chance the top-coats on the right way. I wouldn't feel so rushed. (if my windows weren't missing
)
Thanks guys!
Primer and sand...hmmm...Really, I guess I will take a day off and try getting the primer on while all the neighbors are at work. The wives and kids will get angry but it has to be done...
I only did my trunk lid with the stuff I mixed yesterday, it came out amazing and I love it. The stuff is like plastic armor plating. No way I could go with the rattle-can high-build primers after seeing this stuff in action. I would even feel protected letting the car weather in this till the temps change next year and get a chance the top-coats on the right way. I wouldn't feel so rushed. (if my windows weren't missing
)Thanks guys!
11-27-2009, 10:52 AM
#8
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
Yeah its tough stuff, wont absorb moisture like high build will. If there is any rust under it at all it wont stop it though, you will still have a bubble pop out in time. I use epoxy as a sealer between the metal and the high build, and then between high build and top coats so I go through a bunch of the stuff.
It doesnt weather as well as a color or clear though, it will come off if left outside. Also you will need to sand the entire car again if you leave it out to rough the surface. If you want to leave it outside for a while, a cheap enamel will last longer, just dont use the stuff from rattle cans. Lay down a thin coat and it wont be that hard to deal with when you are ready to work on it again. If it is less than a year dont worry about it though.
It doesnt weather as well as a color or clear though, it will come off if left outside. Also you will need to sand the entire car again if you leave it out to rough the surface. If you want to leave it outside for a while, a cheap enamel will last longer, just dont use the stuff from rattle cans. Lay down a thin coat and it wont be that hard to deal with when you are ready to work on it again. If it is less than a year dont worry about it though.
11-27-2009, 01:22 PM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
It depends on the damage I am repairing as to where the filler goes. Large area dents and welded seams get filler over metal. Small dimples and depressions go over the epoxy. I use an angle grinder to rough the metal so the filler can bite into it.
For the places that dont need filler, it goes like this:
Epoxy primer
high build
epoxy
base
clear
Some of the high build primers I use arent happy with the base coats, they will work with single stage enamel, but not always the base. So I will put epoxy over all the finished stuff and only sand enough to smooth it out if there is any peel in the primer when I am spraying a two stage. Single stage it isnt such a big deal since they work together for the most part. It also helps with the issue of having edges show through the top coats, found that on the hood of my Cougar.
I can see all the spots where the filler stops, they are smooth, but you can see it in the right light. I spent roughly 40 hours on that hood trying to get it right and it still looks like crap. My brother slid across it like Bo Duke one day and really messed it up with dimples and waves. I learned from the Cougar and the Trans Am got worked over differently to minimize the edges showing.
For the places that dont need filler, it goes like this:
Epoxy primer
high build
epoxy
base
clear
Some of the high build primers I use arent happy with the base coats, they will work with single stage enamel, but not always the base. So I will put epoxy over all the finished stuff and only sand enough to smooth it out if there is any peel in the primer when I am spraying a two stage. Single stage it isnt such a big deal since they work together for the most part. It also helps with the issue of having edges show through the top coats, found that on the hood of my Cougar.
I can see all the spots where the filler stops, they are smooth, but you can see it in the right light. I spent roughly 40 hours on that hood trying to get it right and it still looks like crap. My brother slid across it like Bo Duke one day and really messed it up with dimples and waves. I learned from the Cougar and the Trans Am got worked over differently to minimize the edges showing.