Duratec primers- Vinyl Ester Resin type

B

Bob Hollinshead

Has anyone here used any duratec primers? Any good? I see they offer three different polyesters and a vinyl ester resin type. Curious on the vinyl ester resin.
 
never used it but have used a vinylester primer before on a jet boat to repair the hull. rock solid stuff but hell to work with. almost gelcoat .
 
I might give it a try, I don't care if it sands hard if the the product is is superior to regular poly, still start and finish with epoxy though.
 
I'm not had any hands on with the product but have had a number of our shops use it over the years, all good comments except one person said it cracked under paint in a spot, I think was a hood but I know no other facts.
I think its a safe bet for most applications, from what i hear.
 
was used a lot in the 70's on vettes. i knew some corvette guys who used it instead of gelcoat . dont remember the brand back then . got it from boat repair shops. boat shops is where i was first introduced to epoxy paint. vinylester is above polyester in the resin tier .
 
Just a follow up on this product-test panels. Very tough stuff-way stronger than typical polyester primers. 100% waterproof. Stability is excellent. Heat distortion appears to be none. And it bonds to SPI epoxy the same as regular polyester primers. I did do some direct to metal test panels at the request of the product rep but my hammer tests show there is much better adhesion and durability when used over epoxy. The only downside is it is much harder to sand than regular surfacers.
 
what i learned many years ago was that if it sands like concrete it will be stable. i dont personally use anything that is easy to sand. the trick is to use the right gun and learn to lay it slick .
 
Thanks for the update, Bob! "Hard to sand" kinda scares me though, this kind of work ain't gettin any easier for my old arms and shoulders!
 
I use it for plug prep before building molds. It is way stronger than regular polyester primer BUT very, very hard to sand in comparison. I only use it for plug prep. If I need a poly for surfacing something before paint, I use G2 just because it finishes so much easier. With the temperature cycle of building molds, Duratech works better.
 
Are you guys hand blocking your poly -spray primers? I typically use a long block with 80 grit, and then go over again with 180. I have had great results, but it is tough on the arms and shoulders. Any alternatives like a power tool that would assist in this process?
 
danp76 said:
Are you guys hand blocking your poly -spray primers? I typically use a long block with 80 grit, and then go over again with 180. I have had great results, but it is tough on the arms and shoulders. Any alternatives like a power tool that would assist in this process?
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Depends on where you are working. On big flat areas, I have an 8" DA that really kicks butt and does a decent job of keeping things straight. I found a roll of 8" 180 DA that is nice for refining rough scratches after the usual 80. The roofs and some hoods I have done this way look beautiful, of course they have to be finished off by hand.
 
I've been using Evercoat powerfill, I always block with 80, followed by 180, then epoxy and turbo primer, and final epoxy. I always block by hand, was thinking maybe an air board file? or air orbital file? shoulders are getting tired from hours and hours of sanding.
 
quite a few years back i got a dozen gallons of the duratec primer given to me. pretty much a confirmation of everything said here. sands like concrete. its really more of an in mold primer. i didnt use it much on anything automotive. just a few projects because i got tired of sanding it. i ended up using it around the shop to coat my work table with and stuff like that.
 
Are you guys doing all this work by hand or machine? I will reach for my board file when doing filler work, but never tried during the primer stages. I will often use a poly-spray but I'm getting tired of blocking everything by hand, for hours and hours...what are you guys doing?....anything easier? lol
 
I block by hand. I go through a ton of abrasives. As soon as it starts to slow down I install a new strip.

Don
 
these types of primer are used as a barrier coat . not really for a finishing primer. i would always block it off with 80 then go from there .
 
I agree shine, I do lots and lots of blocking, and most of the poly-spray is sanded off, I continue on with turbo primer, followed by epoxy. I have epoxy on the bare metal and finish with epoxy.
 
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