Epoxy Seal Coat Questions

[65_Coupe]

I just sprayed 3 coats of epoxy on my 65 Corvette using my Vaper 2.3 gun. Now I have some small areas to do some filler work, then I will be spraying my 2K primer and wet sand it. The next few steps are where I have a few questions:

1. What grit should I end up with on the 2K primer? I will be spraying a Silver Pearl basecoat.
2. Which gun should I use for the reduced epoxy seal coat? Should I use the Vaper or my Iwata LPH400 1.4?
3. How long can I wait before spraying base over the reduced seal coat without sanding?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[Barry]

I just sprayed 3 coats of epoxy on my 65 Corvette using my Vaper 2.3 gun. Now I have some small areas to do some filler work, then I will be spraying my 2K primer and wet sand it. The next few steps are where I have a few questions:

1. What grit should I end up with on the 2K primer? I will be spraying a Silver Pearl basecoat.
2. Which gun should I use for the reduced epoxy seal coat? Should I use the Vaper or my Iwata LPH400 1.4?
3. How long can I wait before spraying base over the reduced seal coat without sanding?

Thanks,
Brian

Normally the first three coats of 2k are blocked with 180 and then if perfect 2-3 more and some sand with 400, 500 or 600 getting it ready for paint, if you are going to seal it just sand with 400 to speed things up as the sealer will take car of the scratches.

For the reduced epoxy as a sealer i would like to see 2 - 4 hours before you spray your base BUT at 25% you could do in an hour and yes use your 1.4 as it should spray like a base.

 

[65_Coupe]

Normally the first three coats of 2k are blocked with 180 and then if perfect 2-3 more and some sand with 400, 500 or 600 getting it ready for paint, if you are going to seal it just sand with 400 to speed things up as the sealer will take car of the scratches.

For the reduced epoxy as a sealer i would like to see 2 - 4 hours before you spray your base BUT at 25% you could do in an hour and yes use your 1.4 as it should spray like a base.

Let me make sure I get this right: spray 3 coats of 2k, block with 180 grit, spray 2-3 more coats of 2k, sand with 400 grit, then spray seal coat. Does that sound right?

 

[Barry]

That would be normal shop procedure but a restoration shop may block 2,3, or four times.
A good block job is going to knock most of the primer off.
Personally I use the epoxy underneath as my guide coat and most of the time the first blocking may only leave 15-30% of the primer covering the epoxy.

 

[65_Coupe]

I am just finishing wetsanding my 2K with 600 grit in preparation for epoxy sealer, color, and clear this weekend and found a couple small pinholes. What is the best way to take care of them? Can I dab a little filler in there with a razor blade and resand with 600?

I am a little confused on the recommended reduction ratio for the epoxy sealer and the wait time before base. Barry, you mention two different times:

For the reduced epoxy as a sealer i would like to see 2 - 4 hours before you spray your base BUT at 25% you could do in an hour and yes use your 1.4 as it should spray like a base.

I am planning on spraying the epoxy sealer on Sunday, then after the appropriate cure time, spray my base as well on Sunday. I plan on letting it sit overnight and spray the clear on Monday with no further surface preparation. Is this ok?

 

[Chad.S]

I think he is saying if you reduce it 25% you only have to wait a hour, but if you don't reduce it that much he recommends longer.. I could be wrong though.