SPI Epoxy to base coat dry time and grit?

D

Dave333

Promoted Users
I’ve got a Landcruiser in 3 coats of SPI Epoxy. Completed my filler work for a few door dings and sprayed those areas as well. It’s sat for 24 hours. Am I good to proceed with 180 to 320 to 400 to 600 and shoot a sealer coat and then base? Then follow the normal steps of letting the base sit overnight and then clear the next day.

The metal is flat and the epoxy laid out nice. Would like to try just epoxy due to its limited shrinkage but have never went straight epoxy to base coat.
 
You should shoot a coat of reduced epoxy as a sealer before base assuming it takes you several days to do all that blocking. Refer to the tech sheet for using reduced epoxy as a sealer.

Don
 
dhutton01 said:
You should shoot a coat of reduced epoxy as a sealer before base assuming it takes you several days to do all that blocking. Refer to the tech sheet for using reduced epoxy as a sealer.

Don
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I planned on doing the reduced epoxy as a sealer, just as normal. I’ll have the blocking done in a day, I have 2 helpers in the shop. Just wanted to make sure no issues with the short time frame because I normally let epoxy cure until right at the end of the 7 days before adding layers. This one needs to be finished by Wednesday for a friend and wanted to make sure not pushing any windows between epoxy and base.

Looking for someone who has went to base clear within 5 days of initial epoxy spray with no issues.
 
Dave333 said:
I planned on doing the reduced epoxy as a sealer, just as normal. I’ll have the blocking done in a day, I have 2 helpers in the shop. Just wanted to make sure no issues with the short time frame because I normally let epoxy cure until right at the end of the 7 days before adding layers. This one needs to be finished by Wednesday for a friend and wanted to make sure not pushing any windows between epoxy and base.

Looking for someone who has went to base clear within 5 days of initial epoxy spray with no issues.
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That is no issue at all. I’ve done it many times.

Don
 
I’ve even done it on wet sanded 600 grit epoxy well out of the window with no issues.
 
crashtech said:
I don't think this is good advice to give out unless you have actually tested it with destructive adhesion testing. Barry discourages painting direct to base over epoxy that is outside the window, sanded or not.
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My point in saying so is not as advice but something that is far more extreme than what the OP is proposing, therefore he’s plenty safe.
 
It's not clear what the job you did was subject to, for example, if you said you painted it outside the epoxy window and then followed a gravel truck to work for a year with minimal chipping, that would be far more convincing than the mere fact that the paint didn't spontaneously peel off.

I've done a job or two just outside the epoxy window and gotten away with it so far, but I don't dare tell anyone else to, especially because conditions vary and I really have no idea how much adhesion was compromised. For example, seven days at 65° is vastly different than seven days at 85°. My conditions tend towards the former, which may have something to do with my so-called luck.

My own personal philosophy of being in an advice giving role is that I want to help everyone stack the deck in their own favor, not introduce borderline practices that will raise questions later if things don't go as planned. Your mileage may vary!
 
Thanks guys, sealer laid out nicely.
IMG_0335.jpeg
 
Yes. I let the sealer sit for 2 hours, 2 coats of base coat, sit overnight. Next morning I did 3 coats of clear. Today it’s sun baking. Tomorrow the clear will be cut with 800, let it sit a day then wax and grease remove and another 3 coats of clear. I spray in an open shop so always have to layer clear to cut and buff.
 
Sata 5000 RP 1.3, fluid 1.5 turns, fan 90%, wall pressure 125, gun 28 psi, 75% overlap, temp in shop 87, flash time 30 minutes between coats, lay it wet, open bay, coming out of 3 stage dessicant system and a Harbor Freight air dryer. I spray fast.

I then block it with 800 dry on a AFS board after I let it sit a few days. After I block it (currently doing) I’ll let it sit a day and then water borne wax and grease remover, 3 more coats with 30 minute flash time between coats, then let it sit in sun a few days and block again dry 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 wet then cut and buff. Customer went from wanting a daily driver to a better finish so now we do the layering game.
 
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