SPI Life

6

6686mustang

It appears I may have the time to get back to my projects - Life steers you in so many directions. Taking care of aging parents is a priority - seem life does go in a full circle.. Anyway, here's a few questions. If I buy a gallon of SS Black and use a quart, how long is the remainder good for? How about activators? I have a few items from a project car I will be painting - along with a plow frame I'm working on now - but to be realistic, I wont be doing it all at the same time. Is the SS Black available in quarts? (thought I only saw gallons) I had also asked about SPI on engine blocks/heads. Does it hold up well to the heat? Between painting the block with epoxy and then a topcoat - do you think this "locks' in any heat? I do appreciate the help! Thanks!
 
The black will out last you and me but once the activator is opened, unless you purge them they can go bad in a month or three years and everything else in between.

The SS and clears work great on heads but not exhaust manifolds.

Does it lock in heat? Engines come painted from the factory and I have had engines with 4-6 coats of clear on them along with two coats of epoxy and a couple coats of base and never seen a problem.
 
Barry - Thank you! That actually works out great since the activators are sold in quarts.
 
Is there an easy way to know if the activator is good without spraying a test panel? What are the tell tale signs of activator gone bad?

John
 
John Long;29816 said:
Is there an easy way to know if the activator is good without spraying a test panel? What are the tell tale signs of activator gone bad?

John
Click to expand...
Crystal's as Shine said and you may see snow flakes, floating or on bottom of can BUT with the better grades of Iso's you may also not see these and unlike the enamel activators they will also not spray like they have sand in the paint either.
First sign if none of the other items appear and activator is going weak will be fish-eyes in the first coat and then if you reseal the can, in about 48 hours it will work just great with no fish-eyes and it will be the best looking job you have ever sprayed but next day it will still be wet and never dry.
 
Good information. I learned the hard way DON'T SHAKE THE HALF EMPTY CAN. It may sound like it is liquid when you shake it but 6 weeks later when you open it up it won't be. :(

John
 
Barry, you are exactly right about the fish eyes and not drying. Yesterday, I pulled out a half full can of flattened black Ful-thane that I have had for about six years in my garage to spray an instrument panel. The activator looked fine, no crystals or flakes that I saw. I know the regular 2k primer was clean and I didn't have water problems but the whole panel was entirely fish eyes, plus it had to dry overnight to be tack free.

This morning I dumped what I had left into my haz-mat container. Thanks, your information just confirms what I suspected.
 
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