[Dayo5]

Hi Ray,
All of your help is super appreciated. So when I start taping and masking the car off to epoxy prime, do I need to remove all the tape very soon after so it's not awful to remove where it pulls and tears at the new paint? Or can I leave the tape and masked areas, through the whole painting process layer after layer? thanks as always.

[69 widetrack]

I remove the tape for exactly the reasons you mentioned...I know masking tape is expensive but, repainting the part of the car where the tape took the paint off when unmasking cost a lot more. I like to remove the tape as soon as the primer has flashed (when possible). This way the primer hasn't had a chance to cure and comes of the masked area easily and leaves what you masked off, masked off.

Ray

[Dayo5]

Thanks Ray, sorry to ask, but what does Flashed mean? And how long is that typically?
I was planning on doing two coats of the epoxyprimer, so should I re-mask between the two coats also? Or will painting the two coats in the same session be sufficient for the one masking job? Thanks as always!

[69 widetrack]

Sorry for taking so long to respond but I've been a little busy and haven't even had time to check my Emails. Flash is referring to the product (Primer, Single Stage Paint, and Clear Coat) that has been applied to your vehicle, when a product has flashed it means that sufficient solvents have evaporated so that it almost feels dry to the touch. When you can touch the sprayed surface (and I usually touch the masked area, not the sprayed surface) and it's not wet, it has flashed off and your ready for your next coat. It can feel tacky but not completely set up with primers single stage and clear coats, base coat is flashed when it appears to be dry and won't tape mark if you put a piece of masking tape on it. When base coat has reached this stage, it can be clear coated. Flash times are one of the most important components in a quality paint job. If you don't allow proper flash times, solvents can be trapped resulting in sinking, solvent popping and in base coat clear coat applications result in the delamination of the top coat (clear coat). Typically flash times are 15 to 20 minutes depending on the product, what speed of hardner and or reducer you use, air flow and the ambient air temperature. For example if your spraying and epoxy primer using a medium hardner and medium reducer, the temperature that your spraying at is about 70 degrees and you have fans clearing out the air in your painting environment, your applying the primer at a medium wet rate, flash times would be 15 to 20 minutes. If any one of these variables changes, speed of hardners & reducers, air temperature and air flow, the flash times can be faster or slower. Feel your masked area to make sure that the product is setting up, tacky...not wet.

As I mentioned feel the masked area (I use the back of my hand and gently brush it over the area, if I can brush my hand over the primed area and it doesn't mark the primed area and I've waited the appropriate time it has flashed)...Base Coat needs to be dry before it's considered flashed, one of the biggest mistakes painters make is to not allow enough flash time...I have found that if I feel I've done everything correctly, medium wet coats, reducers, hardners, temperature, air flow and I feel the area and it feels flashed...give it another 5 to 10 minutes for insurance, then you know it's flashed.

Leave your masking paper and tape on the vehicle between coat of the same priming session, no need to re-mask between coats.

If you need or would want a more detailed and technical reason for flash times I'd be happy to give it to you. It's a rather long drawn out process to explain what solvents do after they are applied...but when explained many painters seem to understand the importance more readily.

Ray

[Dayo5]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your sharing of knowledge, you are a great teacher.
-Day

[69 widetrack]

Not a problem, if you need more information, just ask.

Ray

[Dayo5]

Hi Ray,
I need to cut off some rot in a couple of places, then fabricate a couple of patches to MIG onto the body. Do I replace the metal then Epoxy prime over it, OR do I epoxy prime in the cut out area, then put the patch on over the freshly epoxy primed area? I guess I was thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to spray into the cut out void.
thanks as always

[69 widetrack]

Originally Posted by Dayo5

Hi Ray,
I need to cut off some rot in a couple of places, then fabricate a couple of patches to MIG onto the body. Do I replace the metal then Epoxy prime over it, OR do I epoxy prime in the cut out area, then put the patch on over the freshly epoxy primed area? I guess I was thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to spray into the cut out void.
thanks as always

I prefer to cut out the rusted areas, apply a weld through primer on the patches (booth sides) and the body...weld my patches in, grind my welds smooth and epoxy prime. If your cutting out rust, the void your talking about most times has rust in it as well. I like to clean up that rust (grinding or sandblasting) and prime those areas with epoxy primer...if you don't, the rust will spread back to the patch you put in and start rusting all over again.

I hope I explained that well enough, if not let me know and I'll try and go into more detail.

Ray

[J-Garden]

Originally Posted by Dayo5

Your advice is great- so appreciated.
When I sand the rest of the body is it alright if I use an electric palm sander, dewalt four inch?

You should step it up to a 7 inch disc sander.

[Dayo5]

Hi, hope you are well, I am just finishing sanding the whole body with 220 with my dual action sander, should I powerwash it, to try and get the area as clean as possible? Or just Air blow it and tack cloth? Thanks!

[69 widetrack]

It's always a good idea to clean the area that you are about to prime as well as possible...The cleaner you get the car, the less dirt you will get in your primer. I usually don't pressure wash a car before I prime it...I blow the whole car down followed by wiping it down with a product called "Spirit Wipe", you can use any product that is designed to remove any contaminants from the surfaces that you are about to prime...many people use Wax and Grease Remover, (I use a lot of either of these products when I'm blocking the car...I wet the panel down with a rag and while it's still wet I check the reflection for any imperfections in the body work). These products will also act as a "dust magnet" so to speak. Once the body of the car has been wiped down and is dry, tack the body. I prefer to use a blower while I'm tacking a car down, it seems to get rid of any dust missed when wiping it down.

NOW...the most important part...prime your car...LOL

Ray

[Dayo5]

Hi Ray,
Thanks for all of the great coaching. I am going to prime it next week, yahoo!
After I epoxy prime it, do i need to sand it before I start putting filler down? Or can I wait to sand after all the filler work is done?
Thanks!

[69 widetrack]

When you use SPI Epoxy primer there is no need to sand before putting filler down...Below is a quote from SPI's Web-site

On any restoration it is always best to apply the body filler over the epoxy rather than
bare metal for best adhesion and corrosion protection. If one coat of epoxy is used then
the body filler can be applied in 60 minutes. When applying two coats of epoxy, wait
over night before applying the body filler. The epoxy does not need to be sanded before
applying the body filler.

If your not using SPI, you will need to check your tech sheets.

Hope this helps

Ray

[69 widetrack]

When you use SPI Epoxy primer there is no need to sand before putting filler down...Below is a quote from SPI's Web-site

On any restoration it is always best to apply the body filler over the epoxy rather than
bare metal for best adhesion and corrosion protection. If one coat of epoxy is used then
the body filler can be applied in 60 minutes. When applying two coats of epoxy, wait
over night before applying the body filler. The epoxy does not need to be sanded before
applying the body filler.

If your not using SPI, you will need to check your tech sheets.

Hope this helps

Ray

[69 widetrack]

Sorry for the double post, I was trying to post for about a half an hour and this came up that said I needed to wait 30 seconds before my next post....LOL, I guess my 30 seconds is different from other peoples.

Ray