Metal prep and sealing

[Neal G]

Like many of you I can not/ will not pay full price for a paint job that I probably won't be happy with. So, I am diong the "hidden" parts myself (under and inside the fender, inside the cowel where the wiper motor is, door frames and such) to save money. Also I will be doing most of the prep for the "outside" leaving the final details and spraying to the pros. Here's my questions, first my epoxy primer inside the cowel got wet about 2 hours after spraying. Like an idiot I sprayed it off with water after removing the tape and paper to wash away the sand from sandblasting. I noticed a couple of spots that "softened" and started to wrinkle. I did not get all the way to metal in these spots with the sand blaster, no rust there so I just cleaned things with the blaster. I didn't think about it until after I had sprayed my silver but primer is pourous. So I waited another day then ruffed it all up again, this time by hand, and resprayed the silver and put down three good heavy coats of clear (I'm not worried about orange peel inside the cowel). Did I ruin the base/ epoxy primer and start rust or other troubles under it? Will I need to start over? Second, can rattel can undercoating be used to seal the primer like under the fender and behind the fender support? I was doing this then noticed the undercoating "looks" pourous also. There was some surface rust there so it got blasted down to metal. I can seal it up better with some clearcoat and a brush, but am worried about a small spot or two that may have gotten down to metal under the fender inside the wheel well then primed and undercoated. Major mistake? fixable? help.

Neal G

[datsunrides]

I'm no expert but I have painted a few. Here is my thought. There should be no problem with getting the primer wet after a couple of hours. My experiances with a catalizer primer is that it is dry within a half hour or sooner depending on temp. Now, if the paint has wrinkled, I doubt it has to do with water, most likely reacted to something like oil or such. Primer, especially epoxy should not be pourous, so to speak. I'm not clear on whether the primer or paint wrinkled. For fenderwells and such, I epoxy primer and then spray on an automotive grade undercoat. I have not got a result I like with the spray bomb stuff. Probably OK for touch up. Sounds like you have a compressor so use the good stuff. It is not pourous and is tough stuff.

Mark

[Neal G]

Thanks Mark, I will not argue your opinion on the wrinkled paint. It was two dime size spots that were not cleaned to metal so I think the new wet primer attacked the old thin skin of paint. I should be ok now since I sanded it out. Also thanks for the info on the epoxy primer, I have plenty of expierence painting fiberglass remote control race boats so I usually wet sand the epoxy and skip the sanding primer. It's fiberglass so no worry about rust. On metal I was not sure. The undercoating I used was reccomended by the paint supply store and seems to be a good proudct and with no worries about the epoxy, I think it will be ok. Thanks again

Neal G