Primer - epoxy or acid etch

[mm289]

Hi all,

eventually will be getting round to the body work on Gunther (as he has now been christened) after slowly resolving the long running engine saga

Van (Autosleeper Trident) needs a mix of spot repairs and some panel work (o/s sill, n/s/r wheel arch etc)


The plan is to re-paint the whole van in Celly but as it is too tall to fit in my workshop (who chose a hi-top )
I will need to do the work outside over the spring (have looked at 2K but haven't got 2nd compressor for air fed mask and don't fancy the H&S issues)

Intention is to do all the prep work then apply paint over a coupe of (warm, non windy, dust free) days - ha!

So, thats the background - question really is, as I work around the van doing spot repairs and some panel work i want to be able to leave the repaired part in primer until the whole van is ready for paint. So wondered what is the best primer to use for the following situations....

welded repair, bare metal with original paint surrounding repaired area.
Spot repair, sanded back to bare metal with original paint surrounding repared area.

Basically want something that wont let moisture through to rust out the new metal and will be a good base for filler/stopper prior to celly basecoat/laquer.

Or am i talking rubbish (loads of mechanical experience, long time since I did paint )

Cheers,

MM

[Cruz]

The o/s sill will be a bigger repair than it looks and you will need to remove the interior cupboards to fix it properly

[mm289]

Yeh, understand that Cruz, read metalmickey and others posts so realise there are some significant panel repairs - that doesn't faze me, just want to be able to do all the work prep work and then paint the whole van - its the lack of inside facilities that is the killer

MM

[eatcustard]

Top Tip

PRIMER IS NOT WATER PROOF .

You could paint the van in rustolium, be roller it on or spray it on.

see this thread
http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... lit=roller" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[boatbuilder]

Epoxy primer is waterproof.

From an old post:

Well, after doing a good bit of research, I've found some "Lechler epoxy primer" that is recommended by various posters on automotive forums. Some marine epoxies have problems with putting filler over them, but this one is ok. Another brand that comes up a good bit is DP40 by PPG, but the Lechler stuff apparently cures better in the UK's colder temperatures compared to the DP40. Hopefully this will be of some use to future searchers as it took me ages to research and discover this info.

Lechler Epoxy primer
L29107 - 4 litres of epoxy primer
L29370 - 2 litres of this hardenener needed
00516 - optional thinner

http://www.metalflake.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
£61 including shipping to a UK address for all of the above...not bad.

[Paul Southworth]

Hi there, I work in a body shop and have been a painter for 27 years.
Acid etch primer is waterproof and is used to prepare bare steel for further painting, it is very thin and is applied by spray. You can buy it from a good motor factor that sells paint to body shops, try brown brothers. You can buy it in aerosol form and then brush over the repairs with a two pack epoxy primer/filler, this would ensure complete prevention of further rust appearing again. When it is time to prepare the panel for final painting this can be sanded with wet or dry paper and then a spray coat of good quality primer before a final topcoat.
I wouldn't recommend spraying outside for a number of reasons - After looking at your van, it is clear you are trying to manage the rust, and are not just spraying for decorative purposes. In order to do this effectively, you need to ensure that no moisture, dust or foreign particles impregnate the final top coat of paint. The best way to do this is to paint in an oven, that provides a constant temp and protective environment. I appreciate you're trying to respray as cheaply as you can, but you could strike a deal with a garage to do all your own prep work and then let them spray it. Preparation is 90% of your work and good prep will ensure the best finish. Also buy the best possible paint you can afford because cheap paint looks cheap!
Good luck!

[Jonnyb416]

Paul what's your view on the 'paint your van for under £50'?

I am convinced it could be a very close match to spraying.

Why don't you roller it MM?

Jon.

[mm289]

Thanks for the replies team

I thought epoxy was waterproof but wasn't sure about acid etch - thanks for the Lechler reference boatbuilder - I have seen that recommended on other sites as well.

I like the idea of acid etch then putting a coat of epoxy on to protect it - then give everything a final sand before spraying.

Johnnyb - have read all the posts on rollering but not the direction I want to go in on this van. As it is an autosleeper I am trying to keep it as "factory" as possible. I have done a fair bit of work on classics/restoration previously but this is my first 'van so using it as a learning curve. That is also why I wanted to have a go at paint myself rather than sub out - although I take the point Paul about the challenges of painting outside!

The real pain is I have a 3 bay workshop with lift etc which I use for my other resto work, but the blooming van won't fit in - doh!

So, votes so far seem to be acid etch plus epoxy - any other thoughts?

When I come to final prep using stopper etc is there any issue with having epoxy underneath - not adverse reactions from putting celly on epoxy or using celly over acid etch? Would only want to be using quality products so was looking at U-pol, Lechler, PPG - also seen that Dintrol do a primer (RC900) that is a rust inhibitor and epoxy primer in one - anyone tried that?

cheers,

MM

[boatbuilder]

I wouldn't bother with the acid etch. I think the epoxy would give a better grip than acid etch. With epoxy you also don't have any issue with the acid etch eating into any underlying bits of paintwork and filler, causing strange reactions. You can even do your filler work on top of the epoxy, which you can't/shouldn't really do with any other type of paint.

[DavidPallister]

What state is the metalwork in around where the roof joins the van? It may be a better idea to remove the roof and get the van into your workshop to do all the repairs, then whop the roof back on afterwards?

Dave

[mm289]

What state is the metalwork in around where the roof joins the van? It may be a better idea to remove the roof and get the van into your workshop to do all the repairs, then whop the roof back on afterwards?

Dave

Yeh I did think about that. Trouble is the Autosleeper is all carpetted inside so getting the roof off would be a major exercise not just from the un-seal/re-seal pov but also all the interior trim.

That is why I had discounted it - but good lateral thinking

MM