Using epoxy primer - I seem a bit lost on this

General Discussion. Make yourself at home...read, ask and answer!



Non-Lurker
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 11:22 am

Country:
Canada
PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 3:57 pm
I want to do some minor indoor spraying of 2K epoxy primer. I would like to primer the backside of some new panels and patch pieces and the mating areas on a couple of cars with epoxy primer as I move from piece to piece over a period of months. Each time it will only be seconds to a few minutes of spraying. It's far too cold and wet here to consider doing any of it outdoors until the spring/summer. I understand how dangerous isocyanate fumes can be. Have a few questions:

1. I know a proper supplied air pump and full face respirator is the thing to do, but for the minor amount I'll be doing, can an oil-less compressor with suitable filter(s) work? It's hard to justify $500+ for a pump and I have an oil-less pancake compressor that would work..

2. For short bursts of primer, is it a problem for isocyanate molecules migrating into the house or the suite above the garage? I built the house and the garage and I sealed the heck out of all the openings in the drywall in the garage. Even then, the tenant (my SIL) can on rare occasion catch a faint whiff of rattle can spray or welding & grinding odors. Could I spray a little epoxy and then move the part (s) to the other half of the garage then throw the overhead door open and open a window on the opposite end and vent the space? The garage is about 1800 sq. ft and is divided into 3 areas with a gasketted door into each area.

3. I have some ordinary weld-through primer but have read a lot of folks saying it isn't all that great and epoxy primer is much better for use with plug welds. Some areas I will spot weld (rockers, for ex.) and will need to use weld-through primer tho. What about a weld-through etch primer like Medallion instead? What about forgetting using epoxy primer altogether for areas where sheet metal will get welded together and using a weld-through primer instead?

4. The new outer rocker panels I have came with an EDP coating. I will probably use a cavity wax in the rocker panels when it's all back together. If I use a weld-through primer (like the Medallion) on the inner rockers, is that good enough along with cavity wax?

5. What about perhaps just painting on small amounts of epoxy primer along seams that will be welded together with a brush? Would I just mix up a small container of epoxy in the same ratio as would be sprayed?

6. What about saying eff it and getting a body shop to spray on epoxy? Would they even do small stuff a bit at a time? Pardon my ignorance, but do they even use epoxy primer here (Canada) anymore with the new environmental regs?

The thought of inhaling a single molecule of isocyanate or getting any on exposed skin or eyes scares the poo out of me. Have enough health issues as it is including prostate cancer and I don't need to get sensitized and die from an asthma attack. Figuring out how to weld sheet metal and do some metal forming is one thing, but this epoxy stuff has me kinda lost despite searching all over the internet. :(

Someone I know said that it's nice to want to do the best possible job but by the time I'm dead and gone nothing will have rusted through anyway. Maybe he has a good point! :)

Thx.
Gil
Langley, BC



Top Contributor
Posts: 6738
Joined: Tue May 19, 2009 7:10 pm
Location: OREGON COAST
PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2016 4:59 pm
i'm not sure what these panels are but you could probably save your self a lot of problems buy just brushing or rolling the epoxy on. its a very effective way to do interior panels such as door skins and patch panels. you'll want to keep it away from any place your going to weld, use your weld through primer there. hard wire doesn't like epoxy. as far as ISOS I'm no chemists but I don't believe most epoxies have any ISOS like a 2 stage urethane. the best way to check would be the MSDS sheet. your last sentence says it all .
Jay D.
they say my name is Jay

Return to Body and Paint

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], JCCLARK, rushorwell and 124 guests