FNG here. I have some questions on surface prep and sequence of product application. I bought an antique safe from the 1890's. It was in pretty rough shape...rusting with lots of pits and it's panels are "kind of" straight. 1890's safe construction was definitely not perfect but it's lasted 130 years.

Photo here: https://i.imgur.com/a6n6xal.jpg

I'd like it to look better than new when I'm done with it. I have a buddy who paints at a dealership and said he'd BC/CC for me when I'm done with the filler work. Here is what I have done so far:

1) Sandblasted the safe in its entirety
2) Applied 2 coats of epoxy primer. This stuff (ridicule me later ): https://www.eastwood.com/ew-2k-aerosol- ... 26898.html
3) I'm currently in the body filler stage. I'm using evercoat rage ultra. I am also using guide coat and a couple different blocks to get it as flat as possible.

Looking pretty good and flat: https://imgur.com/vPdi0CR

I am getting some pinholes in the filler and I a have also sanded through the epoxy primer to bare metal on the high spots.

My questions are:

1) Should I use a glaze, such as evercoat 425, as a skim coat to fill the pinholes? Then sand with...220?
2) Should I hit the bare metal spots with epoxy primer before putting the glaze over it?
3) What comes next after the filler is flat? Glaze? Poly primer? Urethane primer? All of the aforementioned?
4) At what stage should I leave it and take it to my buddy? When its ready for primer or BC/CC?

Fill the pits with any of the catalyzed glazes, Evercoat, Icing, etc. You don't need to re-epoxy, as the pits have epoxy in them already. When finished, I would do one coat of epoxy, followed by a couple-3 coats of hi build primer. When that is guide coated and blocked with 4 or 500 grit, it is ready for paint.

cool project ! i would fill the pits as long as they aren't real deep. next shoot a couple wet coats of high build then guide coat and block with 180. then shoot a couple more coats of high build and contact your painter and see what HE wants you to do from there. personally i would leave it as is and do the final blocking at his place.
Jay D.

Thanks for the replies. Would you use this:

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-high- ... -gray.html

or this

https://www.eastwood.com/2k-aerospraytm ... black.html

or this

https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-2k-ae ... facer.html

The pits in the metal will be completely covered with body filler. The pin holes in the body filler I assume will be filled with glaze right? On the areas where I sanded through the epoxy primer down to bare metal, do I need to hit those with more epoxy primer before I put glaze on?

you'd be a lot better off if you would load the thing up and take it to your friend and see if he can't shoot some filler primer on it, maybe when he's spraying something else. then you can sand it. if there are other defects have him look at them and tell you what to do next. slip him a 100.00 bucks, might be cheaper than screwing around with those expensive shaker cans.
Jay D.

I wish it were that easy. Its 1,600 lbs. No wheels at the moment as those are getting restored/repaired so its sitting on blocks. Was hoping to spray something in my garage so when I take it to him it's ready for him to paint. The thought of shuffling this thing back and forth from home to body shop and back several times is exhausting.

you can't take it down after you get the wheels on it and have him primer it the roll it back in a corner or somewhere out of the way until you can get to it.
Jay D.

joshp14 wrote:I wish it were that easy. Its 1,600 lbs. No wheels at the moment as those are getting restored/repaired so its sitting on blocks. Was hoping to spray something in my garage so when I take it to him it's ready for him to paint. The thought of shuffling this thing back and forth from home to body shop and back several times is exhausting.

Give Jay's advice some serious thought, it should only take one shot (could be more) if it is close - but you are going to get nickled and dimed to death with Eastwood.

A HB primer or a sprayable poly filler is the way to go if you can. You have to get it to him anyways.

Thanks for the replies. I'll plan on getting it to him for the primer and I'll have to figure out a way to block it at the shop.