Base coat over unreduced epoxy

A

Alanine

New Member
The convention seems to be to apply base coat over a coat of unreduced epoxy. Can it also be sprayed over unreduced epoxy which has been sanded and is still within the 7-day window?
 
Basecoat is probably more commonly applied over reduced epoxy vs unreduced epoxy if I were to make a guess, because reduced epoxy is frequently used as a sealer.

However I know many who also spray basecoat over sanded unreduced epoxy within the 7 day window, which is typically what I do. The only reason I’m sanding is to remove any imperfections. If it’s unreduced and perfect then no reason to sand.

PS. you must be an amino acid nerd.
 
Thanks! Yes, my reason to sand is because I'm not confident in my ability to get a smooth/trash-free finish with the sealer before base. Also, it gives me more time to get the base coat on. I am applying a metallic base coat, so my plan was to wet-sand the unreduced epoxy with 600 grit.

What would you say is the ideal time window to get the base onto the sanded unreduced epoxy? Presumably the chemical adhesion dimishes towards the end of the 7-day window?
 
If you sand a single coat, it's highly likely to have multiple sand-throughs unless you are doing texture reduction and nibbing only. Two is the minimum recommended for sanding.
 
crashtech said:
If you sand a single coat, it's highly likely to have multiple sand-throughs unless you are doing texture reduction and nibbing only. Two is the minimum recommended for sanding.
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Thanks - yes, I was planning on doing 2 coats of unreduced epoxy before sanding. Which grit range would you sand this with, to end up with a nice smooth 600-grit finish for base? Could I just run 600-grit (wet) over it? I guess it depends how well the unreduced epoxy laid down...
 
Alanine said:
Thanks - yes, I was planning on doing 2 coats of unreduced epoxy before sanding. Which grit range would you sand this with, to end up with a nice smooth 600-grit finish for base? Could I just run 600-grit (wet) over it? I guess it depends how well the unreduced epoxy laid down...
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Sometimes it's possible to briefly knock the tops of the texture off with something slightly coarser, like 320 or 400. This will save time and sandpaper, since the very top shiny layer of epoxy tends to load fine sandpaper. You have to be careful, though, and stay away from edges and body lines.
 
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