Brush SPI Epoxy

O

Outlaw

What are the pros and cons of applying SPI Epoxy over welds with a brush opposed to spraying? Im thinking if there is no down side, it would be easier to brush epoxy over the welds before long strand filler, fiberglass, or duraglass.
 
I find that with brushing, multiple coats are needed. The brush strokes create thin lines in the epoxy from the bristles. Brushed epoxy will take longer to cure as well. I wouldn't put filler over it before 48 hours. Time will likely be the biggest factor.
 
only downside is the air is not kicking out solvents, so slower to day, figure an extra day before applying body filler for an example.
 
Great to know, thanks to both of you for replies. At least now I know I can do it. Unfortunately my "metal finishing" has not progressed to the no filler stage often talked about on this forum.
 
Those little white smooth foam rollers may also be worth a try. Possibly even lightly retouching when starting to tack to knock back down any high spots & fill any low. Hand application can also be done for small areas with your spray poly primers like g-2 or klaussin​.

Spot hand application probably not such a bad idea when you have the dry time available. throwing away a 4 " roller is quicker & cheaper than cleaning a gun out for 1 little spot when you plan on sanding it any ole way.
 
I use disposable foam brushes to get around a lot of the common complaints you get with a bristled brush. And then pitch when I'm done.
 
Lizer;n80859 said:
I use disposable foam brushes to get around a lot of the common complaints you get with a bristled brush. And then pitch when I'm done.
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I thought about using the foam rollers and wondered if the epoxy would melt them. Most of the foam brushes I've seen appear to be made of the same material so if they worked I think the rollers would also. The foam rollers work great with oil based paints because they set slow but you still have to move quick to even out the coat and end up with light strokes to pop any bubbles. Epoxy sets quicker but for small areas I think it would work ok.
I used to use the small Sureline short nap rollers but the quality went down and they pumped a lot of fuzz into the paint.
 
Im looking at some small 2" rollers from Lowes. I will let you know how it worked over weld seams.
 
Just wondering if anyone else has tried brushing or rolling epoxy on small spots recently. Getting ready to do a bit of customizing metal & welding, which a slow drying thick rough coat over a small area wouldn't matter much anyways.
 
I do it often, better than getting a gun dirty. For welded seams, I brush it on, making sure I have good coverage, then go on to do something else. When it cures sufficiently, I move on with whatever I was doing. Sometimes its not fully cured, and that doesnt affect my work. In the case of welding, I usually wait overnight before I put the temperature to it.
 
Im new at this, but it seems logical to me that brushing spi epoxy on weld seams and working it in is as good or better than using a water proof filler over a weld seam. By the time you spray two or three coats over a panel that has been welded and initially covered with a brushed first epoxy application, I wonder if another product is going to improve it any more. Am I wrong?
 
I know this is an older thread, but I had asked this same question about a year ago and never posted my results. I used the little foam rollers to roll on some epoxy on the bottom side of my truck. I wanted to roll vs spray, simply for ease of use, and I figured the extra product from a rolling application wouldnt hurt. When rolling I made sure to really work the roller after soaking it in the epoxy, mainly to reduce the drips and to try and get a nice even coat that wasnt gobbed on. During application I just barely had to hold the roller to the panel and I was able to get a nice even coat with no runs. The biggest challenge was the fact that the rollers came apart from the inside plastic hub, the foam itself never left any material in the primer though. The rollers kind of expanded as well, more than normal when say using regular latex house paint. But since alot of pressure isnt needed for paint transfer it still worked good. I ended up with roll on bedliner over the epoxy and it came out pretty good. Of course it would have been nice to spray base/clear on it to match, but on a 9 year old truck Im happy to be rust free and not have to worry as much about future road rash. With the careful masking I did you really dont notice it unless you are looking for it.
 
Thanks for sharing your results Sprint. What kind of bedliner did you use?"
 
Outlaw;n80756 said:
Great to know, thanks to both of you for replies. At least now I know I can do it. Unfortunately my "metal finishing" has not progressed to the no filler stage often talked about on this forum.
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For others that may be reading this thread. If your metal finishing leaves any slag in the weld seams, be sure to spot blast those area. Neither epoxy or anything else will stick to those little places with slag in them and it will sure come back to bite you.

John
 
Good point John! This is not an uncommon call on the tech line. (why did my epoxy come off my weld?)
 
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