Epoxy and cold shop

B

bmenard

Member
I am about to start stripping my 55 chevy 4 door (mostly original paint) and as all of us are aware winter is fast approaching. I am in Maine, and do have heat in the shop but to get metal temps of 65, to keep the shop at 75 for days at a time in the really cold weather is hard. Also I only have time to do a small section of stripping and repair at a time, is there any other product to go over the bare metal that can work? i really want to epoxy this but I may have to use other 2k primers that I have had good results with in the past. What would be the best way to proceed?
 
Try JC's electric blanket trick maybe. Or a heat lamp. Even urethane primers slow way down when the temps drop. I keep the thermostat on 60-65* and usually it jumps 10* when I'm working with all the lights, TV, compressor running.
 
For under $200 you can get a salamander Kero heater and they will preheat a garage to 85 in no time to get the metal right, ten shut off and when cleared up run it for a few hours.

Epoxy is nothing to screw with in the cold, other then that revert to those primers you were talking about.
 
Well the shop has a furnace and I own two big salamanders, I guess I just don't understand how long the epoxy needs to be above a certain temp. The way it sounds is like it will all peel off if it isn't at 70 degrees for weeks or months after application. With all the dire warnings about cold, i am just a little apprehensive. If I knew to keep it at X temp for X long I could make it happen, as long as it wasn't weeks or something.
 
Oh man. So looks like I need to wait till after the winter to prime my car?
 
If you can't keep the actual metal temperature, using a non-contact thermometer, above 65° for at least 72 hours after spraying, don't use the epoxy.

In fact, it's not good to use catalyzed coatings of any kind in a shop that is not constantly climate controlled above 55° at all times, imo.

Letting the coatings get cold is just begging for trapped solvents, delayed/defective cures, etc. This is not unique to SPI products! They just happen to be more honest about the requirements, because they want you to succeed.
 
Oy. The weather is starting to get cold here in Mass. Looks like I either need to get cranking or just wait it out. :eek:/ Probably have to wait it out. I should be ok if I media blast during the winter months and the prime come the spring, right. As long as the car stays dry I shouldn't need to worry about new rust forming.
 
bmenard;24518 said:
Well the shop has a furnace and I own two big salamanders, I guess I just don't understand how long the epoxy needs to be above a certain temp. The way it sounds is like it will all peel off if it isn't at 70 degrees for weeks or months after application. With all the dire warnings about cold, i am just a little apprehensive. If I knew to keep it at X temp for X long I could make it happen, as long as it wasn't weeks or something.
Click to expand...

Bring metal temp up to 70, shut off heat. Spray coat of epoxy and give 30 minutes flash, don't worry the temp is dropping at this time.
When done and aired out, set heat to 70 (air) for 24 hours and you are good to go.
 
Barry, or Bob does the same thing apply for epoxy mixed 1:1:1 as a sealer too. Im wanting to finish my truck this friday and sat. and the weatherman is saying it will be 60-65 degrees around here, just wondering what procedures I should do for the clear as well. I was hoping to have this thing done in the middle of summer so ordered slow activator and reducer. Now im slightly concerned.
 
Barry will correct me if I'm wrong but what I've found with it mixed as a sealer and put on thin it does cure quicker IMO, full cure time might be the same. You can get it done in those temps with the slow clear activator but the time between coats will be extended. Strive to put the clear on thin but wet and let it tack up well between coats. If it goes on thick with each coat there will be more of a chance of runs with the slow activator.
 
I think 60-65 will work, metal temp is key and maybe 30 minutes in sun to raise the temp, can only help and allow a little extra flash time.
 
I see "let it sit in the sun" a lot in these forums. In reality, only part of the project would be in the sun for part of the day. Say a typical garage has trees around it and the drive way only gets sun for a couple hours a day and only from one side. Now let's say I'm painting a car. I can roll it out in the drive and some of the roof and passenger side would get some sun. Would that mean the drivers side won't harden up? Rotating the car to get the sun all over it isn't an option for A lot of people.
Does "sitting in the sun" help in other ways by letting the solvents escape from the rest of the car not hit by the sun?
Thanks.
Danford1
 
I used it straight all winter long in an enclosed garage in the low to mid 60's with cure times about a day longer than normal. I know it's cured when it dusts when I sand... If it won't sand I wait a little longer.
 
I'm running into this issue now. Garage is about 65. Most of the metal is only reaching 55. Got the heat cranked all night. Well see how it goes. Its radiant heat so it takes a little longer sometimes.
 
danford1;24644 said:
I see "let it sit in the sun" a lot in these forums. In reality, only part of the project would be in the sun for part of the day. Say a typical garage has trees around it and the drive way only gets sun for a couple hours a day and only from one side. Now let's say I'm painting a car. I can roll it out in the drive and some of the roof and passenger side would get some sun. Would that mean the drivers side won't harden up? Rotating the car to get the sun all over it isn't an option for A lot of people.
Does "sitting in the sun" help in other ways by letting the solvents escape from the rest of the car not hit by the sun?
Thanks.
Danford1
Click to expand...
You are right in your thinking about the sides but with most paint jobs the flat surfaces have a heavier build of paint and the sides usually case very few problems.
Now fighting a cold garage for the do it at home people, if it is 50 degrees out and sunny, the bare metal will heat up to the 70's and higher real fast, then if gray epoxy is put back in the sun the metal may get in the 80's-90's to bake it off, black will get in the 90's or higher.
Going back to a fresh paint job, a day or two in the sun before wet-sanding will really help a lot to level the paint.
I have always believed one day in the sun is worth 7-10 days in a shop and I really believe the correct answer is more like 15-20 days, if full sun but just a theory on my end.
 
Barry;33393 said:
You are right in your thinking about the sides but with most paint jobs the flat surfaces have a heavier build of paint and the sides usually case very few problems.
Now fighting a cold garage for the do it at home people, if it is 50 degrees out and sunny, the bare metal will heat up to the 70's and higher real fast, then if gray epoxy is put back in the sun the metal may get in the 80's-90's to bake it off, black will get in the 90's or higher.
Going back to a fresh paint job, a day or two in the sun before wet-sanding will really help a lot to level the paint.
I have always believed one day in the sun is worth 7-10 days in a shop and I really believe the correct answer is more like 15-20 days, if full sun but just a theory on my end.
Click to expand...

So would the 24 hours at 70+ degrees not be required if set in the sun for a day?
 
I don't know of any shops around herw that keep their shops at 75 degrees constant during the winter.

I sprayed some epoxy 3 days ago. Kept the garage at 70-72. I shot some g2 poly last night and I'm sanding now. Everythong seems ok. But damn is this stressful.

I know my boss will not put our shop above 65. So metal temps are obviously lower. I have a heated booth but I can't run it for 24 hours. Lol.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't know of any shops around herw that keep their shops at 75 degrees constant during the winter.

I sprayed some epoxy 3 days ago. Kept the garage at 70-72. I shot some g2 poly last night and I'm sanding now. Everythong seems ok. But damn is this stressful.

I know my boss will not put our shop above 65. So metal temps are obviously lower. I have a heated booth but I can't run it for 24 hours. Lol.
 
This is just me, but I would just flat out not use epoxy in any conditions where the surface might fall below 60° for the first 7 days or so. You might get away with it a lot of times, but the one time you don't will leave you wishing you never had.

Maybe this is why self-etch is still on the books at the majors... too many cold shops.
 
This is just me, but I would just flat out not use epoxy in any conditions where the surface might fall below 59° for the first 7 days or so. You might get away with it a lot of times, but the one time you don't will leave you wishing you never had.

Maybe this is why self-etch is still on the books at the majors... too many cold shops.
 
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