First time SPI user, epoxy, filler, & poly question

B

BradNes1

Hi guys, I just ordered my first batch of SPI epoxy after reading all of the good reviews. I have the body of my car stripped and was wanting to do my filler work over epoxy. I am having a little trouble figuring out how you guys put your filler over your epoxy and then block it down without going through the epoxy. I will undoubtedly need more than 1 application of filler and I didn't figure you guys are spraying a new round of epoxy every time you do another coat of filler (filler/epoxy sandwich). Please set me straight on the best way to approach this. My initial plan was to spray epoxy, wait 24 hours, and spray the car in polyester primer (it's going to need some serious blocking). I figured the first slight blocking on the polyester would show me where I will need some filler and I could just do my filler over the poly, thus having some material as a buffer between the filler and epoxy when blocking and preventing breaking through the epoxy. Let me know if I'm way off base here.

Brad
 
I had the same question this a few months ago. At the end of the day you don't not break through the epoxy. When you hit metal stop and move to the next area. When you are done mix up a small batch of epoxy and just spot spray the bare spots and the next morning apply more filler.
 
Best way for body filler is let epoxy set overnight and then up to 7 days, don't sand, just spread your two part glaze or filler where needed. After 7 day hit epoxy BY HAND with 180 real quick and blow off and spread your filler.

RE: Polyester primer, let epoxy cure 2 full nights and then spray without sanding up to seven days.
 
Are there any cons to applying filler (on metal or fiberglass) BEFORE shooting the hole car with epoxy? For me, its more efficient to get the contours and panels where they need to be before spraying anything. I've done 3 fiberglass and 1 metal car this way. Maybe people spray metal cars with epoxy first to eliminate the chance of rust forming while they're doing the bodywork.(?) Not an issue with corvettes.
 
So is the filler over the poly primer a no go then? One of the reasons I would prefer the filler over the poly primer is it will allow me to get the whole car in poly primer within the recoat window of the first round of epoxy. If I need to do the filler over the epoxy I will be out of the epoxy re-coat window before I'm ready to spray the poly primer. This would mean I would need to coat the whole car in another round of epoxy before I shoot the poly. Being a weekend warrior I would rather eliminate as many spray sessions as possible.
 
Poly primer is always after the filler, it is useless underneath. It's a thicker primer that builds and serves to do some final block sanding before the final primer steps.
 
ksungela;n85299 said:
Are there any cons to applying filler (on metal or fiberglass) BEFORE shooting the hole car with epoxy? For me, its more efficient to get the contours and panels where they need to be before spraying anything. I've done 3 fiberglass and 1 metal car this way. Maybe people spray metal cars with epoxy first to eliminate the chance of rust forming while they're doing the bodywork.(?) Not an issue with corvettes.
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Id like to get a professional opinion on this as well. Most of my body panels are AMD and have the coating on them. I have tested them by using thinner on a rag
and rubbing in a circular motion and it held up. I was planning on doing my initial filler work from panel to panel and getting the major work done. Then I was planning on sealing out the entire body with the epoxy, waiting 48 hrs or more and shooting the entire body with a poly primer (All-U-Need or Rust Defender).
I know that both of those primers are suppose to act as a all in one product and no other epoxy or primer needed but I am just using as a filler.
 
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