Protecting Bare metal

[MyCreation68]

So I contacted a blaster about getting my dart blasted and they want about 500-600 bucks to do the inner fenders, firewall, undercarriage, floor pans, trunk pan, etc. not including the body or a protective coating. I'm thinking I'll just spray the whole bit myself with weld-through primer so I can get started on my custom work. Then after having completed everything I can do getting everything blasted again to remove any and all rust that comes back or forms and doing a proper epoxy coating and then starting on my bodywork, Does this sound like a good plan? and where would I find a weldthrough primer in a can?

[sunsetdart]

You may try a local parts house for the weld thru primer, but I got some from Eastwood, they sell 2 different kinds. I hope you also know that it won't stick to rust, so the metal must be clean.
   Why not go with just a regular primer until you are ready to do some welding, just to keep the rust away. Regular primer is way cheaper then weldable primer.

[eldubb440]

save yourself from doing things twice.......coat the car with 2 coats epoxy primer.........clean and  use weld thru only where you are welding

[MoPar_or _NoCar]

save yourself from doing things twice.......coat the car with 2 coats epoxy primer.........clean and  use weld thru only where you are welding

  Baxter auto parts for $12 a can. 

[MyCreation68]

Is eastwood rust encapsulator an epoxy primer? I have no idea what I'm going to be looking for and what I need to do to the epoxy coating to make it sprayable from the 1.4mm nozzle spray gun I have.

[sunsetdart]

Rust encapsulator is NOT an epoxy primer. It's just a primer, works well, but not like an epoxy.
   Check out you local body shop supply, they have lots of different makes of epoxy and can help you with the one that will spray thru the nozzles you have. I would also recommend if you start with say Dupont epoxy, then use Dupont all the way to the end. By that I mean, use the same manufacturer of primer, topcoat, and clearcoat. Have had problems coating one manufacturer with a different. They all are not the same, and over time , you may have problems, especially after the car gets sitting in the sun.

[doug 371]

if u go to cloverdale paint they have an epoxy called clovaprime 21...it is industrial epoxy...very reasonably priced compared to automotive epoxy...ive topcoated it with auto paints with no trouble and have even reduced it and used it as a sealer...smells exactly same as dupont dtm epoxy...

[MyCreation68]

Now see thats what I had asked the blaster about and he said he didn't want to spray his industrial epoxy on the car because it might not jive with the rest of the paint.

[eldubb440]

think about it.......most paints and primers are made to go over an existing finish, as long as its "sound".  not every paint job starts as bare metal............i wouldnt hesitate to put a coat of his epoxy over the bare steel to "hold" it for you till its time for body work........you will be sanding most of it off anyway in the process of straightening your car.......what you leave on the car will be "sound" and sanded; it all gets buried with epoxy/filler primer anyway.

[rjsjea]

think about it.......most paints and primers are made to go over an existing finish, as long as its "sound".  not every paint job starts as bare metal............i wouldnt hesitate to put a coat of his epoxy over the bare steel to "hold" it for you till its time for body work........you will be sanding most of it off anyway in the process of straightening your car.......what you leave on the car will be "sound" and sanded; it all gets buried with epoxy/filler primer anyway.

I do agree w/ ya eldubb, it will PROBABLY be fine.  I just wouldnt risk it.  Use an automotive epoxy primer for bare metal......"industrial" sound like farm equipment grade, where how it lays down really doesn't matter. 

The level of car he is planning on w/ custom suspension etc.....needs to have a good finish.  Like puttin ketchup on a filet mignon steak

[eldubb440]

think about it.......most paints and primers are made to go over an existing finish, as long as its "sound".  not every paint job starts as bare metal............i wouldnt hesitate to put a coat of his epoxy over the bare steel to "hold" it for you till its time for body work........you will be sanding most of it off anyway in the process of straightening your car.......what you leave on the car will be "sound" and sanded; it all gets buried with epoxy/filler primer anyway.

I do agree w/ ya eldubb, it will PROBABLY be fine.  I just wouldnt risk it.  Use an automotive epoxy primer for bare metal......"industrial" sound like farm equipment grade, where how it lays down really doesn't matter. 

The level of car he is planning on w/ custom suspension etc.....needs to have a good finish.  Like puttin ketchup on a filet mignon steak

and i agree with all that.......i was assuming it would be a comperable epoxy to what im familiar with;  with an activator......... i blast my own work, so i have the luxury of bringin it riite in and primin it.  id hate to have to transport a fresh blasted car, and have to wait any length of time before coating it.......why cant the guy just spray the automotive primer on the car if he is supplied with it?..or at least a coat of etching primer? it dont sound too complicated to me 

[MyCreation68]

I'll call back and ask, I just didn't think of it at the time.

[signet]

just like to mention nothing sticks to weld-thru zinc primer.

maybe get the wife or girlfriend to read the directions on the epoxy for ya   

take care

[MyCreation68]

how much primer do you guys think I'll nee to do the floors and undercarriage? I think I'll have to over up some from Eastwood and want to have it before I take the car to be blasted.

[doug 371]

how much primer do you guys think I'll nee to do the floors and undercarriage? I think I'll have to over up some from Eastwood and want to have it before I take the car to be blasted.

i would just go buy 1 quart dtm $55...1 quart dtm activater $55...2 to 1 mix...it will spray fine through ur 1.4 tip...then u will have enough activater for another quart...comes in 1-7 for color...1 is white, gets darker grey from there to 7 is dark grey...this is a dupont product available at ur local paint supplier

[eldubb440]

suks to run out..........id get a couple quarts at least.......personnaly, i like gallons

[68_Val_Sedan]

 

yep ... get a gallon of primer and enough activator for the gallon.  you will save money over buyign it in quarts and believe me you will use the primer up ...