Working with epoxy primers

[fl-mike]

Be careful with syringes. Medical ones have silicone grease on the rubber plunger. Caused me some grief with fisheyes until I identified the source.

[GPV]

Thanks everyone, lots of good insights and experience there.

I'm trying to avoid AKZO as it's hard to get here, zinc chromate is nasty and it's not the cheapest stuff. Hopefully the cheap zinc phosphate primers I am planning on using work sufficiently well. Got to be better than a rattle can at least right?

There are some chromate based primers available here made by a company called axalta, but they all seem to require alodining first. Not too keen to deal with that also.

Those mixing mates look great but I am not sure if they fit the litre sized tins we have here (although the size is close to 1qt). Fortunately the Eastwood does come in quarts so if I decide to use it the mixing mate will be a definite option. Otherwise I'll try syringes or small ladels.

Thanks for the help!

Greg

[GPV]

This is another product I found. It is suitable for use on aluminium boats below the waterline, so potentially has half decent corrosion protection. Only disadvantage I see is it has fairly thick coats which will add some weight.

https://altexboatpaint.com/frontend/...&productid=182

[jacoby]

Originally Posted by GPV

Those mixing mates look great but I am not sure if they fit the litre sized tins we have here (although the size is close to 1qt). Fortunately the Eastwood does come in quarts so if I decide to use it the mixing mate will be a definite option. Otherwise I'll try syringes or small ladels.

Here in the states a quart of paint runs about 1/3-1/2 the cost of a gallon. If you can get gallon-sized (4L? 3.8L?) you should come out ahead.

[Richard Connell]

Originally Posted by mulde35d

I highly recommend buying the "Mixing Mate". It is worth every penny since it replaces the lid, stirs the material and allows for precise pouring of the desired quantity. When done I simply put it on the shelf until the next use and keep the mixing mate on the can until the entire can of paint is gone. Then I clean it once and move it to the new can. Wonderful product to have especially since their is little to no wasted material. I don't know about you but I don't like wasting material in paper towels or rags cleaning up drips when this stuff costs hundreds of dollars per gallon.

100% agree with this. Ive had a pair of these on my epoxy primer tins for a few years. Works exactly as described above. Highly recommended.

[Richard Connell]

Originally Posted by GPV

Thanks everyone, lots of good insights and experience there.

I'm trying to avoid AKZO as it's hard to get here, zinc chromate is nasty and it's not the cheapest stuff. Hopefully the cheap zinc phosphate primers I am planning on using work sufficiently well. Got to be better than a rattle can at least right?

There are some chromate based primers available here made by a company called axalta, but they all seem to require alodining first. Not too keen to deal with that also.

Those mixing mates look great but I am not sure if they fit the litre sized tins we have here (although the size is close to 1qt). Fortunately the Eastwood does come in quarts so if I decide to use it the mixing mate will be a definite option. Otherwise I'll try syringes or small ladels.

Thanks for the help!

Greg

Hi Greg.
I see you are in QLD. If you decide on Akzo, Sea Air Land systems distributes Akzo products in Aus. They are in Eagle Farm. I have purchased a few times over the years from them hassle free.
http://www.seairland.com.au/
Cheers
Richard.

[GPV]

Originally Posted by Richard Connell

Hi Greg.
I see you are in QLD. If you decide on Akzo, Sea Air Land systems distributes Akzo products in Aus. They are in Eagle Farm. I have purchased a few times over the years from them hassle free.
http://www.seairland.com.au/
Cheers
Richard.

Legend, thanks so much for the contact, I will get in touch with them.

[F1Boss]

Is PPG brand not sold in Australia?

[maniago]

Akzo here and I use syringes as well. Good note on not using medical ones. Garden variety are cheap on amazon, and I use the rubber plunger ones until they get hard to plunge, then get another one - buy them by the bag full. Also my Akzo is from the start of my build, 5yrs ago, and still have plenty left and it works fine. Keep the lids on as everyone else has said. Sprayed some just a few weeks back with no issues.

[GPV]

I've been deliberating on the rattle can vs 2 pack epoxy based primer decision, and had nearly settled on rattle can until I performed a basic scratch and solvent test over the weekend.

For the test I sprayed some aluminium sheet with cheap 2k zinc phosphate based epoxy primer. The sheet was prepped with scotch brite and cleaned with acetone before spraying.

I already had a piece of similarly prepared sheet sprayed with a popular 1k rattle can zinc phosphate etch primer from a couple of months ago.

The difference in finish is obvious, with the 2k having the appearance of a semi gloss plastic and the etch primer being somewhat "powdery", for want of a better word.

After the 2k job was allowed to cure overnight I tried some scratch and solvent tests. While both products could be scratched with sharp metal implements, the 2k primer was completely resistant to being scratched with sharpened hard plastic. The 1k rattle can primer performed admirably, but was able to be scratched off in big wide strips leaving shiny metal behind. Even with sharp metal, far more pressure was required to completely penetrate the 2k coating.

I also tried rubbing with a couple of solvent (alcohol) soaked rags. The 1k rattle can rubbed off easily while the 2k epoxy was unaffected.

This is obviously far more stress than the coatings would usually be subjected to, but it gives some idea of how they may perform long-term or when wedged between vibrating parts.

All in all, the 2k epoxy seemed to provide a pretty impervious and resilient barrier while the rattle can stuff seemed only temporary.

I had high hopes for the rattle can as it is so convenient, but I reckon if you're going to all the effort of removing that nice alclad then you definitely want something as good as or better than the protection you are removing. I'm not so sure rattle can does that (this brand anyway). So I will be using some form of 2k epoxy primer or not priming at all. Still trying to make that decision!

Of course these are just my thoughts and your mileage and/or specific rattle can primer may vary.