I found three sprayable body fillers 1. Featherfill by evercoat 2. Slicksand by evercoat, slicksand kind of replaced featherfill as far popularity 3. Z-chrome by Clausen Sprayable body filler is also called, Polyester Primer Surfacer. Does any of the professionals out there have any opinions. When would you use any of theses products over the coventional spread on bondo. Thanks in advance.
I have used Z-chrome with very good results. It will not replace filler for major repairs,but after you body work is straight,about three coats over 80 grit scratches will give a good surface for primer. There will be very little shrinkage and gives good corrosion protection.
There's no way that could replace filler. If you have gotten your metal work in a "metal finished " state, and it looks so pretty you don't want to cover it up, couple coats of that should be good to block it out. Couple coats of that on top of the finished bodywork for blocking.
Either one is a great surfacer but I wouldn't go as far as calling it a dent filler. And... you can't beat the price!
Slicksand is very easy to surface. It sands really well and waaaayyy easier than the original Featherfill. Anything can be abused, but used in moderation it can go a long way to getting a nice flat surface. The bigger plus is that small things that may need a wisp of fill here and there, the basic Metal Glaze and regular fillers are completely compatible. In my use of the stuff over the last couple years, no shrinkage.
I would agree with most of the positive comments but would suggest that Feather Fill does shrink. If you have the time let it cure as long as possible like 7-10 days and you will see some of those deep scratches showing up. It sands nicer after a week or so as well. High build primers have kind of made spray fillers obsolete though. I think they still have their place for filling scratches in filler.
I remember years ago when we were doing my 37 P.U. (about 1978 ) and the guy doing the bodywork actually took 3M glazing putty and thinned it with acetone and sprayed it on as a final primer. Had the truck 3 years and it was mirror perfect ( and black ). When I painted my 29 this past June I used Martin Seynour high build primer, 2 coats, block, another coat, then a guide coat and block off the guide coat, 3 coats of color and 3 clear and I have absolutley no sand scratches showing through. I think the spray bondo and the high build primers are about the same thing with different names, this is from my experience but I am no painter or body man. Just happy with the results I was able to get, it just takes time.
U-POL's Reface is also one of the Poly Primers that work GREAT. 2 - 3 coats and then block sand this stuff down to 180 from 80 and you have a Super Flat base for a couple coats of U-POL UP2252 High Build Primer/Surfacer. These U-POL products are second to none. Give them a try. Do a google search. TCP Global and Autobody Tool Mart sell this stuff. Good Luck, VR&C.
I use to use Featherfill a lot, mostly on mc tanks and frames. It's no sub for good bodywork and/or bondo, but after your bodywork, this seals it down. Never had any issues with shrinkage, used it to fill 80 grit scratches, but let it cure for a while. Would use a regular primer over it, then sealer and topcoat. Can't speak about other products, but Featherfill was a bitch to sand!
I do resto and custom work for a living and used U-pol reface religiously on all jobs until I tried slick sand. I will unaabashedly tell you that IMO Reface is far superior, but as a shop owner, price wise and quality, I use slick sand mostly now. When I have a no budget, time and materials type job it gets U-pol, but for the budgets they get slick sand. I should also add that SLick sand can be shot through a 1.7 tip where as Reface can not. I have a special gun just for it that has a 2.5 tip. so don;t guy buying Reface if you don't have a garden hose to shoot it through. LOL
spies hecker makes one that is really really good, its expensive but wen u spray and sand it you can see where the extra money went
The down side to polyester primer surfacers over urethane primer surfacers is that they are not nearly as flexible and crack easily. Could never be used on a urethane bumper. They have there uses for locking down undercoats and filling sand scratches. They are not a replacement for bondo or urethane primer but can be used in addition. Some products sand easier than others and I personally like grey slicksand. Sherwin Williams has a polyester primer that I also use. I use a 3.0 air gunsa for shooting polyester.
i've had a few of my jobs done with spray fillers over the top of the appropriate epoxy etching primers and it was those jobs which semed to have the higher tendency to absorb moisture outa the air and eventually blister up...after usually a couple years out in the sun tho. tend to shy away from them now ,even though they allow great blocking..painters here would rather use 2-3 coats high build primer ,block and poss re-prime if necessary ,re-block then paint . my .02
This does not work. Period. Not negotiable. IT ALWAYS BLISTERS OFF moisture or not. Polyester primers are best over existing polyester fillers on BARE STEEL or just bare steel. The solvents in the poly fills will not get the "chemical bond" needed for adhesion when applied over epoxy or etching primer. I personally max out at 3 coats of Slicksand if it's deemed necessary to use it at all. By the time the surface is created and ready for conventional surfacer much of it is nearly transparent. Like I said before, anything can be abused, but when it's appropriate it's very hard to beat.
Never spray slick sand over etching primer. I have used it over a light epoxy (dp90) with good results, but spraying over an etching primer it will never bond. There is a chemical reaction between the etch and the activator in slick sand. Also, never add acetone to slick sand, it causes condensation when it hits metal at a different temp. It will rust under the finish. I always, no mater what the temp, put a splash of slow reducer in the mix to keep condensation from forming. .
he he sorry guys its been a long month...my painter said its epoxy urethane primer over bare metal then spray filler IF needed... round here we don't usually put filler onto the bare metal (cept maybe on the odd small sand through ) glad to see your awake tho!!
We're just redoing a 57 Chevy in the shop that had some type of polyester primer on it. We decided to strip the car back to bare metal and start from there. Here's a couple observations I made. First of all I can see where the crispness of some of the body lines can get lost using this product, and second, it can be easy to get too much film build. On several parts of the car we had to strip a fair ways to get down to the metal. Also as one poster has mentioned it's much more brittle than urethane type primers. What we use here is a high build tinted urethane primer.
We used primer surfacer quite a bit on restorations when I was contracting out to shops doing show quality paint and body work. Best to use after your initial body work, filler, and a sealer has been applied. The stuff blocks out REALLY nice if you know what your doing, but man is it a load of sanding and dust.
I'm always amazed at the idea that filler should not be applied over bare steel. Why? I can show you restorations that are up to 19yrs old, or older even, and no ill effects. Then again, I can show you some cars that had filler applied over epoxy and you can see a "ring" around some the filler's edges. Why is that? Well, there's solvents in filler (bondo for you who like coloquialisms). Those solvents will perk into the epoxy substrate and soften it over time. You don't detect it because it's buried. Then once enough time has passed that the surface is all blocked out and got it's lovely black or maroon or any other reasonbly dark finish on it, UV and heat from the sun brings that sin right out to the top. So you go back a wet sand the "ring" and make it go away, but there's now that shiver in the reflection. Or, just trust your instincts and don't do it. I've been told that water gets under the filler and will rust the metal. How? When? If that metal is getting wet, a ring around the filler is the least of your worries. Anything can be abused...
Losing the crispness of a body line is once again in the hands of the user, not the product. I don't think you'll find many cars with " crisper " lines then an Alfa GTV. I have done numerous GTV's using U-pol Reface and I wouldn't say my body lines were soft. Check my website. I'll also second the notion that this stuff is NO replacement for proper metal work and real filler. It's best applicartions IMO are filling sand scratches, and smoothing out gradual changes in large panels like roofs and hoods, NOT for actually filling dents.
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