Polyester spray filler

[Concrete-crusher]

I have decided to repaint my elan and am rubbing back to gel coat or in some places to the glass fibre to tackle stress cracks

I have seen a spray filler mentioned on some threads Upol Reface, what's the experience of this

I would like to know, how much to expect to use for a complete car, what tip size to use, can I spray wearing just a carbon filter mask?

Do you then apply primer and finally top coat, I'm going to use cellulose

Steve

[Grizzly]

Ideally you need to apply it with an old gun (i use quite a big 1.6 fluid tip) and you can't let it stand in the gun too long as it becomes a nightmare to remove once it starts to set. Reface is also quite heat sensitive pre-activation, i suggest you bring it in the house and put it some where warm for a couple of days before use, if you activate it cold it will be VERY thick.

As for mask, i use one of these for Primer https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-Medium-Du ... SwlR9cZard you might want to get some goggles too especially if you wear glasses.

One thing to take into account with Reface is it absorbs moisture so you need to flat it dry and seal it with a less porous primer over the top, don't have it sat for weeks in reface without sealing it because you will be asking for trouble....... Flat it dry and have a hoover on hand as it does produce quite fine dust that gets everywhere if not managed.

I haven't used it for a while but it doesn't tend to go along way, i try to put two nice wet coats on as anymore you start to loose sharp bodylines........ from memory to give you an idea how far it goes the last time i used it was on a Daytona Cobra replica body and that used about 1 1/2 liters (i didn't exactly bury it in the stuff). Obviously it's more like Body filler than paint so you don't have to let it flash between coats and it will still go off the same even if you pour it on (it does roll on quite well for smaller area's) as long as what ever you put it on is degreased and dust free it will stick really well.

Reface isn't a substitute for grinding out cracks and re-glassing (it is just a super high build primer) in a perfect world your repairs shouldn't need the extra build of reface to de-wobble, i tend to use it on cars i feel need the extra blocking.It's also handy if you want a barrier coat as it doesn't get attacked by solvents like allot of other high build primers which makes it very Cellulose friendly.

[Concrete-crusher]

Here's an update and request for more advice. I have now sanded back to gel coat, or matting where there were stress cracks, used epoxy and tissue then after another sand back applied Upol Reface I used a litre on just these 3 items so I expect a total of 4 or 5 litres for the whole car.

My first picture shows the result on a couple of bonnets and the boot. If you look closer there are quite a few pin holes. I did use panel wipe, a 2.5mm gun and 45psi pressure. What's most likely the cause? Then what's the best stopper to use and should I proceed to primer or apply more reface?

Thanks Steve

[nmauduit]

pin holes are a serious issue if you want a quality result... my guess is they're likely to appear in particular where the gelcoat has been sanded off: tiny bubbles within the fiberglass below some are left opened by the sanding. One danger is the smaller ones, barely visible but likely to trap water or comtaminants that will later come back at the finish with a vengeance. I prefer addressing this issue as early as possible in the process, that is before appying sealer or spray filler (depending on the size of the area of concern, manually applying very thin polyester filler that can be pushed in, or fiberglass veil with polyester resin). Last resort is filling the bubbles with paint in the end and buffing out, if the number is limited (easier if it's not a clear coated paint).

[Grizzly]

Yes the eternal pin hole struggle........

Don't try and bury them as one of two things will happen, either you will succeed in covering them and will break back through when blocking or you will create an imperfection so deep it means you have to block it all back off to get rid of the low spot.

Pin hole spotting is never easy or fun, you should be using a guide coat and it would have picked those up...... i suggest pre primer you use a dry guide coat and scuff it back off with some thing fairly light (320 would be fine), once you have the pin holes blow them out really well then blade in some 1k stopper (put the minimum in you can so it goes off fast and revisit rather than trying to load it up in one sitting).

With the pin holes you have post primer i suggest you flat as normal (ignore them) then before you seal the Reface guide coat it, go over with a light grade paper dry and repair the pin holes....... This way isn't ideal but you might have to block it almost through to get rid of the low spots anyway.

Regarding the guide coat, you can use cheap black aerosols but i suggest you buy a dry guide coat (it looks like carbon powder with a sponge applicator https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dry-guide-co ... SwYUBa3aOn) don't be shy with the Guide coat

BTW don't forget to have a shop Vac handy when blocking as Reface dust is not nice stuff.

[Concrete-crusher]

Thanks guide coat and cellulose stopper on order

I did try filling the pin holes with 2k filler and light primer coat, to be fair you can't now see them, but I will also try the guide coat

Steve