The AWLGRIP Knowledge challenge

DAMMIT,,,,,again ,,geesh,,,,ya what he said,,hehe
you can keep in fridge set to COLDEST for a week,, but after that,, go to post before this 1 hehe
and another trick is after it WARMS up, to add to new stuff,, but again,, i wouldnt use it on my hull

 

Hey

Yeah TRUST ME I have no plans to use on the hull but hated like hell the thought of throwing it away. So I just had to try something.

 

what color car ya got?
i had a black dodge avenger, black,,with handprints all OVER IT,, IN every COLOR I PAINTED ,, hehe

 

post update

Here's a few pic's from the finished product. Not that the project is finished, mind you just the paint. (except the hard top, which is underway).

There's more in my gallery, although they're all over the place (keyword awlgrip). I think the best way is to go to my profile and look at my pics


Thanks

 

F'n nice!!! ,,, dont ya just LOVE it when the reflections look as good as the real deal,,,,,PROUD of ya man,,, great work!

 

---Done good--

 

Wow

Thanks Boyz, And think that only took a F_____cken year.

Looking to revisit our discussions on aluminum prep. the hardtop is alum and was originally finished with auto paint, but seems to be prepped properly. At least it would appear so, there is a green primer/alum anti-corrosion? first then a Grey prime coat then the top coat. It has held up rather well over the years but suffered some surface corrosion due too contact with dissimilar metals or scratches.

My question is, (I know I've asked before) can i get away with not using the pricey anti-corrosion stuff. About 10 percent of the underside and 4 percent of the top has been sanded down to bare metal all in small spots.

Any short cuts, secrets, spells prayers etc.........

 

ultra high build, high build, then primer, then paint,,,,,BUT,,, take a cup of primer, and do a spot test,, see if the primer sticks,, if it does,, id just use that,, but dont wait longer then 24 hours after sanding to paint,, or if its "dew'y" or humid, try to sand in morning, then paint that day. and really get some deep scratch's,, use 36 grit to sand.

 

You really have to do something to the bare aluminum first or anything you put over it will not adhere, as least not for long. There are several choices.

First, there are the 'etching' primers like DuPont 615/616S Variprime. It sticks OK but is not a marine system and so really not recommended below the waterline. It is very easy to use and as a lacquer type product can be recoated at any time. It is not a catalyzed product; the two separate parts simply keep the base and the acid reducer apart so the acid won't degrade the product before use.

Awl-Grip (and Sterling and all the others) make a 'wash' primer that also etches and is pretty tough and fairly long lasting. It has some strict recoat times that have to be followed or else nothing sticks to it but other than that it is relatively easy to use and reliable, though does not provide the best corrosion resistance/long-term paint adhesion (these are really the same thing). These are catalyzed coatings and have a fairly short pot life.

Then there's Alodine (chromate conversion), the standard high-performance system. It works well, providing lasting adhesion and corrosion resistance, but most DIY people find it cumbersome to use. It's also very illegal to spill any of it on the ground ANYWHERE, as it is a persistent groundwater pollutant containing toxic heavy metal salts. This goes for your rinse water as well. Alodine changes the surface of the aluminum so that ANY primer system will stick. A corrosion-resistant epoxy primer (like Mil Spec) is the usual choice right over the converted aluminum. 'Mil Spec' used here refers to Mil-P-23377, polyamide cured epoxy primer containing strontium chromate.

Then there's the new kid on the block, Prekote from Pantheon Chemicals. It works well providing outstanding adhesion, is very easy to use and NON-toxic. It has received a special letter of recommendation from the US EPA for its non-toxic status. Like Alodine, it changes the surface of the aluminum making any primer stick, though in a completely different way. It has a shorter recoat window than Alodine (1 day vs 5 days) but is very easy to apply and re-apply if necessary. In accelerated life tests, it shows outstanding long-term paint adhesion and corrosion resistance when used with a high-performance primer system like Mil-Spec.

We have begun using this product and like it very much. It also has the unusual ability to make paint or primer adhere to coatings that are cured hard and even substrates that are difficult to adhere, like olefin plastics, without any 'real' sanding, just scuffing with red scuff pads. I recently used it over cured new gelcoat without sanding, only scuffing with outstanding results. It works on any metal, too, not just aluminum.

I started a thread on this product a while back as we were considering changing over to it at my company and wanted some feedback before we took the plunge. Now that we have plunged, we've committed to the switch and no longer use Alodine.

Jimbo

 

Alum Prep

Hey Jimbo, Yeah I read that thread on Prekote, sounds too good to be true.

Do you know of any distributors where I can pick some up? what the cost like?

Thanks

 

We've been getting our from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty. It costs about $225.00 for a 5 gallon pail. No it's not the cheapest stuff around, but then you don't really have to use it like they show you in their video. Instead you can use your own low-cost surface cleaner (we use Tide laundry soap) rather than using the Prekote product as a surface cleaner and then apply the Prekote as the last step and rinse. Used that way it goes a long way and is economical in use.

If you're not already dealing with Aircraft Spruce on other items, this will be a good chance to get acquainted, as they are a great resource. For instance you can get standing rigging wire from them at the lowest prices anywhere by the foot, and their wire is US sourced and completely traceable (with documentation), certified for aviation use. Ditto for all of their hardware and stock.

Many marine suppliers have quietly switched to Asian sources for their wire and yet they still charge as if it were US sourced. If they don't mind putting melamine in their domestic baby food, imagine how they feel about exported wire for rich American's sailboats and airplanes)

Jimbo

 

Dude - think powder coating

 

We have a partner business that powder coats with GEMA and Nordson applicators and a 8 X 8 X 16 oven, so I'm very familiar with powder coating's strengths and limitations. I hope you're not seriously suggesting that powder coating can replace all liquid paint applications, such as the high-performance polyurethanes that are the subject of this thread. No, you wouldn't be suggesting that because that would be really silly. (Now you could post that suggestion on the 'Boat Jokes' thread to add to the hilarity over there ) But over in here, we like our paint

Jimbo

 

that comment might even get me going,,,,,,,,,,,,and we really,,REALLY dont want that,, i promised Gradyz i'd be nice hehe

 

Just Paint

Thanks Much for keeping to your promise,

And yeah, I agree with Jimbo, powder coating really not an option.




Jimbo, I did order a gal of prekote form a company called avail (a link on the manufacturers web site) $46.00 not too bad

Will talk later about application techniques.