Technical PPG 2050 high build epoxy review

I’ve heard good stuff about this product. Wanted to try it. Not cheap but name brand epoxy isn’t cheap anyway.
It’s a high build, direct to metal epoxy primer.

it’s from the Vibrance line.

 

Has a nice glossy finish (for a primer)


A little grainy. I didn’t fully reduce.
I will next time. It’s thick. My 1.8 gun struggled with it reduced 10%

 

Sands OK. Great for epoxy.
We let it sit over the weekend and started sanding yesterday.
This is 2 full coats. Started with 220 followed by guide coat and 320.
So far I’m impressed with the product.

 

I spayed polyester primer on my PU last year and I used a 2.5. It's like spraying oatmeal.

 

This product is designed to eliminate the need for other filler primers like urethane and polyester.
https://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/documents/ppg/vb-18+vp2050+dtm+high+build+primer+2+17.pdf

I kinda like the thought of using one product throughout the priming process.
It can be used under filler.

 

It powered nicely while sanding. Most epoxies gum up. This one didn’t. But we also let it sit about 72 hours.

 

2 mils per dry coat is about 1/3 what a good poly will do. Don't see too many guys wanting to block out a car giving up that much build characteristic in addition to losing standability.

 

8 mill final build.
2.5 mills per coat. Up to four coats.
I can work with that.
2 coats handled everything we needed on these fenders.

 

I generally use polyester on large or older stuff.
I’ve seen a couple shops use this product on their restoration work. They claim it eliminated shrinkage issues.
Urethane kinda bothers me. It shrinks up a lot in a cup. A painter friend of mine blames the “cottage cheese” look some cars have on urethane primers.
I’ve used the DTM Clausen polyester and liked it. seems to be holding up well.
applying polyester over epoxy can bite ya if you don’t allow the epoxy to cure for a day.
I generally prime over epoxy after it sits over night.
The epoxy I was using costs around $150 a kit. Then add for the polyester.
This prices out about the same as using both products.

 

Was the price per gallon or quart?

 

No quarts. Dang it
This kit was around $325. Should make 2 gal sprayable.
Not cheap.
DP isn’t either.
I usually use the PPG industrial epoxy. Around $150 per 2 gal set up.
my paint guy said PPG is moving away from quart set ups. Not good for us small time guys.

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see anything in the PPG docs that says this is epoxy.

 

Well I be.
It doesn’t mention what it is.
The catalyst isn’t MEK. Looks like extra thick epoxy catalyst.
Some message board guys call it epoxy. One guy said “hybrid epoxy”
Now im curious.

 

Anthony Thanks For the report

 

Hmm. Now I’m curious also. Is the catalyst as thick as the CRE catalyst is? I’ve been using it instead of DP and really like it, but lately our local jobber has not been able to get any black in CRE or even EPX.

 

This is the kind of stuff the HAMB needs more of.

Have you ever sprayed HOK KD3000? If so, how would you compare this product to that? Granted, the KD3000 can be sprayed as either a sealer or a high build depending on the ratio it's mixed at, but assuming the high build, how does it compare?

 

I haven’t used any
I’ve heard good things about HOK undercoats though.

 

Here is the catalyst
It’s thick like STP

 

Looks like it. The CRE catalyst is like molasses right out of the fridge.

 

I haven’t used CRE. I have EPX.
No issues. It even sands decent.
My ppg rep said it was old DP
Mixes like old DP, 1:1.
Smells like it
Lays down better than the 2:1 epoxies.

 

I hear good things about Tamco.
I generally use PPG as I have a supplier in town.
Don’t have to order things if I run out or the temp changes.
These fenders are for my 49 GMC Ive been putting off for about 20 years.
I might actually paint one eventually

 

Primer shrink tests

 

Them too

 

But again the point is I can get poly's that will do that in one coat and can be sanding in 2 hrs. It will take me close to an hour just to spray the same build with the PPG. I am sure it's a great product but it's not a real substitute for a high build polyester primer

 

Cool stuff.
Thanks for posting.

 

A DTM Polly you can sand quickly
I’m not applying polly over epoxy until it sits a day. Ain’t worth the possibility of having to scrape it all off.
I even wait till the next day for urethane over epoxy.
As far as film thickness needed, depends on the amount of body work or how pitted the metal could be.
These parts I primed were finished off with 180/220. Then DAd with 320 on an interface pad to remove straight line scratches.
A polly wasn’t needed.
It was nice using a one step product.

 

Dang skippy.
Roll it out in the sun and work on something else.
Let it shrink before ya sand it