never used it myself but i asked the powercoater he said he had never heard of it but recomended not using any filler
I have not used it yet, but it is widely acknowledged by most coaters as the filler to use. It works best if the thickness is kept to a minimum. Also, it must be fully cured before coating, otherwise cracking and bubbling will occur.
Once this stuff is cured, can it be media blasted without breaking down? Just wondering if the areas of application can be cleaned and prep, filler applied, and then taken over to the powder coater where they would then media blast and coat it. If it can be done BEFORE ever taking it to the PC guys then it sounds like a fantastic idea!
If LabMetal can be sanded I wouldnt think it could be sandblasted. Just my thinking I may be wrong though. I searched the websight and they didnt say anything about being blasted.
If it metal mixed with a heavy resin it might be fine though. Metal can be sanded AND sand blasted, so I guess it just depends on the hardness of the filler when it finally sets. Probably depends on the media that they use too. If they're using beads, it's might be just fine.
Some use the black stuff (I think it's called "black beauty" or something). It may depend on if it's general cleaning or if it's rust removal. I don't think glass bead will effectively remove rust. The black stuff is VERY agressive and leaves a nice texture for the coating, or any other surface treatment for that matter. Maybe someone has better input on this .
I found this but it sounds really technical ???? I guess if it works it doesn't matter. "Black beauty sand is actually Metallic Slag from the manufacturing of copper. It is described as 32-45% SiO2; 25-33% Cao + Mg0; 24-35% Fe0."
Powder is way superior to paint for durability, longevity, and solvent resistance. I have powdered aluminum foil and crumpled it up and it still won't turn loose or crack. Its true that rust can get bad underneath but thats just a prep issue- paint over rust and it will also get nasty. You can use filler but it MUST withstand 400 degrees- lab metal works to name one- I think theres a high temp version now.You can test your filler on a scrap piece and toss it in the wifes oven @ 400 for 20min. (make sure shes not around ) Most people don't know you can powder glass, plastic, and wood (it won't conduct but it can be done) Eastwood even has a "rust" colored powder for "instant patina" . I actually wondered about a clear powder coat over some of the bare steel bodies you guys have.
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