I was wondering if I could use epoxy and fiberglass to do auto body work and paint over it with an oil based paint? Or better to just use poly resin? Can I paint over poly resin with an oil base paint? Thanks guys–and gals…
Punasurf, You can definitely paint over a fiberglass / polyester resin combo with oil based paint. Auto body shops have been doing it for many years. Depending on where you live, auto paint is acrylic lacquer or some kind of two-part paint. In most auto body supply stores they sell fiberglass cloth and resin. Great for fixing holes. Bondo is then used to smooth out the surfaces before primer and paint.
Doug
Yep! do it all the time. A few pointers though. Depending on your ability to adequately saturate the cloth you will probably be happier with your results if you use a good primer that is designed for the paint that your using. Small scratches and pin holes that are hardly visible in the sanded epoxy become valleys and moon sized craters after you paint without proper prep. The darker the color the worse it will look.
Go to an online source for prepping a car for paint and read. My steps are laminate, epoxy bog float coat, sand, high build sandable primer, glazing compound, sand, epoxy prime, paint. If it’s something that needs to be completely pimped then you can add a base coat spray, clear, color sand, and then buff/polish.
The only reason that I go through this whole process is because the auto paint comes in any color that you think of, weighs next to nothing and it’s very durable.
Another route is to go with with awlgrip or gelcoat. It comes in a variety of basic colors and is self leveling. The downside is that it can add weight.