I have two kinds of spackle. One is made with “acrylic copolymers and limestone.” The other is a lightweight variety (the bucket weighs less than half the other). It is made of “acrylic copolymers and silica.” Is one better than the other for sealing a blank before glassing with epoxy?
Get some Dap brand “fast n final”…spackle of champions. Enjoy.
ditto… dap f 'n’f . i’ve tried others.
I’ll third that … Dap F&F
4th,
F n’ F.
(Maybe a little fresh mountain spring water to thin it out for better spreadability/sprayability…)
OK. This is an environmental debate. Or a Lowe’s vs. Home Depot debate. Or F’s vs. P’s.
DAP “Fast ‘n’ Final” from Lowes and CUSTOM BUILDING PRODUCTS “Patch ‘n’ Paint” from Home Depot are both lightweight spackles. Both suspend the same filler- amorphous silica. But CUSTOM’s does it in “Acrylic Copolymers.” DAP’s does it with “ethylene glycol, vinyl acetate, formaldehyde and acetadehyde.”
I’m no chemist but if you read the warnings on CUSTOM’s it says to avoid taking internally, avoid eye contact and prolonged inhalation. DAP’s instead covers about half the label and includes, “eye, skin, nose, throat, kidney, cardiovascular and liver effects.” It goes on, “ethylene glycol has been shown to cause birth defects in laboratory animals.” And, if that was was not enough , it contains, “…chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer.”
I’ve used the Home Depot spackle with a Walker blank and Resin Research Epoxy. I’ve had the board for about 2 months now and it shows no signs of damage. No a single pressure ding. No delams.
If we care at all about the environment, our own health and perhaps the fate of defenseless laboratory animals, the choice is clear. Do you own tests, but I definitely vote for CUSTOM BUILDING PRODUCTS “Patch ‘n’ Paint.”
Splitting hairs on the environmental debate here. Ethlene glycol is antifreeze. Poison if you drink or eat it. So don’t eat the spackle. Custom doesn’t itemize their contents so there is no way to judge that without an MSDS.
Both are water based products and are primarily a resin with amophorous silica and water with some small amounts of other ingredients. I’m pretty sure both are very safe to use. I’ve used lot’s of both. The DAP works better.
okay… i’ve taken both internally. Dap is much better with a good cabernet.
Custom makes a good dip with beer.
And the DAP makes for a tasty topping for fruit dishes.