Priming Urethane (Rubber) Bumpers
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 3,280
Likes: 0
From: Virginia Beach Virginia
Priming Urethane (Rubber) Bumpers
I'm hot now.... :mad:
I drove over an hour's distance to find the only local distributor of Transtar Hydroflex Acrylic Primer for my urethane bumpers on my Corvette. I opened the stuff today and it's thick; thicker than mayonaise and has to be scooped, not poured out of the can. The distributor took a week to get this bad product. I believe the warehouse he got it froms stored it all winter (it's temp. sensitive) and make it get this poor consistency. So, I can't prime my bumpers and this delays other critical path activities. So, I need another solution for priming the urethane bumpers.
What also can be used to prime a urethane bumper? I'm using all PPG products except for this product and will be shooting PPG DCU BC on it. The bumper is in good shape and has been wetsanded with 600.
Thanks for your help.
Stephen
I drove over an hour's distance to find the only local distributor of Transtar Hydroflex Acrylic Primer for my urethane bumpers on my Corvette. I opened the stuff today and it's thick; thicker than mayonaise and has to be scooped, not poured out of the can. The distributor took a week to get this bad product. I believe the warehouse he got it froms stored it all winter (it's temp. sensitive) and make it get this poor consistency. So, I can't prime my bumpers and this delays other critical path activities. So, I need another solution for priming the urethane bumpers.
What also can be used to prime a urethane bumper? I'm using all PPG products except for this product and will be shooting PPG DCU BC on it. The bumper is in good shape and has been wetsanded with 600.
Thanks for your help.
Stephen
Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,380
Likes: 6,391
From: At my Bar drinking and wrenching in Lafayette Colorado
Re: Priming Urethane (Rubber) Bumpers (VolVette)
Stephen -
If the bumpers are in good shape and you don't need to fill significant cracks and defects, you can just shoot them with the DP. DP, when reduced a little with DT, stays very flexible.
If you have defects that need to be filled, you can buy a flex additive for the K36. This works pretty good, but it's not quite as crack-resistant as the TransStar stuff if you lay it on thick, so sand it down to remove as much build-up as you can - this will keep it durable.
The TranStar can be thinned down with water. You might want to take your thick TranStar and see if it won't thin down a little by pouring some of it into a container and adding a little water to it. Stir it up and see if it thins out consistently. If it does, it's still useable.
If the bumpers are in good shape and you don't need to fill significant cracks and defects, you can just shoot them with the DP. DP, when reduced a little with DT, stays very flexible.
If you have defects that need to be filled, you can buy a flex additive for the K36. This works pretty good, but it's not quite as crack-resistant as the TransStar stuff if you lay it on thick, so sand it down to remove as much build-up as you can - this will keep it durable.
The TranStar can be thinned down with water. You might want to take your thick TranStar and see if it won't thin down a little by pouring some of it into a container and adding a little water to it. Stir it up and see if it thins out consistently. If it does, it's still useable.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: media pa
Re: Priming Urethane (Rubber) Bumpers (VolVette)
I have not primed mine yet, but I did some research. We are going to use a 2 part linear polyurethane from US Paint, name brand Awlgrip. This paint is so far used only in the aviation and marine communities, although I read that Honda will use it on their motorcycles. The info I got from the mfg rep was to the effect that 2 part linear polyurethane primers and enamels are flexible enough that no special flexible primer is necessary. The same answer came somewhat equivocally from Dupont. With urethanes the finish stays flexible, but if you were to use Centari, an acrylic enamal, or, God have mercy, the original lacquer, you would have to apply a flexible primer. I'm going to try the linear polyurethane and the system primers. If it is good enough for the airlines, that should be OK for me. Just think of the expansion and shrinkage of the aluminum skin on a Boeing going from sea level to 30,000 feet and a 90 F degree temperature change in less than a half hour...and then back down. I wonder what they use on Air Force One. I'll bet that's a high tech paint job.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
From: media pa
Re: Priming Urethane (Rubber) Bumpers (VolVette)
Why would you use an acrylic paint on a urethane bumper. I glossed over the fact you wanted to use PPG, and I am not familiar with their admitededly excellent products. Do they not have a linear polyurethane?
