I have read some great info in the Martin posts. He talks about a final skim coat after all fillers are used. There was a mention of a product called Evercoat Glazecoat. Also, I read, it is common to add a liquid product to the Rage Gold to thin it down from a thin final skim coat. I have used Rage Gold for my filler at this point. Can anyone give me specific products that they use to add to the Rage Gold to thin it, or has anyone used this Glazecoat? The paint store did not carry it. They recommended Evercoat Metalglaze. They thought maybe that was what people mixed with Rage Gold to thin it down. Any help would be appreciated.

I would just go over it with a thin layer of the rage gold , after sanding it down so it feels flat , I would then seal it with an epoxy primer and then go to high build . then check for pin holes and just use polyester glaze putty . I,m just on My third high build and block sand of my 69 convertt right now .
Mark .

Rage thinned with "Plastik-honey" will work but it doesn't sand nearly as well as Glaze Coat or Metal Glaze. These two products are exactly the same (says so in the Evercoat Catalog) other than color. I actually recommend the Metal Glaze. I like the Glaze Coat just for the color that it is, a light beige color that is totally different than the RAGE so I can see it well. But the problem is, it uses a white cream hardener and you can't see it AT ALL in the filler. This is a problem with mixing so I recommend the Metal Glaze with blue hardener for that reason.

I have been teaching some guys the "Emery Robinson" method that I talk about in the "Basics" at work. A few of these guys are apprentices and a few are seasoned pros as well. With what I have learned I need to write a revised "Basics of Basics" on the subject. Not that there is any change to it, I just know now of how to explain more.

All the products in the Evercoat "Metal Works" system can be mixed. So mixing "Metal Glaze" and RAGE to make a thinner filler is just fine.

I personally don't use anything but the Metal Glaze or Glaze Coat for the skim coat. They are sooooooo much easier to sand and feather. Yes, they are expensive, much more expensive than RAGE or a cheapie "regular" filler. But that last time I checked, all this stuff was expensive. If I wanted a hobby that didn't cost much I would collect McDonalds toys. :)

Brian

I would just go over it with a thin layer of the rage gold , after sanding it down so it feels flat , I would then seal it with an epoxy primer and then go to high build . then check for pin holes and just use polyester glaze putty . I,m just on My third high build and block sand of my 69 convertt right now .
Mark .


Mark, using Metal Glaze any other quality polyester putty for a glaze coat will all but eliminate pin holes. I literally get ZERO doing this stuff nearly everyday. And honestly, if you read the "Basics" and the "refresher" on the "Basics" you would be surprised putting it to use. A few coats of urethane primer and a blocking should produce perfectly flat panels. That skim coat of polyester putty IS a coat of primer if you look at it that way it will amaze you.

Brian

Thanks for the info MartinSR. At this point I have filled and blocked, filled and blocked a few times and I have the quarter as smooth as I can probably get it with Rage. Based on your article, now would be the time to apply the FULL Skim with the Metal Glaze. Does that sound correct? Also, I have blocked the current Rage surface with 80x. I noticed on the Metal Glaze it is to be applied over 180x. Should I go ahead and smooth it a little with the 180x before I apply? Does the Metal Glaze find additional low spots due to the consistency of the product, does it build any, or is it just looking for pin holes? I really would like this car slick. After the skim coat I will shoot sealer then high build. I use Spies Hecker paint. Thanks for the info.

The one thing I want to make clear is that you HAVE TO have a skim coat. The procedure I lay out in the "Basics" is just that, a procedure, one of zillions.

If you have the RAGE flat and finished off well (other than the 80 grit,that would have to be brought to a finer grit) then it could be primed right now.

The "skim coat" is a final coat of filler that is used to finalize the filling to perfection. Some guys don't use it at all and do good work. I have just found that it is THE way to do filler. I have taught it to people, watched them move from floundering to producing pretty nice stuff, al because they tried this procedure.

The Glaze coat (or any other polyester putty) WILL fill. It could be used as "regular" filler if you wanted to spend the money. It just is a lower viscosity and doesn't want to "stay" in the deep areas. It will run off a vertcal panel, it is that thin of a viscosity.

It will fill 80 grit scratches no problem. I think the "180" you are seeing is the recommendation for applying over a "cured OEM finish". But over plastic filler, 40, 80, 120, it is all fine.

You will prime over the polyester putty just like any filler. Then "surface" (blocking) and either prime again, or sand up to 500 and paint. OR, sand up to 400 or so and seal and paint. OR.....you get the idea, there are many things you "could" do.

Realisticlly you would block that primer, and apply another couple of coats. You then would sand that with 500 and seal and paint or just paint.

Brian

Thanks Brian I will give that system a try on My Cowl hood , I think I have done enough coats of K-38 and block sanding but you just don't want to find something when it's in paint .
Mark .

Thanks for the info. I am good with sealing and high build after the body work. I have painted another car that turned out really well with the direction of a painter friend of mine. I am just interested in getting the panels as flat as possible. I hate the ripple look when you look down the side of a car. Thanks for your help.

One thing guys, you notice in the "Basics" it says to CUT FLAT the filler with coarser paper. This is the trick to getting flat panels. Be it in the primer OR the filler. To CUT using as coarse of paper possible. With primer if you use 180 or even in extreme cases with polyester primer 120 or 80 (don't even think of using 80 with urethane) you will CUT the primer flat. After CUTTING the primer flat you apply another few coats and NOW you can use the finer 220 or 320 to block it. At that point you are only "maintaining" the flat. You are just not going to get stuff flat that isn't flat using 220 or finer, not realisically.

Brian