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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Dan Bregar on April 18, 2012, 04:12:57 AM
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Does anyone know if you can thin Super Fil with a little acetone or alcohol, instead of using it straight out of the containers. I'm using the blue epoxy based filler from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty, and it's kind of thick for some applications. :)
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Alcohol works. Go slow as it is added as a little does a lot. You can also use alcohol on you finger to smooth and shape it easier. By doing that the finish will be a lot smoother so it needs less sanding.
Don
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thin it with alcohol - be aware that the cure time will be a LOT longer if you thin it....
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Hi Dan,
I use light weight spackling compound if I need a thinner filler.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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Thanks Guys ! :)
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I recently got some from Aircraft Spruce. It was thick and hard to work with. Everybody else loves it. Dan's experience adds to my suspicion that we got a bad batch.
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I just got some also but it's very creamy and easy to fix. If yours is thick, it's probably old. But as has been noted, a bit of denatured alcohol (often just a tiny bit) will thin it out very well. The batch I just used the end of was getting pretty thick, but I've had that batch for about 2 years and it is subject to evaporation. a little denatured alcohol made it work fine.
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Randy
Yeah, just a little alcohol works fine. It's easy to use too much. I'm learning from you guys. Just got this stuff about a month ago from Aircraft Spruce. Maybe it would help if I stirred the containers some. This stuff sands great though. :)
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I have seen it settle a bit, a bit of prestirring is recommended,,
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I have seen it settle a bit, a bit of prestirring is recommended,,
Hi Mark,
It will always settle - that is the epoxy resins separating from the filler material over time due to gravity. It states right on the label "After long storage, stir both components well before combining." I just use a wooden paint stirring stick and stir the stuff until it is fully homogenized. Both parts "A" & "B" must be stirred, but (& this seems like a blinding flash of the obvious but it's important) don't use the same stick for both parts (or at least don't use the same end of the stick for both parts.) I know you are aware of all this, Mark, but for new users of this really good filler material I thought it might be worth stating.
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I just recently got ahold of some Super Fil for the first time. I've already used some of it in a couple of spots on the nose area of my current "Nobler Bash" project. It sets up slightly harder than I expected, but I can already see that for certain applications I'm gonna really like this blue stuff. y1
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I finally tried something different for the first time. I bought some Superfil & the blue part wasnt mixed thouroly ...also bought another type of their 2 part epoxy putty its a tan ot light pink stuff it seems stronger than Super fil both are easier to work with & a WHOLE lot cheaper than Sig Epoxolite which I used for 20 years. I always put theheat gun on Epoxolite to get it easier to smooth .Still need a test on the 3 for strength .
John
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I just recently got ahold of some Super Fil for the first time. I've already used some of it in a couple of spots on the nose area of my current "Nobler Bash" project. It sets up slightly harder than I expected, but I can already see that for certain applications I'm gonna really like this blue stuff. y1
HI Wayne,
I only use Super Fil for fillets. Lightweight Spackling or "red lead" spot putty for everything else. 30 years and the spackling hasn't come apart, fell off, or shrunk so I figure it must be ok.
BIG Bear
RNMM/AMM
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The thinning with alcohol works and if you overdo it, it turns into a big blue blob. lol I kept mixing it on a piece of glass I use and the blob kept trying to run off the glass. But eventually some of the alcohol dissipated enough to let me apply it to the SWIFT.