Evercoat Metal Glaze

[Charles Reese]

Left my half full container of Evercoat Metal Glaze in cold garage over the winter. Now seems a little ‘thicker’ (not hardened, just thick) than I remember. Can I ‘thin’ this out a little for better spread/handling? If so, with what (i.e. lacquer/enamel reducer)?

[Uncle Bob]

Yes, lacquer thinner usually works fine. If it froze you may be out of luck though.......it'll be lumpy.

[Bill in NJ]

Stir it up and get it off the sides etc and then take it to the paint store and let them put it on the paint shaker for about 10 minutes. I should be good as new.

[tbirdtbird]

careful, any time i have tried to thin polyester resin with either lac. thinner or acetone, it won't harden up properly w/ the cream hardener. Put it in a warm place for a few days and then stir it up real good.
I assume the lid was on nice and tight? If the lid was loose the product is prolly NG

[Bill in NJ]

So might as well check the tube of hardener now. If it is seperated and like water it is no good and you need a new tube !!

[Purdy Swoft]

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I would just throw it away and start over with a fresh supply.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Purdy Swoft

I would just throw it away and start over with a fresh supply.

I would agree.
I think the risk of it not setting up properly or having good adhesion isn't worth it.

[Wick]

I agree..Throw it away

[Marvin/TN]

Just knead the hardner in the tube and it will mix again and still be good just make sure thereis no small grains of what ever turns hard about it. You shouls knead it anyway when it hasn't been used in awhile.

[Bill in NJ]

When it gets seperated I try to knead it but it doesn't work for me. Hardener is cheap so I just buy another tube.

Also when my gallon of filler gets seperated I stir it up a little bit and then put it on the paint shaker. I also try to store the can upside down.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Marvin/TN

Just knead the hardner in the tube and it will mix again and still be good just make sure thereis no small grains of what ever turns hard about it. You shouls knead it anyway when it hasn't been used in awhile.

Marv,
Somebody wrote, "Don't throw ANYTHING away"!! We might "KNEAD" it later!!! (Flossing is GOOD!) Bill W.

[SAJ]

Polyester fillers contain no diluents as thinners. Only styrene monomer, which both thins the resin and also cross-links the cured polymer (i.e. takes part in the hardening reaction as a vital component). If you add any non-reactive thinner like acetone or lacquer thinners, the resultant product will be softer than it should and the thinners will remain encapsulated in the cured filler for a long time, which is very undesirable.
The hardener contains dibenzoyl peroxide powder dispersed in a mix of water, plasticizers and surfactants. The thin liquid on the top is mostly water, which is inactive as a hardener of course. You can pour it off and still use the remaining paste, as long as you can pour it out. The water is there to make the peroxide less hazardous.
The cold garage should not affect the filler. Hot conditions shorten the shelf life, by advancing the curing reaction and eventually gelling the resin in the can. Oxygen retards the curing action, so a half empty can will last longer than a full one normally.
I have manufactured polyesters and putties for more than 40 years. See http://www.chemspec.co.nz if interested to check my credentials.
Regards
SAJ in NZ

[Doug in NJ]

If you really must thin polyester filler, it would probably be best to use liquid polyester resin (a.k.a. "honey"). Let me add one thing to SAJ's excellent post: the styrene monomer in uncured filler is volatile and will evaporate, for example if you leave some un-mixed filler sitting on a mixing board.

The hardener is so cheap, you really ought to start each season with a fresh tube. but I have used a gallon can of filler for 2 or 3 years without it deteriorating.

Doug

[SAJ]

Well said Doug. Liquid polyester 'laminating resins" as used in fibreglassing use liquid MEKP hardener. The red BPO paste hardener used with most fillers needs a different type of "promoter" (the stuff that causes the curing to start) than MEKP does. I am not sure what "honey" is, since we do not use it in NZ, but I doubt if it is the very specialised flexible type of polyester used in body fillers. One can only add a small amount of laminating resin to a body filler before it gets too rigid and the cures slows down.
Back in the early 60's I made my first body filler at home using laminating resin (I was an an amateur engineering student then). It set so hard it could not be sanded and I had to borrow an angle grinder to finish it. It later cracked out because laminating resins don't stick to steel well enough!
Useless information - styrene monomer is found in a lot of fruits. Strawberries in particular
SAJ in NZ

http://www.chemspec.co.nz