Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Anybody ever used/heard of aluthane? (Aluminum Filled Urethane Metallic Coating)

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/aluthane.html

http://www.epoxyproducts.com/dataaluthane.pdf

It's a metallic coating or moisture cured urethane and I'm going to cover my outside plywood in it. Instead of a two-component system like epoxy, you just roll it on, and you can put another coat on in 1-2 hours.

I ordered a gallon and will report back afterwards. Hopefully, I will get it this week and can put it on over the next week or two.

sounds interesting...please post pictures of the finished product as well..

steve smoot wrote:sounds interesting...please post pictures of the finished product as well..

Will do! According to the data sheet, it should have a metallic look to it.

I got a shipping notification from UPS saying I should get it on Thur.

All the best!

sounds interesting, let us know how it works and how much you needed.

Pics when you can!

Thanks for being the guinea pig on this one!

Happy to help -- don't mind being that lab animal.

I'm actually really looking forward to it.

All the best!

Check very carefully, most MCU's are not UV resistant and require a topcoat if they are to be exposed to sunlight. If you keep your trailer under cover, or in a garage most of the time, it probably won't matter.

Another well known MCU is Chassis Saver by Magnet Paints. http://www.magnetpaints.com The stuff is awesome!

If exposed to sunlight, the paint will start to develop a chalkyness to it.

parnold wrote:Check very carefully, most MCU's are not UV resistant and require a topcoat if they are to be exposed to sunlight. If you keep your trailer under cover, or in a garage most of the time, it probably won't matter.

Another well known MCU is Chassis Saver by Magnet Paints. http://www.magnetpaints.com The stuff is awesome!

If exposed to sunlight, the paint will start to develop a chalkyness to it.

Hi Paul!

Thanks for the input. That looks like an interesting product. I'm not completely sure it is recommended for wood though. (At least I didn't see it, and doing a Ctrl-F didn't find "wood" either. I think that is what hooked me about aluthane, it can be applied to almost anything.) Still looks like a cool product.

I will definitely put a topcoat of some kind on. Right now I'm thinking of an acrylic enamel...but we'll see.

All the best!

I've met the owner of Magnet Paints on several occasions, and their product is fine on wood, but it's not the market they are after so they don't mention it at all. The automotive world can be finicky!

It wouldn't surprise me to find that Aluthane is indeed Chassis Saver relabeled. In any event, you should be real pleased with the performance of the product.

BTW, the aluminum flakes... most silver tinted paint is made with aluminum flakes, it's just marketing that they advertise that fact.

I'm anxiously waiting your experiences.

One more hint.. but the instructions will probably warn you of this. If you try to reseal the can, put a piece of celephane wrap over the lid. If you put the wet lid onto the can, you'll never get it open again.

parnold wrote:One more hint.. but the instructions will probably warn you of this. If you try to reseal the can, put a piece of celephane wrap over the lid. If you put the wet lid onto the can, you'll never get it open again.

Very good point!!! I did read that somewhere, but what a drag. I guess I'd have to open it like beer cans before pull tabs.

parnold wrote:I'm anxiously waiting your experiences.

Me, too!!!

The aluthane arrived yesterday. I won't be far enough into the build this weekend but I'm hoping that my progress will allow me to do it next weekend. Anyway, I'll give the update on that when I can.

Well, I was finally able to do it.

The stuff came super-packed/wrapped. Inside of a cardboard box, with styrofoam worms, wrapped in a thick plastic bag that was zip-tied shut and clips on the lid.







You'll see it looks pretty nasty unstirred:






And spend the 79 cents to get one of those pouring things for the can. The stuff is extremely runny/oily/liquidy and if it gets into the lip of the top of the can, will permanently seal the lid with the can. Plus it's just easier to pour.




And to keep it from drying out, I used the only thing that works: Holiday Plastic Wrap.






After the first coat:


















And three hours later, with the second coat:









It went on very easily, nice & uniform, but adhered more like a paint rather than being soaked into the wood or absorbed like a sponge would do. It gave off a smell that reminded me of the combination of plastic, Testors glue and enamel paint when building models as a kid.

The first coat went down in about an hour, and was only (maybe?) 1/4 of the can. The second coat took around 45 minutes and that took me down to a little more than halfway, more than enough for the hatch and the remaining piece in the front.

They say to use a phenolic core roller, whatever that means (I didn't spend much time looking that up online, although I normally do, and the guys (plural) @ the box store were no help), so I made sure I used one specifically made for varnishes & urethanes, rather than the ones made for all types of paint.

A phenolic core roller means that the core is made up of a chemical resistant phenolic compound as opposed to a typical paper, or plastic core roller. I don't know exactly what the compound is, they make grinding disc backup plates out of phenolic, I suppose for the heat resistance.

What you bought was fine!

Hmmm,

Can you take a close-up pic?