doug hodder wrote:I don't use CPES but the epoxy will do the same thing. You want to first seal the wood. The subsequent layers of epoxy will help build up the thickness and smooth out any small divots or deviations in the material. I don't know how well CPES builds up thickness. I usually put on 5-6 coats and sand it out. How much you do depends on just how smooth you want your finish to be. At this point, you can apply bondo if needed or use thickened epoxy with fairing microballoons to do any final body work. If you are doing a woody, you can't do any thickened epoxy, it all has to be built up with clear to really give it that thick deep appearance.
Shoot it with primer, especially if you used any bondo. On top of the primer, you can do any spot putty work to touch up any small dimples or spots that may show. Spot putty is like really thick primer, it goes on with a thin spatula. Sand, then prime or seal those spots so you can shoot paint on it. If you are going to shoot a light color coat, you can do a light colored seal coat over the primer to help with the color coat coverage. Try to get a primer that is going to be as close to your color as possible. Don't try to shoot a white paint over a red oxide primer as it will take plenty of paint. Then you can shoot clear over the color coat. Depending on whose paint system you use and your temperatures, you typically have like 24 hours to get the clear on. Longer than that and you are going to have to prep the new paint before you shoot clear.
If you want, and don't have a bunch of bondo or putty, you can shoot automotive acrylic urethane directly over scuffed epoxy with no problem, no primer is required. Any putties are going to require primer.
Thing is....like I've mentioned in previous threads, how smooth your final finish comes out just depends on how much time and effort you put into your pre-paint work. You can certainly do it with only like 1 or 2 coats of epoxy, it won't be nice and flat however. Automotive paint won't hide poor prep work and it can be an expensive lesson. Not the time to cut a corner. Also pearls can be added to the clear and there are a lot of them available, it can be purchased by the gram and you can add as much or as little as you want to doctor up your own tint.
Hope this makes sense, I'm still at the store and had a load of people interrupt me. Sort of the short version. Doug
I would add one more though here..... I never had any problem painting white over red oxide primer.... BUT I DO PUT SEALER OVER THE PRIMER FIRST BEFORE PAINT. Some sealer you can add color to it to have it closer to the color of the top coat. So here is the order... epoxy, bondo, spot putty (I prefer 2 part types with the hardner), primer, sealer and then either single stage top coat (just the color no clear coat) or 2 stage (my preference) base coat (color) and clear coat.
