When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
So I’m repainting my van and re seam sealed all the body seams and hinges with 3m heavy bodied seam sealer. I primed over it before I was about to paint. But realized the seams were cracking.
not sure what to do. Should I use an epoxy to fill these instead of seam sealer?
thanks for your help.
picture attached of cracking and one of dug our seam.
2 Ways.......
The first being as it looks like someone body filled right up to the hinges. So this would entail cleaning out the body fill around the hinges and tidying up and feathering the fill leaving the small gap as it should have the gap there, (A neat trick to leaving the gap there is when filling near the hinge gap shove an old credit/gift card in there and remove it just before fill gets totally hard, will leave near perfect amount of gap) Orrrrr.... the second way, the short cut and use the same seam sealer as you used on the rest of the seams, it should remain flexible and it'd take quite some time before cracking there again. Because there is a lot of flex there and the doors get used a heckuva lot of times.
I used the 3m thats in the tube. comes in a box. it all cracked was a pain to use. I bought the chalk gun seam sealer no issue with shrinking or cracks.
The one in a box???
never heard of it, only 3M in a box i know of is for gluing the door rubbers on, comes in yellow or black & dries hard. Or the stuff that comes in a syringe but that's for interior seams like inside of trunks or on floors where you have welded new metal/panels in.
Yes the tube that comes in the caulking tube is the right product & very good quality seam sealer. I Tend to use UAP/NAPA's house brand (Bodypro) https://www.napacanada.com/en/p/DSS27501 which also works well or Wurth also very good product. I do a lot of VW Vanogons so have a lot of experience with seam sealers,
Seam sealer to be applied over epoxy, polyester high build prime or pretty much any high solids primer as one of the final steps in preparation for painting. Followed by a very light coat of primer,https://www.dominionsureseal.com/pro...ch-primer-sep/ just before painting, I usually do this step at the same time I'm going/checking over the body for sand throughs in primer/paint that are down to metal,
Just my 2 cents from some one who has worked in the bodyshop industry for 35+ years
Mikie
near ottawa canada
64 econoline p/u and 58 mercury panel
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Slideshow: The VelociRaptor Expedition gains a lift, upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes, and trail-ready equipment while retaining the stock 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
