Duratec Sunshield Clear Top Coat

I will be trying it in the future, but not now, will wait until I run out of Gel Coat before I try it. Just letting the community know.

http://duratec1.com/pdf/DS%20904-061.pdf

http://cdn.fibreglast.com/downloads/00457-A.pdf

I’ve used it once and it was awesome. I’ll be using the rest of it hopefully soon. And hope mine is still good. It has a shorter shelf life than most I think.

What’s the difference between using this and 2k clearcoat ?

It’s the 6month shelf life that puts me off :-/ and you probably have to buy 5 litres at a time

The difference is its a high build coating. It is like the best characteristics from both worlds of gelcoat and paint, and none of the downsides. It is also easy to sand, so it’s sort of like a high build primer but clear… Resists separation so it’s easy to use as an IMC over high slip release agents. It’s great stuff.

It does also last longer than 6 months. I’ve got a gallon that’s been sitting on my shelf for a year now and it’s still good. And that’s included an Aussie summer.

I would recommend keeping it in the freezer though, it will go off eventually. Luckily it doesn’t go off very fast like the Duratec surface primer does, it takes a few months to become unusable.

Duratec is harder and more durable than two part paint.

I find that the material skins or crystallises on the surface if left too long.

Now I use an aerosol can of nitrogen which you spray into the can before sealing. This leaves a “dry blanket” of nitrogen on the top of the resin and preserves the resin longer.

sounds like its worth getting some, gonna have a google and see what i can find

I’ve heard that this stuff is really hard to spray. Like it doesn’t lay down like normal clear, and that scared me away before. But you guys are making me want to look into the SunSheild again…

Does anyone have any comments regarding how it sprays down?

Spray alight list coating and let it tack. Then paint like automotive paint.
A few things to consider though that since the mixed portion carries heat properties when in mass mix a little bit. I had to spray a tack coat last time then mix a new batch since it started to harden in my cup. I use a hvlp 2.0 tip that hanoldo recommended.

Seriously though it’s great stuff. You can build it kind of thick too “thick as in a good amount thicker than automotive” and as long as you’re not spraying in 90 degree weather in direct sun you will not get solvent pop which is seriously unforgiving.

Are there any published tests that compare Sunshield UV resistance to other clear topcoats including commercial 2K clears?

It’s honestly the best coating I’ve ever used in terms of how it flows. Any other regular 2k automotive coating that I’ve used I need to rub back to get a perfect finish, whereas the Sunshield I can lay down perfectly off the gun.

Has anyone used this as an IMC and infused with epoxy? Sounds too good to be true.

Yep. I use it with epoxy quite regularly as well as the occasional vinyl ester part. It’s great stuff, exactly as good as it sounds.

My opinion on it is that it is “OK” its hard to spray over a semi permanent release. It has an amber/brown tint to it, and it is brittle when it is cured. Also if you have any tiny air bubbles when you infuse or wet layup with it it will be trapped between your material and your duratec coating. You then have to open them up or dig them open, sometimes more work than post process clearing.

That’s just any IMC though, that’s just processing errors. It’s less forgiving, but it’s better for production moulding. It isn’t hard to spray over a high slip release agent, it just takes a different technique which can take some practice. It’s different process to post-mould coatings so it does have a bit of a learning curve.

It cures totally clear as well, I’m not sure if you meant it cures with an amber tint?

The more hardener you use the darker it gets. Since its been colder here when I’m spraying I’ve used 2%. If it’s hotter weather I drop to 1 sometimes.

The stuff is not brittle in my experience but flexible compared to other resins I’ve used. Compared to clear costs yes maybe harder but as a resin system it’s very forgiving.

Could this be laid down as an imc with a brush? Does it flow out enough to conceal any brush strokes?

I guess it would mainly depend on how fast you catalyze. I’ve used a brush but only to help my fish eyeing on the first coat since it was heading up and I was going to just see if going over it with a light brush would help.

I can’t answer for sure how smooth you could get things and unsure if there’s any technique that would help that I’m not aware of. I think maybe taking some acetone to the surface with a spray bottle may help level it out but again just thinking out loud at this point.

Im guessing this reeks like styrene like a typical polyester?

Yes sir, sure does.

helllp!!! i just tried the -061 over the frekote setup and immediately got a terrible finish - i have no idea what has gone wrong. appears as if it’s not wetting the surface at all. and i mean at all. the part sat for a couple days after the frekote applications but in a clean area. help!!!