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Homemade Lizard Skin Sound Deadener

You are going to apply all that water based product to your floor pans? I would be very hesitant to do that. If there are any cracks, unpainted spots (invisible to the naked eye) or gaps near seams or any openings that allow that water based paint to contact raw metal, you are going to start the oxidation process = rust. Think of tiny bubbles in a paint job that occurs over time. That is your sheet metal rusting. If you want to do the lizard skin process, I would go to a solvent based paint that will not cause rust. Might be a little harder to apply and smell more, but you will eliminate a potentially major problem. If you don't want to use a solvent base, then at least use a water-based DTM ( Direct-to-metal), which has rust inhibitors. Just my opinion. For the record, I have been selling paint for 40 years.

a light coat of epoxy primer will rust proof any bare metal and work as an awesome adhesion promoter....... i did a whole lizard skin thread about a month ago...... I also brushed/dribbled por15 into all the seams and seam sealed prior to application

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/lizard-skin.129875/
 
a light coat of epoxy primer will rust proof any bare metal and work as an awesome adhesion promoter....... i did a whole lizard skin thread about a month ago...... I also brushed/dribbled por15 into all the seams and seam sealed prior to application

http://www.forbbodiesonly.com/moparforum/threads/lizard-skin.129875/

Putting a vapor barrier is definitely needed if using water based product on metal. If it was me doing it, I would give it 2 coats of epoxy primer. Whether brush, roll or spray, you are bound to miss a tiny spot with one coat. All you need is a few water molecules to get through there and you start the oxidation process. 2 coats is good insurance as it is highly unlikely that you will miss the same exact 2 spots and then you have a solid vapor barrier.
 
Interesting stuff. I'm going to have to think about all this. On one hand the floor pan is primed and painted and has been for years, excep the parts I touched up recently. now I'm wondering if it's in that good a condition / perfect.

Thanks for all the edjumacation!
 
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Ok so sounds like I need to take prep up another level at the very least. Is epoxy primer as toximicated as I've read?

How's about i use por15? I probably have enough to do the exterior as well:lol:
 
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Ok so sounds like I need to take prep up another level at the very least. Is epoxy primer as toximicated as I've read?

How's about i use por15? I probably have enough to do the exterior as well:lol:

Any solvent based coating has volatile organic compounds (the stuff that evaporates when the paint dries) that aren't healthy to breathe in. Use a good respirator rated for organic solvents, wear gloves, have ventilation and you'll be fine.
 
Ok so sounds like I need to take prep up another level at the very least. Is epoxy primer as toximicated as I've read?

How's about i use por15? I probably have enough to do the exterior as well:lol:


epoxy has several advantages....... mainly, you can coat right over it after a couple hours..... each epoxy has its own set of "instructions" but I haven't seen one yet that cant be used as a "wet on wet" sealer/adhesion promoter. It also will stick to your floor better than por15...... putting over a 220 scratch would be fine

if you use the por15, rough up the floor pretty good, the stuff will peel, I've seen it........ it is meant to grab onto rust, not really intended to go over paint....... it needs a pretty rough profile

also, you would need the por15 to dry thoroughly, and then be sanded with something, at least 220 so the sound deadner sticks

por15 in this application is too much of a pain in the ***, in my opinion

if your pans are already painted, I suppose you could skip primer, just rough them up and shoot on the sound deadner...... in my case, the floors were previously blasted bare and epoxied, so I scratched them up and ran with a "wet on wet" sealer coat
 
You also have to be careful with epoxies on previously painted surfaces. Some of the solvents might actually dissolve any existing paint that's on the surface and then you have a big mess with peeling paint.
 
don't pile it on too wet..... it'll be fine...... puddling any solvent based product could cause a problem....... that being said, epoxy primers are intended to go over almost anything........ as with any unfamiliar product, read the data sheet
 
Okey dokey, so I re-inspected the floor pan and the paint is all nice shape, no worries on that. After a light sand, went at it with the homemade lizard skin. I put down 5 or 6 coats and it looks pretty good. Sounds pretty good too - don't wanna get too excited but even having a conversation sounds 'different' - kinda has a muffled sound.
 
Dang you were quick on the draw! Here they are...

Some observations:
The coating is sorta rubber like but no chance it serves like a bedliner. Sound deadening is noticeable but we'll see when the cars on the road... hopefully in a month or two.

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Took 1 gal of paint and 1/2 lb of glass beads for 5-6 coats of the full interior. Cost: about $30.
 
Did you end up spraying it on?

Nah, after doing some testing, i decided to dump in some extra glass beads which thickened it up to maybe a little beyond where it was sprayable. So I brushed it on. Went on like a dream and it self leveled the brush strokes right out.

Id like to think the way I did it should add some thermal protection (and maybe sound deadening). For instance, a while back I burned the crap outta my hand when it glanced across the metal floor board looking for some coins that I dropped while sitting at a stop light. I didn't have an IR temp sensor at the time but it had to be 200-250 degrees right above the header. I cant wait to see if that surface is cooler now; though this time I'll be armed with an IR temp sensor.
 
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Took 1 gal of paint and 1/2 lb of glass beads for 5-6 coats of the full interior. Cost: about $30.

Fer all you racers out there, that's a total weight of about 11-12 lbs.
 
Alrighty fellas, how's about a little update. After maybe 400-500 miles of cruising I say it WORKED! I don't make it a habit of talking on the phone while driving, but with the 413 and no sound deadener, it was impossible - mostly because of the 3" exhaust turned down at the diff.

To test, I called my dad and the results don't lie - we had an easy conversation at idle and at cruising speed - pretty much normal talking volume, maybe speaking up a bit. This despite having a bigger / faster / louder(?) motor with the new 451 and the same 3" exhaust with turndowns.
 
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