eh_v8_tor

eh_v8_tor

Active Member
Just a Quick question on Stuart Systems Eko Prime primer paint.
I have a can of primer that is well past its prime.
It seems to cover and stick fine. Does anyone have experience with Stewart Ekco primer that is well past its recommended shelf life? are there any hazards with using it when it’s past its prime?
It seems to mix up well if you use a paint stirring device on a drill. I haven’t tried putting it through my spraygun yet, but it does seem to go on quite nicely with a sponge brush. Will I have any issues with corrosion protection, or anything else if I use this old primer?
 
I didn’t confirm the expiration date, but I definitely had a bad can. Ive been spraying it for years now and it always goes on so nice. Then suddenly it wasn’t. Very rough and ”sandy” finish. I talked to SS and they had me chasing down all kinds of gun settings. I finally gave up and ordered a fresh can. It went on smooth and butttery again. I concluded that other can was expired or had just turned on me.

Not really answering your question, just a data point.
 
eh_v8_tor said:
Just a Quick question on Stuart Systems Eko Prime primer paint.
I have a can of primer that is well past its prime.
It seems to cover and stick fine. Does anyone have experience with Stewart Ekco primer that is well past its recommended shelf life? are there any hazards with using it when it’s past its prime?
It seems to mix up well if you use a paint stirring device on a drill. I haven’t tried putting it through my spraygun yet, but it does seem to go on quite nicely with a sponge brush. Will I have any issues with corrosion protection, or anything else if I use this old primer?
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As I understand it, shelf life is a way to protect the seller from warranty issues.
If a test spray looks good, I would definitely use it.
NB: This water based paint is known to be sensitive to freezing. If left in a cold hangar, don´t use it.

Good luck
 
Avanza said:
As I understand it, shelf life is a way to protect the seller from warranty issues.
If a test spray looks good, I would definitely use it.
NB: This water based paint is known to be sensitive to freezing. If left in a cold hangar, don´t use it.

Good luck
Click to expand...

It's not water based, it's waterborne ... but to your point, it's sensitive to everything ... I found it extremely hard to get consistent results in varying Alabama summer days due to temperature and humidity. I eventually gave up on it and switched to a traditional paint system and everything went amazingly smooth. I really, really, really wanted it to work.

My review of waterborne paint in one word: frustrating

Water Based Paint: This term is somewhat of a misnomer because it suggests that the paint can be redissolved in water, which is not the case. These finishes contain water but are still solvent-based. They typically consist of a polyurethane or acrylic, a solvent (usually glycol ether), and water. After application, the water evaporates followed by the solvent, and the finish particles fuse to form a single layer1.

Waterborne Paint: In waterborne paints, water acts as the carrier for the resin instead of a chemical-based solvent. While they do contain some solvents (about 10 percent), the majority of the carrier is water. This type of paint is known for emitting significantly fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to solvent-based paints, making them more environmentally friendly and safer23.
 
Ok, thank you for the input. It’s much appreciated.
I am wondering if anyone has done a durability test on this stuff, especially after it’s expiration date. I plan to spray some scrap aluminum that I will leave out in the weather, just to see how it holds up.
 
bkervaski said:
It's not water based, it's waterborne ... but to your point, it's sensitive to everything ... I found it extremely hard to get consistent results in varying Alabama summer days due to temperature and humidity. I eventually gave up on it and switched to a traditional paint system and everything went amazingly smooth. I really, really, really wanted it to work.

My review of waterborne paint in one word: frustrating

Water Based Paint: This term is somewhat of a misnomer because it suggests that the paint can be redissolved in water, which is not the case. These finishes contain water but are still solvent-based. They typically consist of a polyurethane or acrylic, a solvent (usually glycol ether), and water. After application, the water evaporates followed by the solvent, and the finish particles fuse to form a single layer1.

Waterborne Paint: In waterborne paints, water acts as the carrier for the resin instead of a chemical-based solvent. While they do contain some solvents (about 10 percent), the majority of the carrier is water. This type of paint is known for emitting significantly fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to solvent-based paints, making them more environmentally friendly and safer23.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry to hear that. I was using the more toxic stuff, but I will never switch back to it if I can get good results with waterborne paint. We’ve already had cancer once too many times.
Most of the time we have the heat on in my shop here in Southern Ontario, Canada. The temperature and humidity stays pretty consistent, so I’ve had good results once I figured out how to dial the gun in to get thin light coats (especially the first one).
 
eh_v8_tor said:
Sorry to hear that. I was using the more toxic stuff, but I will never switch back to it if I can get good results with waterborne paint. We’ve already had cancer once too many times.
Most of the time we have the heat on in my shop here in Southern Ontario, Canada. The temperature and humidity stays pretty consistent, so I’ve had good results once I figured out how to dial the gun in to get thin light coats (especially the first one).
Click to expand...

I got pretty good at the "tack coats" but here it starts the day with relatively low humidity and then ramps pretty quick. If I was to get up at 3:00am it would have probably worked better for me.
 
Sorry to bump a thread, but I thought I have a relevant data point to share.

I also have been using Ekoprime with great success for the past three years. It goes on so easy and smooth Every time. Hard to mess up. And then suddenly it was spraying with a very rough and sandy texture, like 120 grit. I even bought a new gun. Same thing. Talked to Stewart systems and they had me chasing my tail a bit on gun settings. They didn’t mention anything about shelf life. I even asked about freezing because I know that is an issue and they said it wouldn’t do that, it just wouldn’t mix right.

Finally broke down and bought a new can of paint. It sprayed perfectly. So I concluded my can had expired, although it couldn’t have been more than 6 months old. Now my new can, only 4 months old, is doing the same thing. I’m not going to waste any time chasing this down and will just order a new can. I do keep the paint in the garage in Texas so I’m sure it is getting above their 80 degree recommended storage temperature, but I wish they would give some more definitive guidance on storage and shelf life of an opened can. Based on my limited experience it is only about 3 months.

Side note, the Ekopoxy that I also shoot seems to have a little better shelf life. Still spraying good after 6+ months.
 
How far out of date? Where was it stored and what temps. Extremes in heat and cold. Did you cross contaminate it. Is it smooth not lumpy?
DID you stir and agitate and stir and shake more and more... Really mix it well.
May be your gun or air pressure or you are at fault.

The shelf life of primer is like food... BEST buy. You can exceed those... BUT DO YOU WANT TO? Up to you. Up to you. Primer cost more than liquid gold for the good stuff. I am trying to use my gal up in two years. My primer manufacture said there is no real end date... only on condition... (with in reason).

I keep it in the house, in closet, where temps are uniform.
I transferred part of the Gal can into a new QT can, so I don't have to open the Gal every time.
Careful to not get any catalyst into the primer.
Other than that look at it. If it really is looking bad, don't use it, but check your gun. air pressure, technique.
 
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