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We have been using Elmers Wood Putty to fill voids in MDO and fill the seams when we layer material (MDO on top of MDO, Sign Foam on top of Sign Foam, etc.).
We just got a call from a customer that the top of his sign was peeling (its 2 years old). I went to look at our sign that was 2, s/s sandblasted SignFoam panels, sandwiched around posts and the area between the panels was filled with a layer of Sign Foam. We used Elmers Wood Putty to fill the seams. The paint was totally peeling away on the top of the sign - one area all the way down to the raw SignFoam.
In diagnosing the problem, we realized that all the failures we have encountered were signs that were layered and the seams between layers filled with Elmers Wood Putty. So, we are thinking that this could be the weak point in our process.
What do you use for a filler?
-------------------- Richard Swartz DeNyse Signs 4521 Industrial Access Road Douglasville, GA 30134 Posts: 102 | From: Douglasville, GA | Registered: Nov 1998
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We are having the same problem with Elmers. It seems as though they changed the formula about a year ago or so and now it ain't worth crap. We are still searching for something and in the mean time we are using alot of Bondo and west system epoxy. I save dust from cutting and routing HDU and mix it with the epoxy to create a sort of paste that can be worked and then sanded. Only problem is, as good as West System epoxy is, it ain't cheap! Rob Larkham has a great system for sealing edges of MDO. Tite bond glue. For seams and joints let me know if you find something cause we are still looking. In the meantime this is what we use. Hope this helps some. Good luck and best regards.
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We also had the same problem on our last sandblasted HDU sign. Paint peeled right off the areas where the filler was at. That was before it even left the shop. I won't be using it anymore. Coastal makes some type of filler I believe but I haven't tried it.
-------------------- Amy Brown Life Skills 101 Private Address Posts: 3502 | From: Lake Helen, FL, USA | Registered: Feb 2001
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I can't see wood putty making a very good bond between HDU. You need something that will get down into the open cells. The best solution for bonding HDU to itself is either epoxy (West System, or Dura Finish from SignFoam which is also a bonding epoxy) or any of the polyurethane glues such as Gorilla Glue. The polyurethane glues will expand to fill small voids. You can then sand or route it flush.
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Richard, Coastal Enterprises makes FSC-360WB, a water based putty/filler for filling voids and seams on Precision Board and other HDU's. (Also works well on other substrates, MDO, etc.) It sands at the same rate as the material and is specially formulated for HDU. Click here for more information on FSC-360WB Please call if you have any questions about FSC-360WB or any of our other products. (We have a great technical department!) Have a great day! Kellie
-------------------- Kellie Miller Customer Service Mgr. Coastal Enterprises Company Mfg. of Precision Board (800) 845-0745 www.precisionboard.com hdu@precisionboard.com Posts: 118 | From: Orange, CA | Registered: Feb 2002
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