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So I did some online research and acted upon my findings this weekend. Turns out, acrylic gesso makes a passable resist for saving EPS foam from the ravages of polyester resin during fiberglass lay-up. The source said to use multiple thin coats, rather than one or two thicker ones. Due to the size of the part I was working on (and the fact that I wasn't overly concerned if I got some surface distortion), I went ahead and used two thicker coats anyway. Having done that, my surface held up with no problems over about 98% of the surface. I had a few areas where the foam beneath got pitted out a bit (I'm guessing either the gesso just wasn't thick enough there, or some deeper pits in the EPS had never gotten gesso in them in the first place).
If you attempt to use this method yourself, I'd recommend using at least three coats of gesso, making sure to leave no EPS exposed.
Ultimately, I'm sure the high-tech primers listed above are a far better choice, if money is no object, or your surfaces are critical. Gesso has the advantages of being readily available at any art supply or craft store, cheap, and obtainable in quantities large or small right off the shelf. |
