In "the old days" we would apply filler, then use progressive grits of sand paper until we had a very smooth finish. Then we would apply primer, or maybe more micro, to fill all the pinholes. Then we would sand it off, only to find that the pinholes where still there. Over and over and over.
Using the epoxy wipe method I sanded with 36 Grit, then a quick once-over with 80 grit. The epoxy wipe fills pinholes, pot holes, scratches, gouges and all sorts of other sins. It also does a great job of hardening the soon-to-be-painted surface.
Today, we filled the forward fuselage, the tail cone, upper cowling, lower cowl and the upper surface of the canopy. I used West 105/206 epoxy and applied four skim coats.
The idea is to apply it, then squeegee off as much epoxy as you possibly can. When it gets tacky, repeat. With all the components I was working on, I just kept rotating through. It took us about 4 1/2 hours. It really helped having Sandy mix while I was working. It was warm in the hangar - 88 F degrees.
I also wanted to keep track of the weight I was adding. We kept track of every cup mixed and I figure we added 2.2 lbs.
Now, I'll sand it all with 180 Grit and it's ready for paint.
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