Homebrewed Lizard Skin

[Ranchero50]

Did a search on here long ago about insulating and quieting the interior of the truck since I'm doing the diesel conversion and found a link (that I can't find now) to a hotrod site that said use miscroscopic glass bubbles from Wicks aircraft supply and white roof paint from Lowes or Home depot to make a spray on insulation like lizard skin that you apply with an undercoating gun and I did it yesterday on my '71. The concept is the glass bubble act as insulation in the paint and a credit card thickness will reduce temps 20-30 degrees and sound 3-6db. The lizard skin is $170 for two gallons and my concoction cast $17 for the glass bubbles and $9 for the paint.


Here's a pic of the applied texture.


This evening I did a drop light test to see how well it works. After five minute hanging on the firewall the inside surface was 'warm' to the touch, but not nearly hot. I did the same to the door shell that hasn't been sprayed yet and it burned my hand after about thirty seconds.

There are more pics on my project update page of the application and cleanup. Really simple to do and I recommend it for any vehicle.

http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... hp?t=23972

Jamie

[fordman]

thats neat i wonder if you could use herculiner to do the same thing?

[Ranchero50]

I don't know. I suspect the liner could be used as a base, but it may be too thick to add the bobbles too. The paint and bubbles mix ended up with the consistency of whipped cream, only a little heavier. I was concerned about the rooking paint having wear issues or coming off, but I plan on painting over it where it shows.

Jamie

[basketcase0302]

Ranchero50,

That is cool stuff! No pun intended.
If that is the good Kool Seal you're using that stuff last cost me about $35 a gallon. Can you give us a supplier please.

Thanks in advance.

Basketcase

[Ranchero50]

Just the local Lowes or Home depot back by the roofing supplies. It rang up for $9 a gallon so I bought it. It's seems pretty durable, I can't wipe it off with a finger, but a fingernail will dent it.

Jamie

[Banjo]

Jamie, what is name or part number for those little beads? I ran search and found Wicks, but cannot find that particular item, probably looking under wrong name, thx, Banjo.

[kaptnkaos]

Hmmm..

Don't know why my previous post on the subject isn't here...

Alot of the guys doing skoolie (school bus) conversions are using this stuff on the inside to help insulate their buses.
I'm planning on doing mine that way, when I get to that point
On the interior, you don't have to use Kool-Seal, but mix it directly into what ever paint you want to use.
I hadn't seen it used with Kool-Seal before, But I do like that idea.
I have to reseal my camper roof... already got the cool seal, now I just need the additive.
Where did you get the Wicks stuff ?

Thanx

KaptnKA S

[Banjo]

If I read right, he ordered at Wicks Aircraft Supply. I ran a search on internet, found it, located "micro ballons", is that what you're talking about Jamie? Banjo

[Ranchero50]

Yep, I PM'd you back banjo, here's the link to their page on the site.

http://www.wicksaircraft.com/catalog/pr ... index.html

Kaptn, I chose the cool seal because I figured it would work with the tar that I sealed the floor repairs with and because of how it applied. Plus a big factor was $26 a gallon for paint, $9 a gallon for cool seal. I just held the undercoating gun about six inches off the metal and held the trigger and swept over the parts slow enough to give it the build I wanted. It sure cleaned up easily and it is pretty messy to apply so that means alot. A wet rags removed the overspray in seconds, not sure how easily splattered paint would come off. Doing the interior of the bus would turn out pretty nice and help keep the drone down. The acylic dries flat like a primer and supposedly you can sand it once it cures (haven't tried that yet)

Do a search for micro balloons and there's a bunch of links to a place down in Florida that sells it too premixed in paint. With the balloons it feels like you get an empty box in the mail

Jamie

[kaptnkaos]

Cool Ranchero50...

Yeah, I want to use Rustoleum "Almond" with the insulator mixed in, on the top half of the inside of the bus.
I may coat the out side roof with the Cool-Coat mixed with insulator as well.
I want it white anway and having both the top and inside isulated would help alot with cooling and heating and every little bit helps...

Thanks again...
KaptnKA S

[Ranchero50]

That link is interesting about the 'top coat' on the label. Figures because the stuff I used turns out more like a primer (no shean, rougher, etc) which is fine for my application on a blue truck. Since it's acrylic based you should be able to tint it. For $9 I'd take it to the paint mix guy at Lowes and see if it would work with latex tints.

Jamie

[kaptnkaos]

hey basketcase0302

yeah, that's the same stuff I got for the roof of my camper...

KaptnKA S

[Flxb05]

What is the ratio for mixing the glass beads with the paint? and roughly how much did it take to cover the inside of the cab?

[Ranchero50]

I ended filling 20oz glass 3/4 full of beads and adding paint to the top, but it wasn't wet enough to moisten all the beads so I had to pour it into another tub and just kept adding paint until it mixed and sprayed good. Ended up being around one quart of beads to 3/8 gallon of paint for it to spray nicely. That did the interior and also the firewall.

Jamie