[magnoman]

Hey Guys,

I have been reading about adding reducer to the clear, I have shot clear a few times but with out adding reducer and it came out ok but had to load on the last coat to get it smoooth and glossy, will adding recducer help it flow out better and what kind of reducer? the same as the base coat ?

[wildman1932]

You can reduce clear. The best way is by the manufacturers recommendations. The chemists spent a lot of time figuring it out. Use there knowledge, to your advantage, you paid for it.
Dave Tallant Hot Rods KC Mo

[302 Z28]

Clear actually can be over-reduced a bit to obtain a very smooth finish on your last coat. This greatly minimizes color sanding abd buffing.

Vince

[magnoman]

I am using something called "AMNI AU" it says mix 2-1 can not seem to find the recommended reducer amount?

[Countilaw]

Reduce it with a slow ( also know as high temperature) reducer and use a slow activator.

Both will allow the clear to flow before it starts to gel. The gel (curing) is where a lot of orange peel comes from.

Any eurathane reducer will work.

Now believe it or not, Kirker has a good general purpose reducer at a good price. But there are others out there also.

Now the question is how much reducer to use.

Practise, practise, practise. Hang some masking paper on the wall. reduce your clear by 5 % and shoot the paper. When you can hold the trigger for one second. If it looks thick, add more reducer, if it runs, add some clear. Keep track of your amounts to you can mix another batch later.

Frank

[magnoman]

Thanks for the info, So there is a special reducer for urethane. I was thinking they where using base coat recducer?

[Countilaw]

it's the same. There are different temperature values. such as slow medium and fast aka, high temperature 85+ medium temperature 70 to 85 degree and low temperature, below 70 degree temperatures.


Base coat is a eurathane just as clear coat.

Frank

[Bee4Me]

Depends on the reducer involved.
You want a "straight" urethane reducer or one designed for the clear your using. Some reducers are "reactive" and are NOT allowed to be mixed with clear.
Namely, Dupont Basemaker or Sherwin Williams to name 2 specifically.
Theses are designed for their base but use entirely different ones for clear.
10-20% reduction is the "norm" for a smoother flow out on the FINAL coat or 2 and some even shoot a last coat of straight reducer over the FLAT panels for a smoother finish. I have done ALL these methods and be warned. Depending on the PRODUCT,you may be fine or you may pop the crap out of it or even worse,die it back/yellow it out or run it all over the place. This comes from EXPERIENCE using the product and I've not ever heard of the clear in question,So, I would stick to the 20% MAX with a QUALITY urethane reducer which is a general purpose type such as Kirker,Montana,(cheap),PPG or SPI,etc for your top end products.

[Countilaw]

I think he's using Omni Universal. Which any universal reducer will work.

I too usually reduce clear coat, even the first coat. But I don't use a percentage. I just reduce it until it shoot the way I want it to. But that comes from experience, not recommended for the novice painter.

But Bee4me is right.