[Lizer]

Tonight I shot my first Slick Sand ever, after Brian got it in my head that it was good stuff

I did it in the evening about 7:30 so it wouldn't set up real fast with heat...temp was 70-75.

I'm using a $50 Aeropro 2.5 mm cannon from TCP.

I was spraying my hoodscoop, roof, driver's door, and trunk lid. I had plenty of panels prepared to be safe in case I had leftover.

I prepared half a quart, added 11 ml of hardener (half the tube) per manufacturer recommendation. Mixed everything exceedingly well. During the day I play scientist for big pharma, so mixing reagents and preparing dilutions and ratios is nothing new to me.

I started the clock and filtered it into the cup....went very slowly through the filter.

There is also a filter in the gun that sits in the body of the gun where the cup screws into.

I go to set up my gun and I'm hardly getting anything out of it and my fan is very small. I have the fluid completely open and the fan set wide, air pressure set to gun specs. I knew right away this wasn't a good sign.

When I go to spray it was coming out almost like spatter, kind of like when you spray fine texture on the wall. I've read this stuff orange peels pretty bad but it looked like it was spraying very dry. It just didn't seem like it was coming out very well. I ended up spraying the entire half quart between the hood scoop, roof, trunk lid, and door, 1 coat. This is a 67 Mustang coupe by the way.

I've never sprayed this before, so maybe this is how it goes on, but I'm doubting it.

I am really suspecting that filter in the gun wasn't letting enough flow through? At least that's what I hope.

Any thoughts?

Side tangent: It just occurred to me today that this has got to be the most depressing forum ever. It's one tragedy after another when you read all the threads!

[mitmaks]

Remove little strainer in the cup and THROW IT AWAY, that is your problem

[Lizer]

well that is reassuring to hear someone thinks the same. I didn't even think of it before hand, and by the time I did it was too late.

I went out and looked at it again. It's starting to tack up but it's getting a lot cooler outside too. It still built pretty well. It's not a disaster, just going to make more work for me since I'll to block it now before I can add more.

[John long]

Probably pretty expensive stuff not use efficiently too. I have never used it Josh. Does anyone know if you could reduce it with some urethane reducer? With a 2.4 tip you should be able to shoot molasses out of that gun.

John L

[Lizer]

Originally Posted by John long

Probably pretty expensive stuff not use efficiently too. I have never used it Josh. Does anyone know if you could reduce it with some urethane reducer? With a 2.4 tip you should be able to shoot molasses out of that gun.

John L

You're thinking like I am...it was about $90 for this gallon, I'd sure hate to waste any of it. They recommend 2-2.2 for a tip, so at 2.5 I'm certainly not running too small of a tip.

It can be reduced with acetone, but that seems counter-intuitive. I bought such a large gun so I wouldn't have to.

[John long]

I saw on some other posts that acetone could be used but I have no experience with it. I am definitely not the expert here. I would think it is better to reduce it slightly and get a good flow out rather than loose it as dry over spray.

John L

[mitmaks]

I've used Sherwin Williams brand and didn't like it. You could put a bit of acetone in it to flow out easier

[MARTINSR]

The "Sherwin Williams" brand WAS Evercoat Slick sand relabeled.

But I have to say, I do believe the filter was the problem as well. And with a little reducer it flows just fine.

We are only talking about 10% so it doesn't thin it too much, just enough to get it out of the gun.

Brian

[tech69]

that filter is useless, as others have said. Could also be the tip too. You have to have at LEAST a 2.2 tip. You can also thin it out a little to get it to spray nicer. Slick sand sounds much better than paying $300 for Spies Heckler poly primer.

[Lizer]

I think this stuff should be renamed sh1t sand. Barryk warned me that it becomes hard as concrete if you sand it the next day. I felt it at 45 min but it still felt too tacky. After 2 hours I went and proceeded to block. Using my 80 grit 3M board I felt like I was getting nowhere! I think 2 hours is too long, even though it's what the tech sheet says. But their notion of blocking with 320 is a damn joke for that matter too.

[MARTINSR]

If it is applied properly it works great. You are sanding something very rough, if it were smooth it would sand better.

It's also like I made very clear in the "Basics" of paint technologies it isn't something you use all the time, it is for very special circumstances and under those circumstances there is nothing that can take it's place.

"Polyester primer (2K)

Polyester is a very specialized primer used in very small amount in most shops across the country. But when it is needed, it does a job like no other. Polyester has a huge solids content and will fill 80 grit scratches in one coat or 36 grit in two or three! Urethane for instance provides about ½ or ¾ mils per coat while polyester can give you as much as 4 to 6! Because of it’s high solids, it shrinks very little. It is basically like spraying polyester putty. Look for a manufacture that has a recommendation to apply etch primer under it. I see NO reason to use polyester on a straight panel. It is for use only when you need some serious filling and surfacing.

Benefits:

- VERY high filling

- Low cost

Disadvantages:

- Very high texture

- Harder to sand than a urethane

- Possible need to purchase a large gun to shoot it. "

What exactly are you doing that you needed it?

Brian

[speedydeedy]

All good suggestions but also no matter how right everything else is if air can't get into the paint cup paint can't get out. I don't know if this is your problem but I would check that all air vents are clean. Also if the primer is that thick be carefull not to shake or tilt the gun in such a way that it causes the primer to cover the vent hole as it may take a while for it to drip off and free up your vent. Hope this helps.

[Lizer]

Good call on the vent. In cleaning the lid I don't recall the vent being plugged but now I can be aware of it.

Brian, some of the panels on this car are horribly wavy. It's been in many accidents and had body damage all over that I had to repair. A lot of panels were replaced due to this. And as you're well aware, the reproduction panels aren't none too straight either. The other reason is it acts as a buffer or compensation for my lack of experience. The third reason is I wanted the learning experience to see for myself just what it can and can't do. You can read and get advice all day long, but there's still the element of learning from personal experience that goes a long ways.

[swvalcon]

I've used both slick sand and Sherwin Williams brand and never had a issue with either. As said they can be thinned out. The right reducer to use is acetone. I have used a good grade lacquer thinner in a pinch. I've sprayed it through a 1.7 tip atd paint gun that was clean and working as it should. Take that in gun filter step on it a couple times and throw it a way.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Lizer

You can read and get advice all day long, but there's still the element of learning from personal experience that goes a long ways.

This is very true.

Brian