[tciancia]

Hi all...

This project will start here

I just purchased a single stage enamel and have a few questions. My experience is ancient. 20 years ago, in high school, I worked as a body shop " helper". Painted some cars in the booth (respirator?? yea right) using a siphon gun, all were average at best. Now I am in the process of painting a motorcycle with the aforementioned Paint.. Not only was it inexpensive, it was exactly what I was looking for. I have several practice panels to paint on before I shoot the good ones.

The panels will not be stripped, as they are currently black. Just a scuff and clean.

The paint booth I am building is 8X12 8 feet tall, out of plastic, 2x4's furnace filters, and house fans, in a fairly dust free and clean garage. I plan on painting in about 2 weeks, and have started misting the garage with water on a daily basis (I'm serious about the dust free environment!)

I have never used an HVLP gun, and don't want to get into a brand war. from what I understand the tcpglobal brand gun is fine for me.

The temperature in the paint area will be 85 degrees F

My local Body shop will paint these for me, for less then the cost of tooling up. I WANT to do it

Here come the money questions!
____________________________________________________________________

Will I need a hardener to spray the paint?

What tip size will I need to spray this paint? The largest panels are about 3X3'

Can this color be colorsanded?

What reducer should I use?

Any advice on gun set up?

I don't mind putting 20 "light" coats on if it will prevent runs. possible?

Anything else that someone can add will be fantastic.

I have both a Urethane, and Enamel Clear Coat. What is the time frame to clear the panels? (provided I need/want to clear)


Thanks for reading this post, and for your expert advice. Ive been researching for a few weeks now, and thought it time to just come out and ask! This site has more info then any motorcycle site I could find!


-Ill keep you all posted on my progress as the project progresses.

Tom

 

[kenseth17]

Will I need a hardener to spray the paint?
[highlight] No, an acrylic enamel doesn't require using a harder (the urethane on the other hand requires it), but it is a very good idea to add the optional enamel activator, as it will surely add durability, gloss, help recoatability, and speed cure time. If you will be clearing, you must use activator.[/highlight]

What tip size will I need to spray this paint? The largest panels are about 3X3'
[highlight]The tech sheet state 1.3-1.6. I'd tend to try to go toward the higher end with enamel, but you could always over reduce your product a tad if it helps it spray better. Many guns come with a 1.4 tip, and is what many seem to use, and should work well with your urethane clear.[/highlight]


Can this color be colorsanded? [highlight]No if not cleared[/highlight]

What reducer should I use?
[highlight]I'd would first use the reducer that is recommended in the tech sheets, but you will want an enamel reducer and a slow enough one for the painting temps. A urethane reducer might work too, as they are typically a better grade then enamel. Reducer is not an area you really want to go cheap on, as there is a reason for difference in prices. lower priced are usually more watered down and don't use as good of solvents. The rule is you should never use a lower line reducer in a better line. Omni is a lower line paint, so it wouldn't be okay to use omni reducer in a better line like deltron, but you could probably use deltron reducer in omni. Although it doesn't apply to your omni, some paints use special activated or reactive reducers. You must use the correct recommended reducer in those.[/highlight]

Any advice on gun set up? [highlight]Yeah read about gun set up and practice on some pieces till you get it spraying correctly before attempting to paint the vehicle. There are probably some articles or links to gun setup in past threads here, try a search.[/highlight]

I don't mind putting 20 "light" coats on if it will prevent runs. possible?
[highlight]Spray good wet coats, without being overly heavy. You want coat wet enough to insure good gloss and adhesion.[/highlight]
Anything else that someone can add will be fantastic.

I have both a Urethane, and Enamel Clear Coat. What is the time frame to clear the panels? (provided I need/want to clear)
[highlight] You wouldn't have to clear a single stage enamel. If you do clear, I am not positive not using ss enamel much. If you were planning on clearing anyways, a base clear would be an easier way to go, as your not shooting for gloss with the base, and repairability is a bit easier faster in the event you make a mistake shooting color or have to do a repair in the future. I would just allow good flash time between coats of color and allow about an hour or so before applying your coats of clear. Enamel can be wierd with recoatability, ie if you don't get clear applied within a certain time it will want to lift, or will have to wait a certain number of days sand and reapply and clear within the correct window. (You cannot sand a pearl without recoating as scratches will show). Again, add a hardener to your enamel to help its recoatability and durability. Read the tech sheet for your product, it has usefull information, and may answer many questions. I assume you have the omni mae
https://buyat.ppg.com/refinishProductCatalog/ServeFile.ashx?FileID=be946b57-5e87-4a81-8734-aa3a62a631c9
They give no recommendation on clearing in the tech sheet, and they state 10 p.s.i at the cap, which is often confusing to people. There is no easy way to measure the pressure at the cap, and most hvlp guns still require a decent amount of pressure going into your gun. Start at your gun manufacturers recommendations, and adjust from there till you seem to get it laying down the best. If planning to clear over the enamel, you could check with more veteran painters who started painting when enamel was more widely used or call ppg's tech line for advice, who are suppose to best know there product. This may have been discussed in some past threads as well.[/highlight]

Thanks for reading this post, and for your expert advice. Ive been researching for a few weeks now, and thought it time to just come out and ask! This site has more info then any motorcycle site I could find!


-Ill keep you all posted on my progress as the project progresses.

 

[tciancia]

Wow, now THATS a reply. OK, Im going for it. was a tossup between a 1.3 and 1.4. went with the 1.4. Here comes the prep work!

 

[milo]

Hi all...

This project will start here

Anything else that someone can add will be fantastic.

Take the time now before prep to figure how to hold the parts still while you shoot plain air at them hitting every angle.

Now is the time while you can handle them rather then on paint day when you find they move if you just hang them on a string , clamp them or jig them near to each other to get good panel to panel color match and do a 'rehearsal with just air.
It may seem like overkill but better to be prepared and know if you can hit every angle..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9rL419tQyo

 

[tciancia]

I'm designing my plastic booth now. Didn't even think about the swinging/swaying issue. Adding to design!

Ill get some pics of the process up here.

Thanks!

 

[kenseth17]

I just noticed in that tech sheet for the omni mae, it gives no recommendation for hardener and the mix ratio with a hardener. Here is an older sheet I believe, but the mix ratio appears different, 4 parts paint to 1 part reducer vs 8 to 1 in the old sheet. No idea why they say nothing about hardener in the previous linked sheet, but enamel you should be able to add an enamel activator to and I wouldn't want to spray without one, as it will never really fully cure. http://www.englishcolor.com/ECS_-_ECUCITC/LIC_CPC_files/MAE%20TDS.pdf
Enamel isn't as critical on the amount of activator like a urethane is. Most enamels I seen, the mix ratio seems to be around 1/8 activator. They even make universal enamel activators. A urethane on the other hand, you better make sure you use the recommended activator and mix in the proper ratio, or it may never cure and continue to finger print.
Might be something to field to ppg if you end up calling, why an activator is not longer mentioned in the mae sheet.
I know you already bought your paint, but just for future reference, although an enamel isn't the worst thing to use, a urethane I believe is more user friendly and has better durability, holds its gloss better, less upkeep-resists oxidation better, and in the case of when a solid is used with no clear and you want to buff, urethane curing a bit harder should be easier to buff. And there are quite a few less expensive urethane lines today, that when all is said in down and figuring buying activator and reducer for an acrylic enamel, might come in fairly close in price. Years back when I painted a car, I think I paid 90 bucks for a gallon of omni white mtk urethane incluing the hardener and reducer. White is a cheaper color, and most likely the price has gone up since then, but black is one of your cheaper colors as well, save for the fact yours also has pearl.