Old dog - new trick: Clearcoat

[Wetstuff]

I have shot paint before, typically single stage urethane. I usually got a decent finish, but most of the fancy stuff these days is done BC/CC. (base/clear)  ..so I put my paddle into new water this afternoon. 



This Laird had some pretty decent scratches from shells and other debris in our shorebreak.  Leveled some deeper gouges with epoxy then lightly sanded and taped the bottom.  Unlike some show car, I only did a single layer using about 10oz of material to shoot the entire bottom. 

New toy ..next item! I grabbed a Thule box I shot about 2004 and cleaned it up.

 



The Thule was originally all Black but I usually carried at least three kites and it got so damn hot inside that nipples would release from the bladders if I left the lid closed.  I sprayed it Silver mistakenly thinking 'Shiny is better' ..'Reflective' - WRONG.  Once I shot White things cooled down inside. (I had Velcro'd a small thermometer to the inside of the lid)  I put it up for sale because there is no SUP space. (can't have that!) ..now it's a little more shiny. 

Jim

[standuped]

Make sure you are using proper safety equipment.  Fresh air sys or at the very least fresh Charcoal filters.  isocyanates are no joke

[Wetstuff]

Claro Duped..  I don't have a fresh air system but have always worn a good mask.  In the 70's I made foam plugs that blocked primary intakes of deHavilland of Canada aircraft and others.  Picture 2' dia. x 4" polyfoam dipped in vertical tanks ..then hung on a homemade trolley running thru a 20' 'heat chamber' (I made with baseboard heaters) to flash the solvents. (all done in a 40' construction trailer)

Hotter than Chit, so I only had gloves and my mask...  The supplier collapsed under a series of lawsuits from the exceptional levels of MIBK, MEK, MIK (m'sure others..) resulting in all sort of CA.  Not long after, (after..) I bought Marshall Sittig's book 'Hnbk of Toxic Chems and Carcinogens'.  A the end (appropriate) he has a 4.5 page list, in about 8pt type, of carcinogens.  Some of us mongrel breeds have good genes. 

Next morning.. I'm sure gonna shoot clear again! Now the quest is to find the hardest. 







Jim

[surfcowboy]

So many dudes on here need this. Thanks. I'll be following to see how the hardness tests go.

[jrandy]

Wetstuff-thanks for posting this.

After you shot the clear, did you do a wet sand and buff job, and/or are the pictures as-sprayed?

Thanks, J

[blackeye]

most of the fancy stuff these days is done BC/CC. (base/clear)

By this do you mean base coat (with colour+graphics) then a clear coat on top? So what was single stage urethane, just one coating rather than a base and top coat?

So what is the actual coating that is used?

[Wetstuff]

Thanks guys...

J/R.. Naaaah ..as shot, micro warts and all. (remarkably few! ..I always close my eyes, then run finger tips over it)  Given that I only shot one coat, I dared not sand it ..forcing me to shoot another.  That would be the best way if I was shooting a car or something not getting scratched every time I took it to the beach. 

Blackie..  Exactly.  I did a posting not long ago about painting a 9-2 Allwave.  That was single stage catalyzed urethane using vinyl graphics for color. Other than Sunova boards, this will be the last of the 'beauty queens' that I will own.(maybe) 

Duped... I failed to mention. My first job after high school was working for Johns Manville Corp. I was part of a crew of work-release types loading boxcars with floor tiles.  They'd fork a pallet in the side door and we'd stack 12x12 cartons floor-to-ceiling 'till the car was stuffed. These were asbestos tiles. (more lawsuits/bankruptcy)  After calculating my prospects on one finger ...2 months later, I enlisted in the ARMY to go live with actual work release types!   

Jim

[magentawave]

Wetstuff - Looks good. What did you shoot and what kind of equipment did you use to shoot it?

I've been wondering for a while if anyone's been finishing off repairs on those shiny factory boards with some kind of clear coating in a spray can?

[PonoBill]

I've used a lot of rattle can stuff for quick and dirty, which should be my middle name, but HVLP guns are so cheap now, and the cheap ones are really good, that I've probably bought my last rattle can. SAomeone is probably going to scream, but I like the one I bought from Harbor Freight for 49 bucks better than my 300 buck DeVilbiss. Easy to just load up what you need and dump the excess back into the can. Water cleanup for everything but clear and primer. I like the stuff.

[Wetstuff]

Magenta,   Bill mentioned the real reason to use rattle can clear:  if you don't have a decent source of compressed air.   I used this brand on one occasion:  http://www.amazon.com/Spraymax®-Glamour-Gloss-Aerosol-Usc-3680061/dp/B0043B7UQY

It worked fine but I had about half the can left.  It's not cheap by the fluid ounce but a helluva lot cheaper than having to purchase a gun, compressor and various supplies.  ..not to mention maintenance and clean up.

I got a gallon of clear from a company many of the car shooters rave about: SPI in GA.  Their Euro Clear is their hardest.  ..problem with any 'superlative' - who has time/money to compare?!  I have a 24' rowing shell to shoot after this Nor'Easter weather clears the area.  I may also re-decorate a Sunova Speeed I recently got...

Bill,  I have heard raves about the HF Purple gun ..and have a couple cheapo guns, but finally got a decent DeVilbiss.  A large body, dual piston compressor costs a lot of money; 'Why supply expensive air to a cheap gun.' is my new mantra.

Jim

[eDUBz]

Right on looks good

[magentawave]

Bill - Have you ever used a clear rattle can spray to finish off a repair you did on a shiny factory board?

Actually, the $10-$15 spray gun at Harbor Freight is supposed to be really good. If you read the reviews for it at the Harbor Freight site, the ones praising it say that the key is to tear it apart and clean all the oil and grease out of it. I think some mentioned using a different tip too. I haven't used one personally yet, but saw one being used last week to spray clear lacquer on furniture and the guy was getting great results right out of the box.

I've used a lot of rattle can stuff for quick and dirty, which should be my middle name, but HVLP guns are so cheap now, and the cheap ones are really good, that I've probably bought my last rattle can. SAomeone is probably going to scream, but I like the one I bought from Harbor Freight for 49 bucks better than my 300 buck DeVilbiss. Easy to just load up what you need and dump the excess back into the can. Water cleanup for everything but clear and primer. I like the stuff.

[eDUBz]

The harbor freight  guns will work, just have to tear it down after each use and clean it really good, also having the cfm to properly use the gun. Take out the Lil filter they have between the cup and gun and use paper filters to strain the paint. Don't forget to tack before shooting