RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Frank, I think Leroy was being facetious. At least I think he was. In case anyone really thinks Frank is out to lunch, look at his work. He's a professional auto painter and his skills show in his photos. I think the man knows how to read a paint can and mix product! If someone wants to disagree with him, he should post his own work in order to show his superior level of knowledge.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

I was the master painter on the Lockheed L-1011 program in Palmdale California in my younger days, but for the last 30 + years I use only DuPont base coat clear coat system when I paint, but I have followed the directions provided by the manufacturer and that has always worked out good for me. Here are just a couple of pictures of my old toys showing my handy work with the use of DuPont finishing systems. The van was my old airplane hauler, and the car I restored was a 1996 Saleen Stang Speedster that was supercharged and on spray, it placed over 750 HP at the rear wheels on the dyno. :D Fun to drive but dangerous on the street... Anyway, I would just follow the manufacturer's specification on mix ratios, you really can't go wrong with that.

Bob

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Sensei, Your planes always look great. I can't imagine the time you spent on each one of them.

Frank

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Thank you for the kind words Frank, and that is some nice work yourself.

Bob

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

That is what John Kosmoksi(founder of House of Kolor) says. You want the car to be one big run when the clear is just right!

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Funny, I remember once I was watching my boss working. I was controling the hose. I asked him, "What do you do if you get a run?" his reply was "I keep spraying until the run falls off the car."I was17yrs old andI thought he was a nut.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Well some still have alot to learn. In America we mix our paints in this order, speaking of urethane 3 part automotive by the nations largest producers. I still maintain ratios vary from Mfg. to Mfg. so slways use the technical data sheets that come with the product as there are product options for different conditions of use.

See examples, Leroy

Which one is a base coat and which one is a hardened color coat, ?????

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Oh yes, PPG Omni paint, the cheapest paint that PPG manufactures. (Used car lots use it to paint their cars because it is so cheap) It doesn't matter in what order you mix the ingrediants. No PROFESSIONAL painter mixes the reducer (thinner) before he adds the activator ( hardener). A PROFESSIONAL paint reduces his paint according to the spray pattern he wants.

Can you imagine spending $200. for a quart of House of Color paint (Rasberry Pop) and adding the reducer, then the activator and then realize when you start spraying it that it's too thin to cover? You can't take the reducer out, you can only add more paint ($200. a quart) to your mix.

The PROFESSIONAL painter would mix the paint with the activator, do a test spray and add reducer a little at a time to get the paint to the consistancy that sprays the best.

Anyone that disagrees with that is not a professional painter and HAS A LOT TO LEARN !!!

Frank

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

For toy planes OMNI is just as good as Concept at 1/4 the cost. Been using it for more than a decade.

All that earlier discussion about controlled runs has got me thinking. I suppose you guys don't care much about weight build up huh?

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

I sure do.

Bob

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

With clear coat you must get it on thick enough to flow out. If you don't the surface will feel like sand paper. If you get the clear too thick, it will run. So it's a fine line on getting the clear thick enough to flow yet, light enough not to run.

Mtk If you have been using Omni paint for the last decade, you would know that.

Did you know that you can use a more expensive paint and actually put less on the plane, thus saving weight. The more expensive paint have larger and better pigment. It takes fewer coats to get coverage.

Frank

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Some paint jobs reflect the quality of the painter, it's the first indicator of someone knowing what he's doing.

By the way frank clear coat does not have pigment in it, only color coats have pigment.

Now if I can get the upload to work I'll show you one of my paint jobs. it's muted silver metalic Demention 4 but I don't expect you to know what that is. Just a brain teaser.

I will post picts as soon as this site will allow.

The reflectivity shows the quality of the paint and the profession of the painter, I don't think I need to say more.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Pretty funny thread at this point.

A bunch of guys discussing who's paint kung fu is best as they attempt to assist a paint newb.:D
:D:D

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Yeah Vicman, Looks like we got us an all out pi$$in contest.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

I thought there was more than one way to skin a cat. I have got a feeling both these guys are right. Every one learns a different way to do these things that has several ways of accomplishing the same goal. Also over time develop their own technique. I am aware of folks thinking their way is better. But who cares, just as longs the end results is admirable. Me I wish I had that artistic talent. My daughter has it ,have no clue where she got it from but the girl could draw. Me if you see my stick figure you would laugh yourself into a heart attack. I am trying to get her to do air brushing so she could do a nose art or 2 for me. :D You guys that have the artist talent , much respect.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Russsmall,

in a pi$$ng contest,is there reducer or activator involved??

I crack me up :D

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

I do know if you have too much or too large a pigment, it aint a good thing.[X(]

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

:):)

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

YAT-28E, Lacquer Thinner!! Feel the burn!!

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Some gals say, you can't have too much too large pigment!

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

usually they are more interested in the gun than pigment.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

You never said what type of paint it is, but it doesn't matter.  You could have a paint no one here used.  Regardless, the paint manufacture knows what to use better than anyone here does, so go by the instructions from the manufacture.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

I'm sure the manufacturers can tell you the right recipe for a good paint job given temperature and humidity along with knowing which gun you use and what your nozzle size and air pressure are. Frank's way is based on knowing what he needs and using an experienced eye to make sure it's right instead of relying on a manufacturer's recommendation that may have also included other variables. After all, the way the paint sprays and flows out is what actually matters. There are far too many people today who only know how to go to a book to find out how to do something instead of using some common sense and observation.

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

And then get off their butt and go experiment to find what works and what doesn't.

Ken

RE: Painting with auto paint questions
 

Alot of what you said here is true and applies to many paints but we are talking about base/clear cote painting which includes the science involved and the formula for success provided by the mfg. in the form of material data sheets. The only variable is the guy holding the gun. There is always the guy who thinks he knows more than the maker/tester of the product and with some success but this is not drizzel stick mixing. Many of you fail to read many of these posts and run on stupid asumptions not based on the subject the thread is about in the first place. Trying to clarify some of that to help a person wishing to learn something more about what ever and have it said to become a pissing contest only proves what I just said.

I did post a couple of pict's of a high quality paint job on my mustang on my last post and the product was mixed to the standards of the mfg., just what I have been trying to get across to others in my other posts. For a newbi it's good info, for the rest of you I could care less.