Afew First Time Spraying Questions

[Woodsy]

Hmm yeah mines pretty close to that, will try and get some pics tomorrow before i sand it and put them up, i know spraying takes practice so i wasnt expecting a perfect paint job to start with. Another hassle being acrylic, ALOT of sanding! Will keep you posted.

[Flyboy]

Are you/have you putting clear over it?

[Woodsy]

i havent yet put clear over it yet no, i want to get the surface as perfect as i can first

[Flyboy]

Then dont sweat it, as soon as you put the clear on, it will shine like a mirror, that is how it is, you can sand until you are blue in the face, the basecoat will not shine, it is not supposed to, it is designed that way.
Just make sure you get any dust or imperfections sanded out, and call it done, lay the clear down.

And post pics...we want pics, we want pics...

[Woodsy]

gimme afew minutes i'll grab some pics

[Woodsy]

Excuse the messy garage, getting stuff ready for a garage sale.

Looks alot smoother etc now but as you can see its more a matt black than a gloss black, its meant to have a great gloss off the gun. Nothing like its pressure pack relation though which is great out of the can.

[Flyboy]

Looks good to me, looks pretty smooth to, bet that will transform into a really glossy finish once you lay down the clear.

[Woodsy]

thanks flyboy, i still want to give it afew more coats tomorrow i'm pretty happy with it tonight though!

[pete]

Keep at it Josh, that should come up nice

My base colour looked crap finish wise until I got that clear going, just like Stan's saying now, so don't sweat it.

[twotimeGSr]

If you want a cheaper (than a new compressor) way to help extend your paint times buy a secondary air tank and hook it inline. You will not get any more flow from your compressor... but you will get a longer spray time in each shot.

[Woodsy]

Actually i'm not having any problems with the air supply, which i am quite surprised about.

Going to give it a block down this morning then depending how it comes up i'll either clear straight over it or do another coat or 2, but i have been told to get a really deep shine to mix the colour and clear 50/50 then thin it down as normal, then put more clear coats over that while its still wet. a good idea or should i just stick to my original plan? Any difference with spraying clear to spraying colour?

[Homie]

Wow, a lot of variables here! Most compressors have a low and high output rating somewhere on the data label. So many CFM's at 30psi and so many CFM's at 90psi, etc. The gun should have a so many CFM's at such and such pressure somewhere in the instructions. Newer High-Volumn-Low-Pressure (HVLP) guns require more air flow than older high-pressure guns. The compressor has to at least match the gun's requirements.

Generally speaking, a 1/4" line is too small. It will give you too much of a pressure drop along the line. A 3/8" line is the way to go. Don't put your primary water trap on the compressor. The air at the compressor discharge is still warm and the water vapor hasn't fully condensated out of it. I run a 25' length of hose from my compressor to my primary water trap. It gives the air time to cool and the water vapor to condensate before it gets to the trap. Always add a disposable water filter at the gun inlet.

The gun tip is determined by the viscosity of the material you're spraying. 1.2, 1.3 would be for thin laquers; 1.8, 2.0 for heavy high-build primers or latex; and a 1.5 for medium enamels and urethanes.

Then there is the paint itself. With today's modern paints SPYUG said it best:

You should get a product sheet with the paint that will give you all the info you need to set up your equipment, spraying and recoating times etc. Always refer to that.

Always, always, always refer to the product sheet. It gives you everything you need to know to spray that particular paint. It tells you how to prepare the surface and the paint, setup your gun (tip size and spray pressure (pressure at the air-cap, not at the compressor or gun inlet)), and spray it. It will also tell you the recoat time. If you are using a base / clear paint (and sounds like you are), some basecoats have to be cleared within a certain amount of time after spraying the basecoat. And speaking of basecoats, I don't know what color you're spraying, but if it's a metallic, sanding the basecoat can really screw up the appearance of the metallic flakes - it could make them look all splotchy and mottled.

[Woodsy]

Okay, went out this morning and sanded the tank down, it was abit rough in spots. I gave it 3 wet coats of gloss black again as the instructions say to do and it is looking realllly glossy now. It is still textured and not a smooth finish so what do i do now.... wet sand it to 100% then clear over the top? Or lots of clear straight over it as is, or my last option, wet sand it and then polish it without a clear?

[Homie]

Okay, went out this morning and sanded the tank down, it was abit rough in spots. I gave it 3 wet coats of gloss black again as the instructions say to do and it is looking realllly glossy now. It is still textured and not a smooth finish so what do i do now.... wet sand it to 100% then clear over the top? Or lots of clear straight over it as is, or my last option, wet sand it and then polish it without a clear?

If the finish is coming out rough and textured, here are some of the most likely causes: a) gun air/fluid control knobs incorrectly set - too much air and not enough fluid; b) holding the gun too far away from the work while spraying; c) too fast of a reducer/solvent for the temperature - paint starts drying before it can "flow out"

The narrative of your progess is a bit confusing to me. What exactly is the type of paint you are spraying? If you are spraying a basecoat of a basecoat/clearcoat system it shouldn't get glossy at all. It should only get to a nice satin lustre before you spray the clear. We all assumed you are spraying a modern catalyzed basecoat/clearcoat urethane. Or is it something else?

[Woodsy]

It is Jet Black Acrylic Lacquer, always has been.