serjik911
Promoted Users
Boss doesn't care. Also I'm not allowed to modify any pipe. Will two hoses 3/8 connected to my SATA regulator work? 3/8 x2 will give exact 3/4
Contamination or solvent pop?
- Thread starter serjik911
- Start date
Cross sectional area of a pipe doesn't work like that. A seemingly small change in pipe diameter can carry orders of magnitude more volume. (2) 3/8" hoses are not equivalent to 3/4". The area of 3/8" circle is .11045 square inches. The area of 3/4" circle is .44179 square inches. Typically pipe is nominal size, I don't know how close to 3/8" the ID of 3/8" air hose is.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Well that sucks. I've been there, when your Boss doesn't want to give you the tools (proper pipe size) to be successful it's usually indicative of the whole operation being a shitshow. The fact that he doesn't recognize it as a problem tells me he has no idea about the work. Just keep doing what you are doing and if he complains about the paint quality remind him you told him what the problem was. Or tell him to stuff it and go to another Shop. I've done that more than a few times. You are in the Minneapolis area correct? Should be quite a few Shops that would want a guy like you there.
serjik911
Promoted Users
I been a lead painter in a certified collision shop for a year. Office even got calls from Rivion dealer center about how good are our paint jobs. Suddenly, got a rule from office about 2 ounces of clear/base per insurance hour. for bumper would have 6-8 ounces ready to spray of clear. I said that im not going to save on clear . Next step was replacing me with experienced Caliber painter who melts clear blends in a middle of quarter panel.
Im done with big shops.
Now i paint in a small shitty ass builders shop for 125 $ per part with my supplies. boss doesn't care if i have solvent pop in my clear or not. He doesnt care if i spray a high solid clear or cheapest clear on market. On a sales lot everything looks same. Im trying to be better for myself. Money wise its not worth it, but i feel depressed if my clear looks not good enough. Im not gonna fix air supply system, since i dont have enough money, but at least trying to add second hose may help me...
serjik911
Promoted Users
yes, just bought high flow fittings. also adding 1/2 hose
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Keep looking, you should be able to find a balance. If there are restoration shops in your area or "Euro" collision shops those may be better than what you have experienced and a world better than what you are doing now. Sucks that the collision industry has turned into such a crapfest. Years ago when I got into this good collision shops were good places to work, you could do quality work and none of the BS about paint ounces per panel or other things. Somewhere along the way that started to change and now it's just soul sucking. I feel for you my friend. Keep your head up.
serjik911
Promoted Users
The sad part that shop is so rich. swimming in money. owner buys new car half a year. management and office goes to paid conferences every 3 months, hiring more office workers and more "helpers" while not rising or giving enough money to body men and painters. I gave my 2 week notice, next day our most experienced body tech gave his notice, and next day 2 more experienced body guys gave their notice as well. From 7 workers only 3 stayed at shop. Now they are "emergency" hiring , offering 150k per year, which is a complete lie
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Yep seen that too. Like when estimators are making more than the painters and good body guys somethings wrong. Worked at one place where the Owner employed a bunch of his extended family. None of them did any of the "work". Several I didn't know what they did. All of them made much more than any of the crew. They would cheat us on estimates (flat rate/commission) often halving the time from what they wrote and gave to the customer to what we got paid. Just total cheating on their part.
We all had our suspicions but they made the mistake of leaving me alone in the Shop after hours. I was finishing up a job and Boss told me to lock up when I was done. When everyone was gone I went into the Office and found the Customer estimates for our current jobs and compared them to the estimates/work orders they gave use. Took pics of them as well. They were shaving 40-50% off the labor on all the body guys, and 25% or so for paint. Once we caught on and saw actual proof, all but one of the body /paint guys left. One of my co-workers punched the head estimator when he confronted him about the cheating. Guy deserved it as he was a total prick.
We had all wondered what was going on. Why the times were so low and how hard it was to make any time. That place stole a lot of money from all of us working there.
I am no body man or painter, I am a plumber. The shop I went through apprenticeship with waved the carrot in front of me. Once I journeyed out I got a negligible raise. It was a ma and pa shop and I was part of the family, I worked there 9 years. I had seen the writing on the wall prior, so I went union soon after.
I spent 3 years at the next shop. I soon figured out quality was not a priority. I left when I could.
I spent the next three years bouncing around, working far from home. I had an opportunity to work closer to home so I took it.
The next 5 years I was able to spend close to home, yet doing service work which I hated. I only recently found a balance, I hope.
I took my current position in the middle of April and I think I have found the "balance" as Chris puts it. I have now been in the trade since late 2004, early 2005. I am compensated well, I like what I do for the most part, and I don't have to work too far from home. I appreciate my coworkers, and I can come home happy most days. Time will tell how long it will last, but I am enjoying it.
If you aren't happy where you are at I encourage you to make a move IF you have the freedom. I spent a large majority of my 19 years in the trade needing to be somewhere else. I suppose that makes me stupid. I am just afraid of change.
I spent 3 years at the next shop. I soon figured out quality was not a priority. I left when I could.
I spent the next three years bouncing around, working far from home. I had an opportunity to work closer to home so I took it.
The next 5 years I was able to spend close to home, yet doing service work which I hated. I only recently found a balance, I hope.
I took my current position in the middle of April and I think I have found the "balance" as Chris puts it. I have now been in the trade since late 2004, early 2005. I am compensated well, I like what I do for the most part, and I don't have to work too far from home. I appreciate my coworkers, and I can come home happy most days. Time will tell how long it will last, but I am enjoying it.
If you aren't happy where you are at I encourage you to make a move IF you have the freedom. I spent a large majority of my 19 years in the trade needing to be somewhere else. I suppose that makes me stupid. I am just afraid of change.
serjik911
Promoted Users
So had this project Audi. Body man primed it few weeks ago and finally got to me. Sprayed epoxy sealer 1:1:50%, let it dry for hour at 75 heated booth. Sprayed 2 coats of paint with spi reducer. Let it sit overnight. Saturday morning sprayed Euro clear medium hardener, 4:1:2 with spi slow reducer. 3 coats, half hour between each. Looked great. Turned off the booth as soon as overspray is out. Came back Monday, took off few nibs, run quickly with 3000 grit, compound and polish. Gave back to customer. Thursday, 5 days after painting went back to customers shop to drop off some small parts, and saw that Audi. And see very light solvent pop again. Like wtf. At this point I just give up. Like I rate my paint jobs before drying lie 8-9 of 10, but after few days it goes to 5-7 of 10... For past 5 years I chasing great paintings and all I get is acceptable... No matter how much I try and how expensive is material. Actually it's vice versa- the more expensive is clear, the worse it gets. Seems like I'm just not talented at all...
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Whitesnake
Newbie
I feel your pain. The stuff I don’t care about and use cheap material on always comes out beautiful.
Chris_Hamilton
Trying to be the best me, I can be
Serj it's not talent it's the equipment. Those 1/2 air lines can't provide the volume you need, never mind the pressure drop. You are making the best of a bad situation. Your work looks good. I can see a real improvement from when you started posting here 3 or 4 years ago. Keep your head up.
I think you need to try what I do with low voc clears. I put down the thinnest closed coat I can first coat. I turn fluid down and pressure up first coat. I then push the 2nd coat. These clears will take on texture no matter how it looks out of the gun. I rarely have any pop or die back, other painter gets it with exact same material, just different gun.
I have seen sealer cause die back. I use fast urethane sealer as I find epoxy is just way too slow. If I use it under anything I bake it. I also rarely seal anything that is not a new part.
I have seen sealer cause die back. I use fast urethane sealer as I find epoxy is just way too slow. If I use it under anything I bake it. I also rarely seal anything that is not a new part.
MJM
Promoted Users
Intetesting, thanks for sharing.
Glen, 1/1 epoxy sealer only takes about 15min to dry in warm temps, is that slower than the fast urethane sealer?
I have not used spi epoxy. Axalta will finger print after 45 min, akzo nobel imperium is wet a long time, it's the only one I have used with a 7 day window. The urethane sealers I can denib in 20 min. I only know if sealer is not dry enough the clear will die back. Same with base coat. It might not be sealer related.
the painter at my work that was getting solvent pop was trying to spray with lower pressure. I asked alot of questions when it was happening. Seemed to fix it after raising the psi. I also had him turn in the fluid.