Iwata purple cap users...my base is mottled

C

C10chas

98 fullsize Chevy van, all over spray except roof.
Color: 2 coats of storm grey, Prospray, 1:1 plus a cap of clear activator per sprayable qt. finish is not consistent and is mottled.
Gun: Lph 400 1.3 lvb purple cap, 95 lbs at the wall, 20 lbs at the gun using Sharpe 3310 adjusting valve (tried 23 lbs first), fluid 3 turns out (tried 2.25 first) tried fan about 1/2 - 1 turn in from full and center was blowing out... so after talking with Barry today I tried the second set of adjustments and had to narrow up the fan a couple inches to keep the center from blowing out of the fan pattern. This is my first time using the Iwata....the gun doesnt seem to be putting out enough paint for my travel speed and I am trying my best to maintain 5" from the panel, but I am out of practice (and need more lol)

Should I try the 1.4 for hopefully my 3rd and last coat? Any other advise? I already bugged Barry twice today and I haven't even opened the Euro clear yet!
Sorry for the long post, but I thought all details were in order.
 
The purple cap is sloooooow. Its basically a dropcoat cap. It just dusts the base on. I would just get the car to color then switch to purple and dust a coat or two on to even everything out.
 
It can be a little slow under some conditions. Reducer selection is important too, if you are finding a lot of dry spray on your tack rag, you might try blending in some slower reducer. This will allow you to spray a panel up close like you are supposed to, then back the gun off and do a mist coat on the panel before the base flashes. This will help even the metallic.

P.S. I see you are spraying at 20 PSI? The purple cap is specifically designed to work at very low pressures, part of the reason I use it is because it wastes so little paint. Try slightly lower pressures, around 14 PSI is what I use with a full trigger and fluid flowing. Most gauges are very inaccurate at that low of pressure, but Iwata makes a very accurate 0-60 PSI gauge that is worth getting.
 
After reading this, I'm totally confused about the purple cap??

I use the purple cap for all problem bases, I refuse to drop spray any base or any color, bad news in my book.

Example, purple cap, 24 lbs, trigger pulled I laid a coat of silver on vette and it had total coverage and perfect, even metallic, was not even going to do a second but after an hour of thinking I did, why, I don't know.

I think half the problem is the gun company gives out half arse advice on the Orange and Purple cap, so no one really knows what they are for. I can't figure out the orange to save my life.
 
the orange cap is for pearls and such i think. have one but have not needed it yet. purple cap works ok for me but then so does the silver cap . the iwata works better at low pressure for metallics . i shoot at about 20 like jim does. really depends on the gun settings. the trick to metallic is to get an even wet coat. get too wet and you puddle the metallic .
 
You know the more I think about this, I just wonder if this is not just a scam of color caps?

This vette color is the worst color I have ever sprayed in my life, I'm not a custom painter BUT, I painted some parts off the car to get use to and learn the color and forgot and did with silver cap, the valance has one coat of silver, laid perfect also, considering that, from now on the days of me recommending the purple cap are done.
 
I am finding that gauges are wildly inaccurate one to the other. So my 14 PSI is really who knows what. But I will say that even at that pressure, the purple cap has a HUGE fan, so that even at such a low pressure, I have to dial the fan down.

I don't know how you get a good pattern out of it at 24 PSI, Barry. That would just not be possible with my setup. It would blow the center out big time.

Unless my 14 PSI is really 18 PSI, and your 24 PSI is really 20... all this talk of pressures when the equipment is clearly inaccurate might be screwing us up. I know even my two nice identical Iwata gauges bought at nearly the same time were about 3 PSI different from each other. Even the digitals I have tried have not agreed. And I have a different Iwata gauge for my clear gun now, used to be too much too spray at 25, now 28 seems like just right... go figure.
 
crashtech;1150 said:
I am finding that gauges are wildly inaccurate one to the other. So my 14 PSI is really who knows what. But I will say that even at that pressure, the purple cap has a HUGE fan, so that even at such a low pressure, I have to dial the fan down.


My first time with this gun, but man the fan is really wide! I was expecting the wide fan, but this seems just to wide with the center blowing out.
I am thinking of using the 1.4 and turning the psi down a bit for the 3rd coat.....I only have a qt of base left (unmixed)
Wish Barry was my neighbor!!
 
going to dry off the booth, we got some heavy rain last night :(
then scuff and tack it off.... any ideas?
 
I'm at a loss but if fan blowing out in center, then too much air pressure, also may try an ounce of clear activator per mixed quart and that will help the metallic.
 
Oh, yeah, definitely activate! Also you need to know the difference between too wet and too dry. Some metallics need to go on exactly medium.
 
Thanks for all the replys!
Barry, you are the man! thanks!
Per Barry, went with the 1.4 this time, 2 turns out on the fluid, dropped the pressure down to 17-18 lbs and BAM its done and looks good!
Err, now for the clear :)
 
crashtech;1160 said:
Oh, yeah, definitely activate! Also you need to know the difference between too wet and too dry. Some metallics need to go on exactly medium.

Crash, yesterdays first 2 coats got a cap full of activator per sprayable qt, todays got an ounce.... and it did go on medium and looks just fine!
Hope I can get the Euro looking good with out hours of cutting/buffing....
 
Thanks Crash!
Yeah I got the clear on, 2 coats, my right arm is a bit sore lol, damn vans!
Barry helped me get the gun setup, can't thank him enough!!! I still can't believe he helped dial it in by listening thru my phone while I did some test shots....cool
By the way Barry, how many mils do I have? (2 coats unreduced Euro) I have a holiday or two to wet sand out, like the last pass on the bottom of the door when the hose/fitting/filter/valve mess hit the ground and stalled my direction....and maybe some peel here and there.

This forum (and everyone who contributes) is one sweet deal, thanks to all, SPI rules!
 
Ok, should I start out with 600 or 800 wet? Or 6" 3/32 orbit sander dry with 800?
 
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