spray can guide coat

[old soul]

Is there any ingredient in spray can primer/paint that identifies it as a laquer or enamel?
Needing a quick guide coat product, I usually use whatever laquer spray can I can find
but usually they aren't labeled as a laquer or enamel. I have checked the MSDS on the
products available locally but that still doesn't tell me either way (not a chemist). As everyone
knows the enamel just clogs the paper when sanding. The Dupli-color brand works well
as a sandable quide coat but its $6 a can. Looking for something cheaper that doesn't
clog the paper.
(Don't really like the quide coat 'powder')

 

[Bob Heine]

Last time I was in Home Depot they had Rust-Oleum Specialty 11-oz. Lacquer spray cans in black, white and clear for $3.76 a can. They list it on-line but it's a "store only" item.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Ole...uer-Gloss-White-Spray-Paint-1904830/100163605

 

[shine]

the powder works better and last forever .

 

[Senile Old Fart]

I agree with shine, powder is the way to go. Buy a can of the 3M stuff, it will last as long or longer than 4 $8 cans of spray paint. It also gives complete coverage, not just a hit and miss pattern like the spray paint does.

 

[curt b]

I have been using u-pol guide coat in a spray can it doesn't clog the paper and works fine for restoration but on collision work I think the dry power would be better and you won't have to worry about overspray getting everywhere.

 

[bomccorkle]

I havnt tried the dry yet but jimc turned me onto spraying reduced dykem for guidecoat I have a cheapie gun that I only use for that as soon as reducer hits dried dykem it just re wets and I bought a quart for about $15 and guidecoated every round of blocking on 2 cars with it fwiw

 

[Bob Hollinshead]

I don't like the dry guidecoat either. I buy a cheapo brand of lacquer primer in gallons, light grey and black, reduce it 200% with recycled gun wash and keep it loaded in an old JGA502 siphon feed gun with a few mixing marbles-shake and spray. Ends up costing about 7cents an ounce sprayable, works great, reduces waste and garbage compared to aresols. I guide coat everything.

 

[shine]

while applying the powder i can spot problems as i go . like cleaning or tacking you tend to look at where your rubbing . at first i was on the fence but now i would never go back to spray .

i use a jersey cotton glove to apply it instead of the sponge pad .

 

[old soul]

Wow, guys, thanks for all the replies and ideas. Between Home Depot, dry powder, U-pol, reduced dykem, and a gallon of cheap laquer primer I am sure I will find
something more cost efficient than those $6 spray cans. I am a little leary of the dykem; seems it may soak in or stain/bleed but I am sure that shows my ignorance
of it (no experience with it). With that being said, if JimC uses it than it must really work well judging by the excellent work he does. I will eventually try all these ideas
to see which is a better fit for my shop.
Bob, when I first started in a collision repair shop in the 80's the 'shop primer gun' was a Binks 7 that was always loaded with gray laquer primer.It was there the day I started
and still being used on the day I left, 12 years later. It only got cleaned out when it would start sputtering. Cleaned out but not cleaned up as that thing must of had a quarter-inch of
primer built up on the outside. It hung on a nail in a post in the middle of the shop so when you needed primer just grab it,stir it, shoot it, and hang it back up. Shop guns
got no respect.
I have an old Nesco siphon gun (quit laughing!) that should work well as a guide coat gun.

 

[bomccorkle]

The dykem won't bleed around just a layout fluid for scribing steel (I've been a machinist going on 10 years and I can't believe I didn't think of it first) btw make sure your 2k is dry prior to the dykem 15-20 min or so. I rushed it one day and it did bleed on the wet primer and I just had a pink mustang, a quick once over with some blue and prob solved. Good luck and its amazing how much more you will see with the guidecoats. My method is 3 coats 2k then dykem/guidecoat , block and repeat.

 

[jcclark]

Go to any Wal-Mart and look for the spray can primers
labeled "sandable" that's the one you want.
They work as good as any guide coat out there.

 

[shine]

you can also buy pounce powder black or white from an arts supply. cheaper than 3m .
god i remember the shops with the nasty primer gun . you would end up with more primer on you than on the car.
what i like about using epoxy is i dont need a guide coat .

 

[rusty428cj]

I quit using a guide coat. I start with black epoxy then gray Turbo or Slick Sand primer followed with whatever color epoxy needed for the base.