Spraying clear coat.

RosharonRooster

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Hello everyone. Ive been lurking and reading for long time and rarely post. Ive painted 5 complete jobs. Working on my 6th. From epoxy primer to final polishing and all steps in between. Im looking for advice when spraying clear. I use the iwata lph 400 1.4. I use spi universal as well as ppg products. I can get the clear to lay and flow out wet on flat panels but i somewhat struggle when spraying verticle panels. Quarter panels etc. I have gotten pretty good at cutting and buffing due to this lol. I like to spray at 29 psi 3.5 turns out on the fluid full fan . 50% overlap and about 5 inches from the panel. It still comes out textured. Its still easily fixed with 1500 grit. Its not like im having to start with 800 grit. Im just trying to get it flatter out the gun so less time using 1500 grit. Since i dont paint cars daily i find myself sometimes having to re learn as i go since it might be weeks inbetween spraying clears. Should i up the psi? Move faster? Dial back the fluid? Last week i painted my 61 bubble top.i didnt get any runs and i got 2 faint hints of a run around a trim hole. So that tells me i put it on pretty heavy. Any advice is appreciated. Sorry for the long post.
 
This is the car about 2 hours after i cleared. It. Couple bugs and nibs. Once it cured. The texture got a little worse but still not terrible.
 

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Here is another shot. The color is dodge. Destroyer or ceramic grey. I document all my work on my YouTube channel if anyone is interested.

Ps. I just got another spi shipment yesterday on a saturday!! I ordered it on thursday!
 

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I'll start with the questions, then the pros can take over. What was the temp of the shop, and of the car? Which catalyst did you use? Did you use any reducer? Do you have fans in the shop, and when did you turn them off? Did you follow Barry's "Perfect Paint Procedure"?
 
I am sure some of the professional painters will comment but I wonder. How many coats of clear are on the car? Was it reduced at all? Also, what temp did you shoot it at and what speed reducer did you use? Did you use any retarder?

I know that is a lot of questions but all those things will effect the way the paint lays down. 3 1/2 turns out is a lot more than I would be comfortable with. I found I liked about 2 1/2 turns out when I shot the last parts on the '53. I do tend to be a slow and deliberate painter though and have not shot an all over in a long time.

John
 
I'll start with the questions, then the pros can take over. What was the temp of the shop, and of the car? Which catalyst did you use? Do you have fans in the shop, and when did you turn them off? Did you follow Barry's "Perfect Paint Procedure"?
It was about 78 degree that night. Slow catalyst i have only a box fan and 3 windows. I plan to get a better fan this week. Turn fan off when fog clears. I have read the perfect paint. I do follow the steps but sometimes temps and humidity arent on my side. I get same results where its 75 or 105. So i think it might be gun settings or my technique
 
I am sure some of the professional painters will comment but I wonder. How many coats of clear are on the car? Was it reduced at all? Also, what temp did you shoot it at and what speed reducer did you use? Did you use any retarder?

I know that is a lot of questions but all those things will effect the way the paint lays down. 3 1/2 turns out is a lot more than I would be comfortable with. I found I liked about 2 1/2 turns out when I shot the last parts on the '53. I do tend to be a slow and deliberate painter though and have not shot an all over in a long time.

John
4 coats of clear with the first coat a tack coat. This car wasn't sprayed with universal. I used a ppg shopline 2:1 euro clear. I like it ive used universal on overall cars and end up with same results. 1500 2000 3000 and buff fixes all my woes. Just trying to see what i can do different. Im all about problem solving
 
I am sure some of the professional painters will comment but I wonder. How many coats of clear are on the car? Was it reduced at all? Also, what temp did you shoot it at and what speed reducer did you use? Did you use any retarder?

I know that is a lot of questions but all those things will effect the way the paint lays down. 3 1/2 turns out is a lot more than I would be comfortable with. I found I liked about 2 1/2 turns out when I shot the last parts on the '53. I do tend to be a slow and deliberate painter though and have not shot an all over in a long time.

John
I forgot. No reducer and no retarder...
 
First off make that job your last job with Shopline. It's a cheap clear, that's hard to buff once it cures. SPI has superior clears for the same or even less cost. SPI Euro 2020 is far superior and easier to spray.
For the limited amount of painting you do it's not bad. Here are some things to keep in mind when spraying clear. First is overlap. Overlap is how much you cover your previous pass, with your current pass. High Solids clears do best with around 75%. So each pass needs to overlap the previous one by that much. Second is speed. Your gun settings determine how fast/slow you make your passes. Different guns put out different amounts so what you look for when you are spraying is to see the clear "fill in". The gloss and laying out take place in the moments after, so you need to focus on the spray, what's coming out of the gun and where it is meeting the panel. Look for the clear "filling in" as it hits the panel. Adjust your speed so it fills in and no more. Third is tracking. You need to draw imaginary straight lines through the panel and stick to those lines. Don't follow panels or body lines.
Fourth is gun distance and orientation. Gun needs to be at the right distance (4-8 inches for most modern HVLP and reduced pressure guns) and the nozzle needs to be perpendicular to the panel at all times.
Also a general rule to help you judge what you are doing is if you get a run, obviously too much material. Texture usually means not enough material.
 
I have a question about overlap, starting and stopping a panel. With a seventy five percent overlap the 1st qtr of the 1st pass will get one pass the second 2 passes, third passes and the fourth 4 passes. With that in mind where do you point your gun when starting a panel say at the bottom and moving upwards and stopping. It would seem the top and bottom edges of the panel would get less overlap.
 
I have a question about overlap, starting and stopping a panel. With a seventy five percent overlap the 1st qtr of the 1st pass will get one pass the second 2 passes, third passes and the fourth 4 passes. With that in mind where do you point your gun when starting a panel say at the bottom and moving upwards and stopping. It would seem the top and bottom edges of the panel would get less overlap.

Using a hood for example, I will start on one side and position the gun so that only about 1/2 if the fan is hitting the panel. Next pass the edge of the fan is equal with the edge of the hood. When I reach the other side same way in reverse. Meaning last pass only 1/2 of the fan hits the panel. Make sense?
Overlap is simply to help the clear "fill in". Using more overlap allows faster passes and thinner (millage, not reduced) coats, which results in a better finish. Slicker, less texture.
 
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First off make that job your last job with Shopline. It's a cheap clear, that's hard to buff once it cures. SPI has superior clears for the same or even less cost. SPI Euro 2020 is far superior and easier to spray.
For the limited amount of painting you do it's not bad. Here are some things to keep in mind when spraying clear. First is overlap. Overlap is how much you cover your previous pass, with your current pass. High Solids clears do best with around 75%. So each pass needs to overlap the previous one by that much. Second is speed. Your gun settings determine how fast/slow you make your passes. Different guns put out different amounts so what you look for when you are spraying is to see the clear "fill in". The gloss and laying out take place in the moments after, so you need to focus on the spray, what's coming out of the gun and where it is meeting the panel. Look for the clear "filling in" as it hits the panel. Adjust your speed so it fills in and no more. Third is tracking. You need to draw imaginary straight lines through the panel and stick to those lines. Don't follow panels or body lines.
Fourth is gun distance and orientation. Gun needs to be at the right distance (4-8 inches for most modern HVLP and reduced pressure guns) and the nozzle needs to be perpendicular to the panel at all times.
Also a general rule to help you judge what you are doing is if you get a run, obviously too much material. Texture usually means not enough material.
Thanks
 
Using a hood for example, I will start on one side and position the gun so that only about 1/2 if the fan is hitting the panel. Next pass the edge of the fan is equal with the edge of the hood. When I reach the other side same way in reverse. Meaning last pass only 1/2 of the fan hits the panel. Make sense?
Overlap is simply to help the clear "fill in". Using more overlap allows faster passes and thinner (millage, not reduced) coats, which results in a better finish. Slicker, less texture.
So more overlap with less fluid coming out the gun is what you are suggesting
 
Just wanted to update. Today i painted the trunk to my 61. I upped the psi to 35 and got much better results. Dialed back fluid a little but kept all other factors the same. Ive been spraying to low of a psi all this time. Thanks everyone
 

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Do u still spray base with 14 psi purple? It can add some texture, depends on paint and how much u reduce it
 
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