Auto Clear Help

[Matt Moreau]

Hi Guys,

For those of you that use 2 part Automotive Clears and spray through your brushes I have a question or two...

1. After you spray the clear and clean the brush can you spray a waterbased paint without it fisheying? Are you just using Laquer thinner to clean it?

2. Do you have a brush dedicated to only spray clear?

3. What tip size are you using?

Thanks

Matt

[Mcleod]

Matt,

No idea how this compares to others, but here is what I have found in my travels.

1. I use a dedicated gun/brush so cant answer this but I clean with acetone. Never tried lacquer thinner so wouldnt know

2. Yes dedicated gun/brush.

3. Now using tip size as per manufacturers data sheet.

3a. Tried 0.5mm gravity fed dual action airbrush and didnt like it. Found the nozzle size too small even at full open. Not too small that clear wouldnt come out, but too many coats were required.

3b. Tried a pasche single action suction feed airburhs I had lying around, I used the nozzle with 5 bands (dont know what size) and worked ok with tip fully open but felt it was too good a brush so stopped using it for clear.

3c. Bought a cheap single action suction feed airbrush which I thought worked good. Cause it was cheap I bored it out a bit. I found that the nozzle (??) at the end of the brush would collect clear which would spatter onto the bait after a couple coats.

3d. Decided that due to the importance of the clear coat on a bait I would stop stuffing about and just bought a cheap spray gun as per manufacturers recommendations in the tech sheet and still use that.

Regards,

Angus

[j27]

Matt,

I have just used the same air brush as I spray my paints and I use lacquer thinner to clean it with. This worked just find for me, but I took it apart and soaked the components to make sure. I'm learning myself.

[68KingFisher]

I use lacquer thinner for all my washups and I've never had a contamination issue with water based paints......I suggest using the biggest tip airbrush you have, as most automotive clears are very thick and need a large tip to spray well.....however a 2:1 clear may still be very difficult to spray thru an airbrush, while a 4:1 clear is much thinner and sprays easier thru the small tips.....I've sprayed 4:1 thru .3 tips, but it works better with a .5....any bigger and you should be using a small touch up gun.....If I was clearing more then 2-3 baits at a time i'd probably use a touch up gun anyway...faster and easier.

And, "no" I've never had an airbrush dedicated to clear coat....Not even my big guns....they all get used for everything and cleaned up afterward...never had an issue.

[Matt Moreau]

Great info here guys. I really appreciate the help! One more dumb question if I may... Can you reduce the clear with anything so it sprays better through an airbrush? When googling and seaching autobody sites it looks like there is a reducer for urethane clrears but not 100%.

I have 4 Airbrushes but none have a .5 nozzle. 2 Iwata Eclipe's (.35), a Paasche tallon (.38) and a cheapo Harbor Freight gun which I think the testing will start with as I dont use it for anything... Just gotta figure out what the tip size is on it.

Thanks again!

Matt

[Richard Prager]

I believe the HF gun has a .35 nozzle

[VANNDALIZER]

I believe the HF gun has a .35 nozzle

Try a #63 sprayer from Paasche

http://www.paascheairbrush.com/cgi-bin/store/search.cgi?category=Specialty+Brushes+%26+Sets

[68KingFisher]

I've shot a 4:1 clear thru my Eclipse with a 3.5mm nozzle, but its not really up for the job......Yes, you should use a uro reducer to thin your clearcoat if needed....depending on the brand clear, some require a "reactive reducer"....but most need a catalyst and a reducer, and some just use catalyst and no reducer....check with your mfg....In a pinch I've used regular lacquer thinner as a reducer without problem..."knock on wood"....lol.

For most of my small jobs I use a "Iwata Minijet knockoff", from Harbor freight....its just a small gravity feed touch up gun with a 1.2 tip, that works great for shooting basecoat or clearcoats.....I think it cost me less then $50.....I even use it when clearing motorcycle parts and helmets.

Edited December 8, 2010 by 68KingFisher

[Matt Moreau]

After some of the tools and that AB i got from HF im a little hesitant to buy another gun from them. Anyone else tried that one from HF?

[68KingFisher]

After some of the tools and that AB i got from HF im a little hesitant to buy another gun from them. Anyone else tried that one from HF?

Actually the gun I purchased was made by "Astro".....I'm sure you can find several other venues online that sell their paint guns.....I'm not sure which model I've got, but its considered a "mini hvlp".......They are all copies of the "Sata minijet"....Not Iwata as I previously mentioned...sorry.

[mark poulson]

Actually the gun I purchased was made by "Astro".....I'm sure you can find several other venues online that sell their paint guns.....I'm not sure which model I've got, but its considered a "mini hvlp".......They are all copies of the "Sata minijet"....Not Iwata as I previously mentioned...sorry.

Is that like the 30 year old cup gun I still have in my garage? I haven't used it since I made some kiddie furniture for my oldest daughter 20 years ago, and finished it with white nitrocellulose lacquer.

Thinking back now, it was really easy working with that lacquer and that gun.

Edited December 9, 2010 by mark poulson

[68KingFisher]

Is that like the 30 year old cup gun I still have in my garage? I haven't used it since I made some kiddie furniture for my oldest daughter 20 years ago, and finished it with white nitrocellulose lacquer.

Thinking back now, it was really easy working with that lacquer and that gun.

Mark, I guessing the one you've got is the old standby known by the old time painters as a "detail or jam gun". They are usually a siphon feed gun that has a slender aluminum cup hangin below it and a long flat trigger on top....Is that correct? If so thats basicly the same thing i'm talking about,only mines gravity feed with its paint cup located on top of the gun, and is whats known as an HVLP gun (high volume, low pressure). I have used the old jam guns on many projects over the years....most are really good little paint guns.

[Matt Moreau]

I found a similar one on ebay for $20(Tax + Shipping = $30). Its a TCP Global house brand and looks to be the same as the minijet. Was the more cost friendly gun and I have had good luck with TCP products so I ordered it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200550118131&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Let me know your thoughts on this gun... Should work just fine I think!?!?

Thanks

Matt

[mark poulson]

Mark, I guessing the one you've got is the old standby known by the old time painters as a "detail or jam gun". They are usually a siphon feed gun that has a slender aluminum cup hangin below it and a long flat trigger on top....Is that correct? If so thats basicly the same thing i'm talking about,only mines gravity feed with its paint cup located on top of the gun, and is whats known as an HVLP gun (high volume, low pressure). I have used the old jam guns on many projects over the years....most are really good little paint guns.

No, it's not an HVLP gun. I remember when they came out. In fact, I bought it just when they were first coming out, and before they made nitrocellulose lacquer hard to find. It has a qt. aluminum cup that hangs below the gun. I'll try and take a picture, and post it, or find a model number.

I think it's too big to do anything but big stuff, like furniture, or woodwork. I actually used it on the job to lacquer some jambs on a house we did years ago. As I remember, it is idiot-proof, and that's why I bought it.

Edited December 9, 2010 by mark poulson

[68KingFisher]

I found a similar one on ebay for $20(Tax + Shipping = $30). Its a TCP Global house brand and looks to be the same as the minijet. Was the more cost friendly gun and I have had good luck with TCP products so I ordered it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...RK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

Let me know your thoughts on this gun... Should work just fine I think!?!?

Thanks

Matt

Matt, for $20 its worth trying.....chances are it'll work fine....My experience with cheap guns has actually be pretty good....they might not have a uniform spray pattern and might not atomize the paint as well as their more expensive counterparts, but for those of us on a budget they can fill the bill so to speak....lol....I assume you've got a decent size compressor to power it? Let us know how it works for ya.

[68KingFisher]

No, it's not an HVLP gun. I remember when they came out. In fact, I bought it just when they were first coming out, and before they made nitrocellulose lacquer hard to find. It has a qt. aluminum cup that hangs below the gun. I'll try and take a picture, and post it, or find a model number.

I think it's too big to do anything but big stuff, like furniture, or woodwork. I actually used it on the job to lacquer some jambs on a house we did years ago. As I remember, it is idiot-proof, and that's why I bought it.

Sorry, I didn't mean your gun was hvlp, I ment mine was....lol. If yours has a quart sized cup then its probably a full size paint gun and not a "mini".....Still doesn't mean you couldn't shoot clear thru it, but it wouldn't be worth while unless you were clearing ALOT of lures....but even then, Its gonna be overkill.

Nuthin wrong with idiot-proof tools.....those the best kinds....lol

[Matt Moreau]

Ya I have a 25-30 gallon tank. Not as big as I would like but plenty for what I will be using it for. I am excited to see how this clear works. I found some clearcoats on ebay that are a little better on the pocket book too and my buddy says that they are all pretty much the same. What are your experiences? can you reccomend an economy one thats like dupont or ppg?

[68KingFisher]

Ya I have a 25-30 gallon tank. Not as big as I would like but plenty for what I will be using it for. I am excited to see how this clear works. I found some clearcoats on ebay that are a little better on the pocket book too and my buddy says that they are all pretty much the same. What are your experiences? can you reccomend an economy one thats like dupont or ppg?

So far I have not used any brand of paint or clear that I can honestly say I didn't like it....To this point they've all worked good for me and any problems I had were result in operator error and not the products fault. My favorites that don't break the bank, are, Matrix...Omni...Nason...5Star Xtreme series.......In the more costly class, I use and love House of Kolor, and PPG's concept line....Thats pretty much the only brands i've had much dealings with. For the record, Omni is PPG's low end paint, and Omni is Duponts....both are decent products....Matrix is a really good clear and their MS42 is a great product I've used on several motorcycles and dozens of helmets...Its a 2:1 clear that reminds me of using the much more expensive PPG Concept series clear, but for alot less money.

So far most of what I've used on crankbaits has been the Omni and the Xtreme from 5Star....both were 4:1 clears and something like $65 per gallon which includes the catalyst.

[clamboni]

Been a REALLY long time since I've posted........

I'm not picky about the brush I use to spray my clear. If I'm doing a lot of baits, I use one of my siphon feed brushes, Iwata HP-BCS or Peak x-3......it's the one that's the BCS knockoff........it's junk. But anyway, if I only have a few baits to clear I just use my gravity feeds, I have a peak c-5 and air pro ps800. I prefer the airpro because I can put a 0.5 nozzle and needle in. Before I got the air pro, when I only had a couple lures I'd just use the c-5 which is a 0.3. It laid the clear down ok I just had to move a little slower. I also have a touch-up gun and couldn't imagine needing it unless I was clearing some really big lures. The 0.5 can definitely deliver enough of a volume of clear for most lures, and I can do a whole bunch with a 4 oz bottle attached to a siphon feel airbrush.

Cleanup with lacquer thinner. Really all I do is fill the cup with it and spray it out at 50-60psi a couple times. Then pull out the needle and wipe it off. I remove the nozzle too but don't bother to clean it, it's really just for peace of mind.

I try to avoid water based paints altogether if possible because they suck. If you're set up to spray your clear......at the same time I do use them once in a while. The lacquer thinner evaporates very quickly, and doesn't affect the paints. Just don't use it to clean water based paints, it will curdle them. Acetone on the other hand works well and doesn't seemto cause any issues.