2K direct gloss - 1.8 or 1.4

[jagxkr]

Long story short, sprayed car with Mipa 2K direct gloss with an ANI Gun & 1.2mm tip. Wasn't super happy with the result, suspect 1.2 was too small. Just means more flatting but not the end of the world.
However, I do need to redo some of it after sanding through during fisheye correction.
I've just purchased an FLG5, could only get a 1.8mm at my local supplier. I've got a 1.4mm tip on order.
I'm wondering if it's worth trying the 1.8, maybe with less thinner, or if I should just wait for the 1.4. The guy in the paint shop reckoned a lot of people do direct gloss with a 1.8, but I haven't seen much evidence of this on the internets.

 

[MetalMonkey]

I've used a 1.8 on a siphon gun with DG, but not on a gravity.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Top coats would be 1.2 to 1.4. With a small air cap and needle, you just need to back off the material delivery a bit. as long as you have thinned to recommendation. 1.8 is for thicker materials, like primer although I often spray Lechler with the same 1.4.

 

[bert]

AC or OC?

I use AC on pretty much everything direct gloss.

Mixed to 20% thinners with MS25 hardner

1.3mm tip
Full fan
Full flow

I feel its a little dry still on the 2nd and 3rd coat almost as if the thinners or hardener is going off in the cup.

I'll try slow hardener next and if not I might step up to 1.4mm soon to try that.

 

[Burdekin]

1.8 will give you orange peel. Have a play thinning it a bit more, make sure gun is not too far away. Best to spray when over 15c as well. You should be able to get the 1.2mm tip spraying nicely. Work out the issues and settings on some test panels before doing it again in anger.

 

[jagxkr]

oh it appears I lied, it's not Mipa, it's Profix Acryl, with the faster hardener

 

[Burdekin]

oh it appears I lied, it's not Mipa, it's Profix Acryl, with the faster hardener

Is this the TDS? 1.2 to 1.4mm nozzle and 10 to 20% thinners. https://www.lackon.eu/en/index.php?controller=attachment&id_attachment=648

 

[jagxkr]

Yeah that's the one. I guess I'll have another stab at it with the 1.2

 

[carbon]

Did you check the viscosity with a viscosity cup after you added the thinner?

 

[jagxkr]

Did you check the viscosity with a viscosity cup after you added the thinner?

I did not

 

[ajlelectronics]

I did not

You haven't actually told us what problem you were experiencing with it?

 

[bert]

I'd guess it's got extreme orange peel due to it being too dry as the paint can't flow out.

I know people who paint with a 1.8mm set up so it's doable

 

[qwakers]

thin it until it flows out. works for me...

 

[jagxkr]

sorry should have mentioned my problem, ha!

I think extreme orange peel is a fair description, it's got a sandy texture when dry and just didn't look "wet" when it went down.

I was finding the first coat looked ok but the second would just look dry. I might have been waiting too long between coats - I was giving it 10, thinking it would help reduce sagging. The TDS says 5.

Didn't help that my fan control was somehow not working either, it was stuck on full fan.

I retried last night with the ANI 1.2 and 15% thinners, and reduced the fan size. It was looking nice and wet after 2 coats.

Sadly on the third coat, it decided to spit a load of crap all over the panel.

No idea what happened there, paint was filtered on the way in, and I always fully disassemble the gun to clean it. I must have missed something though because it was bubbling from the air cap too.

Not been a fun few days, but at least I can sand off the additions that got made, rather than having to fill fisheyes.
Guess I'll have to wait for the next project to try out the FLG, unless I burn through while polishing...

 

[Burdekin]

sorry should have mentioned my problem, ha!

I think extreme orange peel is a fair description, it's got a sandy texture when dry and just didn't look "wet" when it went down.

I was finding the first coat looked ok but the second would just look dry. I might have been waiting too long between coats - I was giving it 10, thinking it would help reduce sagging. The TDS says 5.

Didn't help that my fan control was somehow not working either, it was stuck on full fan.

I retried last night with the ANI 1.2 and 15% thinners, and reduced the fan size. It was looking nice and wet after 2 coats.

Sadly on the third coat, it decided to spit a load of crap all over the panel.

No idea what happened there, paint was filtered on the way in, and I always fully disassemble the gun to clean it. I must have missed something though because it was bubbling from the air cap too.

Not been a fun few days, but at least I can sand off the additions that got made, rather than having to fill fisheyes.

Guess I'll have to wait for the next project to try out the FLG, unless I burn through while polishing...

We’ve all been there. When you nail your settings and what works keep a note of it for the next time.

The FLG is a nice gun to use. Gunman on YouTube has some good videos using it which may help as well.

 

[jagxkr]

thanks, the 1.4 tip/aircap arrived today for the FLG so I'm tempted to have another go - it's just the hardtop of an mx5 so pretty quick to sand down.

- I'll run out of paint though now, just watch!

 

[ajlelectronics]

I think extreme orange peel is a fair description, it's got a sandy texture when dry and just didn't look "wet" when it went down.

It's one or the other! Orange peel is caused by too much paint delivery too slowly, or insufficient pressure. Dry spray the exact opposite.

It seems like you may have it under control now though.

 

[jagxkr]

haha ok my bad! Definitely too dry.

 

[ajlelectronics]

haha ok my bad! Definitely too dry.

Right, dry spray is over or excessively fast thinning, too much air pressure, too far from the panel or moving too quickly. What is happening is that the paint is already drying before it hits the panel and then can't flow out. It can also be caused by moving the gun in an arc rather than in parallel to the work.

Bear in mind that many of the low end guns need to be used surprisingly slowly across the panel. Use your paper test board and see how the spray pattern looks held stationary and then work up from there. 15% thinners is a bit much, try to standardise on 10% unless you know why you are deviating.

 

[jagxkr]

Ah, too much thinning, interesting. I thought perhaps it needed more thinner to flow, but I can see what you're saying makes sense. In any case, I was fairly happy with the result I got last night apart from the explosion of crud I got on the third pass.
Tonight I sanded it back and gave it a go on the FLG 1.4mm, I thinned to just over 10%. I now have orange peel - other end of the scale, but it's not too bad at all, pretty happy with it to be honest. Thanks everyone for your help!