Advice on synthetic paint

[series2]

I need a bit of advice on spraying synthetic enamel, not a paint I've used before and I'm having a few issues. The original paint finish is synthetic, and I need to blend into the existing finish in places. The original paint finish is excellent, and I am using the same brand/type of paint as was used originally.

The paint film is coming out 'dry', with a rough matt finish. According to the spec sheet it needs 30% thinner, but I can only get an good result by laying the paint very heavily/slowly. I'm not getting runs or sags but it is taking forever to cover large areas.

Are there different techniques for synthetic to celly?

I know synthetic takes a long time to fully dry/cure, but can it be flatted & polished when fully dry? (I can wait, months if nessacery, to do the blending in)

Will there be issues if I thin the paint further?

 

[the snooper]

synthetic was more for commercials and to answer your question it cant be flatted and polished very well at all ive never known anyone to flat and polish it and i doubt very much youll blend it

as for thinning more try it if it is coming out very dry i know exactly what you are getting .
ive used synthetic in the past and all i ever thinned it with was celly thinners.
synthetic is what it is a cheap half decent finish one shot paint that sticks to everything it comes into contact with

good luck

 

[danelectro]

Stick the can (with lid off) in a pan of boiling water for 15 mins (or thereabouts) before spraying, that'll thin it nicely, then you'll really notice a difference, it'll flow better.

As for flatting and polishing, no chance, don't even attempt it!!! Also if you get a run, wash it off with thinners, because if you flat the run out and repaint, it'll crinkle!!

 

[series2]

Thanks,

I thinned the paint a little more & warmed it up, I also dropped the pressure to 25psi and turned the flow up on the gun. I have managed to get a nice flat shiny finish.

Never using that stuff again!

 

[Windy Miller]

I used to use an old saucepan with a kettle element fitted in (water filled obviously!) to stand the spray gun paint pot in for 10 minutes or so before I sprayed synthetic. I only used it a few times, and it was OK I guess, but I was never 100% happy with the results. Some mates used to swear by the stuff as it was always a gun finish, but I felt that the long drying times meant that there were always flies and stuff that would spoil the finish before it had gone off. Don't try to flat and polish though - it'll be ruined!

Celly was much more forgiving!

 

[jaykay]

much the same as windy.i've had in boiling water till paint was near boiling. flows out very well.
there is a compound for syn paint.but it ain't very good.

 

[pedrobedro]

The synthetic I used needed the proper thinners, cellulose made it go lumpy. Does it tell you on the spec sheet what temperature it needs 30% at? The alkyd enamel I used was not thinned as much as 30%, more like 15% to 20%. As above it is commercial type paint and the finish doesn't last well.

 

[jaykay]

i wondered how he got away with celly thinners.
there are some very good syn paints on the market,that do a great job.

 

[series2]

I used the correct thinner, as per the datasheet (turpentine, I think). I think the main issue was that it was a little cold in the workshop. In future I'll stick with celly, It was just that this job was already painted in synthetic, and I didn't want to risk a reaction.

Just been out to check on it, and it's spot on. I cheated and did masked joins on folds in the panels, but the customer is happy with the end result.

I hate painting stuff for other people, usually just do my own stuff!

 

[jaykay]

its not turps.but at least it was the right thinners.

 

[lexi]

Pu thinners for synthetic.