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Painting

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A

aroostok

Jedi Hopeful
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Anybody have a solution for orange peel when painting. Have been having a real hard time painting with acrylic enamel w/o getting orange peel. I've tried all different kinds of paint/thinner rations (from 1:1 to 4:1). Surfaced was prepped and final sanded with 600 wet/dry wet. Finish appears to be very smooth but just can't get away from orange peels. Using an HVLP gun that delivers 10 psi at the tip with 40 psi going in to the gun. Any ideas?
 
Do you have a "water separator" between your gun & the compressor?
 
Where in Mechanicsburg? I am near Rakestraws. You will have some finishing work reguardless. Orange peel happens. After the paint dries, wet sand with 1500, then 2000, then buff out. Go see the paint/body supply guys over at CARS on Trindle Road.
 
I'm out on the Wertzville Road. I'm the pastor at Young's United Methodist Church. Yeah, I've gotten a lot of stuff from CARS. I'll try the 1500 and 2000 wet. Thanks for the reply.
 
It's nice to hear from folks in my old neighborhood; I lived on Kingswood Drive just up the street from Northside Elementary School from 1990-99. Mechanicsburg is a great little town and I miss it. Do they still do Jubilee Day every June?
 
You may have the wrong reducer for the temperature and humidity. Talk to your local auto paint supplier about slower reducers and other recommendations. At any rate spray up some test panels, you may just be spraying too fast i.e. too thin to get good flow out. Any yes, small amounts of orange peel are normal .. just go look closely at any new car!

Cheers,
John
 
Temperature is very critical. The reducer is formulated for a certain spread in temperature. I have found that it will orange peel in the upper range of that spread so measure the temperature very critically and stay down in the lower range of the recomended range and the paint will flow properly. You will see orange peel at first but it will flow into a glossy smooth finish if the temp is right. Any lower and it will run.
The paint is drying too fast is the problem also make sure you are putting it on nice and wet.
Bob
 
I wouldn't worry about the orange peel so much...If you've got a nice thick coat of paint on there it should wet sand out nicely for a glass like finish. Theres one particular orange 69 Charger(YEEHAWW) that frequents the local cruise nights, everyone comments on his paint job and when asked about it he proudly states that he painted it with a roller! Then simply just wet sanded and polished it out to what looks like a very professional paint job.
 
Every car I've been witness to being freshly painted... (only a few, and by non-car-painters) has had a very horrible looking finsh before being sanded and buffed. Then they all looked fabulous!!!
 
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