Paint spraying -Expert advice needed.

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PCUK

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Are there any paint spraying professionals here who could spend ten minutes on the phone giving me advice on spraying two-pack poly with a LVLP gun.
If any kind soul would PM me their phone number I could call them at a convenient time. Or anyone in the Tiverton, Devon area who fancies giving me a couple of hours one-to-one tuition for a fee would be even better.
 
PCUK said:
Are there any paint spraying professionals here who could spend ten minutes on the phone giving me advice on spraying two-pack poly with a LVLP gun.
If any kind soul would PM me their phone number I could call them at a convenient time. Or anyone in the Tiverton, Devon area who fancies giving me a couple of hours one-to-one tuition for a fee would be even better.
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Don't spray it unless you have access to full NBC warfare grade PPE. See instructions on can/COSSH sheet for details...
 
Don't spray it unless you have access to full NBC warfare grade PPE. See instructions on can/COSSH sheet for details...
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Can I second this. Basically if you have to ask about spraying this stuff please DON'T DO IT. Serious lung damage is more than a possiblity.

Have you looked into roll and tip. Even some of the pro shops do this now esp in light colours.
 
What kind of advice do you need? I resprayed an old project car in 2K paint, and really the main thing (other than practice) was just keeping the spray area clear of dust and water out of the compressed air lines...

As for setting up the gun. Usually mix paints to 2:1 paint to harder then mix down with up to 15% thinners, but follow paint manu. advice. If you don't have an oven, do a few REALLY thin coats first, allow it 10-15 minutes for the paint to flash off and then do another couple. You can get a surprisingly good finish straight from the gun I found. Don't be too bothered what the Pro's say I realised. I did a few test panels and then once I was happy got on with the job in hand. The entire car took me about a month to do around work, having never sprayed anything larger than a bike frame before. That included full engine removal and engine bay prep/spray too.

Oh If you can avoid silver paints ;) I did my whole project in silver and it was quite a learning experience... Also 'Solid' colours don't require lacquer and are much quicker and easier to repair scratches etc.

Before I started like you I spoke to loads of Pro's who said I had to do it this way or that, or not to bother it won't work. In the end I worked it out for myself. 10 years later its still fine...
 
I spray boats for a living, firstly make sure you have good a good mask if you ask at a paint shop they'll sort you out, secondly most of the finish is down to the prep work sand to 400 grit After spraying undercoat, if you can't get a good finish with the undercoat keep practicing. It's vital to make sure you are in a clean dust free environment there is nothing worse than doing all the hard work to ruin it in the last hour because you didn't clean it properly or protect it from a gust of wind or you chose to do it the same day the boat next door decided to start grinding or sanding something. Humidity must be as low as possible and you need to make sure the compressor has a water filter or is purged before you spray. Make sure you pressure is above 3 bar and have a little practice on a prepped surface before you go for the real thing. Do what is called a tack coat first which is a light coat and let it tack off which is to let it go just dry you can do a couple of these. Then go for it. Watch some videos on YouTube on setting up a spray gun and spraying will be much easier. Keep an even distance this depends on the paint the pressure and the gun but a few test sprays you'll work it out. Spraying itself is not rocket science you just need to get each step right to get a perfect finish. Be patient and don't try to put too much on at once. Good luck and remember you can always sand it down again and have another go.
 
Completely echo beyondhelp' comments, i too listened to an awful lot of people some with very good advise but others who just wanted me to buy their £300 spray gun and or £2000 paint mixing system, in the end i went with a sealy HVLP gun (ssg501) which i bought for £35 on ebay and bought every size nozzle for it which ranged from 1.2mm to 2.5mm so good for laying down hi build primer as well as top coat. I already have air line system with comp and spare capacity air tanks so a doddle really. I just pissed about with 100ml volumes of paint till i got the hi build to flow through the gun which was around 10-15% thinners depending on the air temperatures. I've only primed so far but was very impressed with the adhesion and durability (jotuns penguard HB). Have yet to topcoat as i have a million and one things to do before then, incidentally i bought a 3m full face mask and fitted it with gas (cyanide) filters which work a treat when spraying this as its 2pack epoxy that contains isocyanates (cyanide). Ordinary 2 pack car paint will be less harmful to you and the environment than the jotuns.

cheers roger.

www.agentlemansyacht.com
 
I sprayed a boat in two pot Jotun years ago and it did not contain cyanide. I remember at the time it was advertised as the safest top coat available. Boat is owned by some one else now but the paint is holding up well.
 
PCUK said:
Are there any paint spraying professionals here who could spend ten minutes on the phone giving me advice on spraying two-pack poly with a LVLP gun.
If any kind soul would PM me their phone number I could call them at a convenient time. Or anyone in the Tiverton, Devon area who fancies giving me a couple of hours one-to-one tuition for a fee would be even better.
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It's very hard to get the finish right. A mate with enough professional boat building experience to have the compressor and all the safety gear needed eventually got a professional paint sprayer he knew in. The finish he did himself was OK, but the professional's finish was much better. He hired a cherry picker to speed up the work & I think the entire boat was done in one day.
 
fishermantwo said:
I sprayed a boat in two pot Jotun years ago and it did not contain cyanide. I remember at the time it was advertised as the safest top coat available. Boat is owned by some one else now but the paint is holding up well.
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Well thats another tick in the box to not listen to paint spraying professionals as it was one that told me that isocyanates were part of the same family as cyanide - from memory my eyes hurt a bit when i took my mask off to clean the gun, didn't realise there was still quite alot of fumes still in the shed, turns out if the paint catches fire it'll release amongst other gases hydrogen cyanide. All good fun though!

roger

www.agentlemansyacht.com
 
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Two years later and I'm still learning, although most of this period was spent in doing other less exciting things such as house alterations but now I'm back on it and I'm finally getting there. My only problem now is the odd run as most of the finishes are close to professional standard (in my opinion). I'm using Jotun Megagloss which gives a fantastic gloss and thanks to all the advice on here and on You Tube I'm making progress. Might even do some pics when it's all finished so the pro's can have a laugh.
 
Isocyanates can kill you whilst you are spraying. Don't mess with them,

Read this forum discussion started by someone who thought it was not dangerous http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/2k-safety-leason-learnt.14051/#post-160618
As you read further down, the more alarming it becomes.

Most 2K paint for automotive use contain Isocyanate, those that are Isocyantae-free make it very clear. The default expectation is that 2K (2 part) paint contains Isocyante.
 
Mercury Rising said:
Isocyanates can kill you whilst you are spraying. Don't mess with them,

Read this forum discussion started by someone who thought it was not dangerous http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/2k-safety-leason-learnt.14051/#post-160618
As you read further down, the more alarming it becomes.

Most 2K paint for automotive use contain Isocyanate, those that are Isocyantae-free make it very clear. The default expectation is that 2K (2 part) paint contains Isocyante.
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Thanks for the link, didn't realise this stuff was so dangerous. I inherited a couple of half-used tins with the boat, and over the years I've mixed small quantities by hand and brushed applied it for small repairs. Always done outside in the fresh air. I enquired a couple of years ago about having an aerosol mixed using the same paint and was told it could easily be done. Thankfully I didn't do it......! Very useful post. Cheers.
 
PCUK said:
Two years later and I'm still learning, although most of this period was spent in doing other less exciting things such as house alterations but now I'm back on it and I'm finally getting there. My only problem now is the odd run as most of the finishes are close to professional standard (in my opinion). I'm using Jotun Megagloss which gives a fantastic gloss and thanks to all the advice on here and on You Tube I'm making progress. Might even do some pics when it's all finished so the pro's can have a laugh.
Click to expand...

Don't worry too much about the odd run as they can be removed when flattening and polishing.
 
In my past I have done quite a bit of spraying and it can be quite a complicated process getting it right with so many variables, it is all to easy to get it wrong. The thickness of paint can only be achieved by repeated spraying of coats with the chance of problems each time. Why not just brush paint it. With a good quality worn brush, an astonishing degree of finish can be easily attained. I once painted a 38' steel boat with 2 pack and the finish was amazing. Image can be seen here as well as the boat alongside. http://linnetwoods.com/marinezine/_images/aa_y_k_03.jpg
I am not saying it is easy as it was 5 hours of continuous painting without any breaks to avoid having any dry areas.
 
I did Avocet outdoors with Epifanes 2-pack. I wouldn't be in a hurry to repeat the experience! First of all, (unless things have come on in the last few years) I don't think there are ANY mask filters that are suitable. Some are better than others, but I don't think any of them are regarded as "safe":

http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/bodyshop/isocyanates.htm

That said, these guys claim that they've not had any complaints...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gerson-2K...Mask-NOT-AIR-FED-MASK-CAR-PAINT-/350690393436

I waited for a hot, dry and almost windless day in summer, and tried to get the paint on just before noon. Inevitably, a variety of bugs landed on the job. Best thing is NOT to try to pick them off. Leave them until the paint hardens and then you only have to polish their footprints out, rather than their whole bodies and / or the big finger mark you left while trying to pick them off! I tried a polythene tent round the boat but because it was over grass and foliage, the humidity inside the tent just shot up.

I used a small HVLP gun but wished I had a larger one because the "fan" from it was pretty small. I'd have got a better finish with bigger gun but I don't think the compressor I was using would have provided enough air to feed one.

I painted one side and was absolutely delighted by the lovely gloos, so I then went round to the other side and when I'd finished that, to my horror, I went back round the first side and saw that it had more runs than a test match special! Sick as the proverbial parrot, I could do nothing but wait for the runs to develop on the second side (which they did). I was surprised at how long after the paint went on that the runs appeared. I also discovered (once it had hardened) just how hard 2k paints are to sand! Eventually, I got the runs out and then (a week or so later) had another go, but this time I was so scared of getting more runs that I think I probably put it on too dry and too fast. These "mist coats" that everyone talks about seem to have eluded me. Several very thin coats, "dusted on", built up into something with a rather disappointing gloss.

It's not "awful", but it's certainly not as good as a professional job. Probably "only just" better than with a paint brush. It is, however, as hard as nails. This season, we've been on a mooring with a galvanised steel ring on top and in light airs, the boat just rubs slightly against the steel ring. I thought it had damaged the paint, but a quick rub with some buffing compound and all the marks disappeared.
 
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