More Kudos to Sherwin Williams and Blend Supply
Now that I've reached a satisfactory conclusion, I'd like to share more details about my initial testing and learning how to use my new paint gun.
I've reached a point in the build when I had to put down the rattle can, take a deep breath and wade into the deep end of using a paint gun to shoot aerospace coatings by myself for the first time. I needed to paint my interior parts before assembling them, so after prepping my first practice parts I shot one coat of wash primer, one coat of urethane primer and one coat of the flat green military coating I wanted for my interior. The first three test pieces were a disaster, not only because I hadn't refined my skills on mixing and shooting... but the paint came out blotchy, and worse: glossy. Making sure it wasn't a problem with my custom-mix interior green, I tried shooting the black with the same result.
I was heartbroken; I spent a lot of money on these paints, and they weren't turning out at all as expected. In desperation, I sent out an email with photos to Steve Voisin at Sherwin-Williams and Ryan Wilcox at Blend Supply. This was on a Sunday, and I didn't expect an answer until the next week. Much to my surprise, Steve Voisin called me back within the hour (even though he was on a family vacation!) and we discussed the issue at length. I ended up shooting another black test piece later that day and the result was better, but still glossy, and I sent Steve photos of the result. The next day I spoke to Ryan at Blend who told me that he and Steve had conferred on the issue, and he suggested altering the ratios of paint and curative used in the military blends. The day after that Steve also called me and suggested the same thing. By this time I was working on the Skyscapes test panel shown above and told him I would try the new ratios when I was finished with the Skyscapes panel. That took longer than expected (another long story), but I did get a chance to reshoot the green today, and I was thrilled to find that the adjustment worked perfectly. Not only was it a flat finish; it was so flat that my camera wouldn't focus on it unless I included background clutter in the frame! Those mil-spec guys must be serious about stealthy coatings!
I can't emphasize how pleased I am with the customer service I received from Steve Voisin at Sherwin-Williams and Ryan Wilcox at Blend Supply. Steve was one of the guys that ran the Aerospace Coatings Training Program I attended in Wichita, and he and Ryan have been very patient and very helpful in helping a novice like me get through the daunting process of not only getting the paint and supplies I need, but helping me through the stages of learning I've had to face. These guys are heavy hitters in the industry, used to dealing with military contracts and corporate/industry orders... and they're still willing to make sure that little guys like me get taken care of properly as well. My highest recommendations go to Sherwin-Williams and Blend Supply; as far as I'm concerned, they're the best.
