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Painted finally, but not happy

dave4754

Well Known Member
Well after 9 years of building i finally starting to paint then will move parts to airport in Dec.

I am using a two part polyurethane paint over an AksoNobel primer. I am using a Devilbiss gun moderate price range(400 Cdn.) and a 60 Gallon 3 HP compressor. I also thinned about 15 %, the Paint is made by Besa very much like Imron or Endura.

The disappointing part is the paint went to a matte finish and not the glossy one I wanted, no runs.... but no gloss.

Any ideas on what i did wrong?

Dave
p.s. i searched the forum but if there are conversations on this please point me to them.
 
That can happen if the paint cures at a relatively low temperature. How warm or cold was it in the 8 (?) hours following paint application?

Alternately, this can happen (to some extent) if you don't apply enough paint for it to flow a little after application.

I assume this was a single stage paint (which doesn't require clearcoat)?
 
That can happen if the paint cures at a relatively low temperature. How warm or cold was it in the 8 (?) hours following paint application?

Alternately, this can happen (to some extent) if you don't apply enough paint for it to flow a little after application.

I assume this was a single stage paint (which doesn't require clearcoat)?

What Kyle said. Put it on too heavy and you will get runs. Doing it just right, the paint coat will appear matte like and then after a few seconds appear to "melt" together in a gloss finish. It won't do that if the temperature of the shop is too cool.
 
Yuo say it “went” to a matte finish. Did it lay down glossy then turn Matte? Sure it wasn’t dry spray? Hat would be my first guess for an amatuer. No runs on a first paint job would make that more likely. Dry spray looks matte, but is really a very rough surface texture. Cut and buff may not work if coats are really thin.

Either way, try wet sanding with 1500 then buff. It should then be glossy unless there was an issue with the curing. Is the paint hard or soft. As others said, most paint most be sprayed at 60-65* and maintain that for a couple of hours afterward
 
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Dave, I see your in Canada. If it was below the 70s and high humidity it may have blushed on you. I assume single stage paint. You said it?s like Imron. I have had good luck with letting polyurethane enamel cure for a week and wet sand with 1200G then cut and buff. Dan Horton has a good step by step tutorial here on the VAF on buffing paint. Don?t listen to the naysayers about cutting and buffing urethane. It can be done just fine but has to cure at least a good week. It will come out to a mirror shine!
 
Dave, I see your in Canada. If it was below the 70s and high humidity it may have blushed on you. I assume single stage paint. You said it’s like Imron. I have had good luck with letting polyurethane enamel cure for a week and wet sand with 1200G then cut and buff. Dan Horton has a good step by step tutorial here on the VAF on buffing paint. Don’t listen to the naysayers about cutting and buffing urethane. It can be done just fine but has to cure at least a good week. It will come out to a mirror shine!

This is good advice if the paint blushed. I would suggest starting with 1200 and finishing with 2000 grit before buffing. In this case (blush) you don't need to remove much material.
 
Lighting

I find it helpful to have some oblique lighting that reflects off of the surface being painted. When there is (just) enough fresh paint sprayed it looks shiny when viewing the reflection of the light at an angle. Otherwise, it can be difficult to tell if there is enough paint on by looking directly at the surface. Too much paint however and it runs of course.
I'm not sure what prior experience you've had painting but it may be worth practicing on an old car fender, hood etc. Even using some low cost acrylic or enamel would be good for practice.
p.s. I hope you are using hobbyair fresh air respirator or similar to protect your lungs and skin!:)
 
i don't have experience with anything but poly fiber on cloth but i have to ask why you don't just add another coat after the proper wait time if the dull finish is smooth?seems much quicker and easier?
 
i don't have experience with anything but poly fiber on cloth but i have to ask why you don't just add another coat after the proper wait time if the dull finish is smooth?seems much quicker and easier?

It would be helpful if the OP would supply a bit of feedback on the temperatures his parts were subject to while curing. More paint will just blush again if that was the problem and it remains cold in his shop.
 
kyle,
i would expect it would but i am questioning buffing out the present paint vs. repainting.

This really all depends on the problem / issue. Buffing may be the best course or additional coat(s) may be the option. We do NOT have enough data to make that recommendation.

One caution to the OP: some polys, like imrom, get very hard as they cure. If you plan to buff, strongly suggest you get the manufacturers recommendation for when to do it. Some polys become very hard to buff effectively after 2-3 days, some don't. You can always scuff it and shoot another coat. However, I would not do that until you figure out what you did wrong and how to mitigate it.

Larry
 
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Thanks to all for some great suggestions

The paint is a single, two part application. I did use two coats

I will try the sand and buff first as i think the temp might have been low as i let the garage door open to let the overspray out briefly then closed and fired up my natural gas heater when safe to bring temp up to 20 C of 71F.

Thanks again to all, sounds like we all learn something during this part of the build.

I was quoted 8 thousand Canadian to paint it so i thought i would paint myself, i have done a few things but nothing this big.

Dave
 
The paint is a single, two part application. I did use two coats

I will try the sand and buff first as i think the temp might have been low as i let the garage door open to let the overspray out briefly then closed and fired up my natural gas heater when safe to bring temp up to 20 C of 71F.

Thanks again to all, sounds like we all learn something during this part of the build.

I was quoted 8 thousand Canadian to paint it so i thought i would paint myself, i have done a few things but nothing this big.

Dave

most temp recommendations are panel temp and paint temp, not air temp. So, if the garage had been at 70* for a couple of hours before you sprayed, opening the door during the spraying should be of no concern, as long as the panel temps didn't drop below the critical level (likely 60 or 65*) before the heat went on again. I have done that several times with no consequence and under the advice of the paint manufacturer.

I am guessing it may be dry spray, which should be no issue to address with cut and buff. I would see if you can get it flat enough with 1500 or whatever is required by your buffing compound. Many single stages won't allow much removal without creating a mottled appearance. They aren't like clear coat in this regard. After the cut and buff, you'll want to examine the surface with sun light then determine if it is acceptable or whether a recoat will be required. You can also top it with clear coat to make any repairs or buffing easier.

Larry
 
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Before you do anything drastic get a local experienced painter to take a look and offer recommendations.

What brand paint are you using? Do you have all the data sheets for that system?
 
I'm with Sam. Get an experienced painter to look at it. There are many kinds of "dull" with different causes.
 
If you do decide to cut and buff I would recommend the 3M Perfect-It 3 step process. Get or borrow a good quality polisher that has a feather trigger such as the Dewalt DWP849X variable speed. And tape the edges so you don?t burn through the paint. 3M has some good tutorial vids to help. It?s pretty hard to mess up Imron if it?s fully cured. Post some pics.
 
Hi Dave,

Do you come to Edmonton often? I have been professionally painting airplanes for well over 30 years. I'm currently working on a F1 Rocket project and just painted my Citabria at my hangar in my spray booth. If you wanted to bring one of your painted parts to my shop, I will gladly give you some free advise. We could try to polish what you have now also. I'm not looking for extra work, because I have too much right now, I like helping fellow RV'ers.

Cheers,

Phil Kite
 
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