How to apply paint question

[r.morrison]

Gary....from how you describe the labeling on the paint you purchased from W/A, it would seem to me that they're getting made from a local source and private labeling it. Under normal conditions, most of the info your looking for should be on a proper label. You should find out which "thinner" you should use for this product, contrary to my earlier input. Paint that is sold to the general public HAS to be properly labelled for public safety. Otherwise our friends in W/A could get their asses sued off.

Trying to help you out....but also....this is my area of expertise!! Robert(CMRS)

[hrpearce]

When I bought my syphon spray gun I was lucky. There was a painter in the shop and he asked me if I knew what I was doing and when I said no he gave me some pointers. He told me to thin until the paint ran off a metal rule in a constant stream and only started dripping when almost all the paint was back in the pot.

[Jordan Baker]

Consistency of milk always worked well for me. I just relied on the good'ol mk1 eyeball to measure it out. Rarely had any problems.

[jason meade]

I have used this paint many times in the past, works well when mixed 4 to 1, and do not use thinner, you use reducer to thin paint and thinner to thin primer.
They remove the lables to insure you dont go to Glispie Coatings in Texas and have some made,venders do this to protect there intrests...But very easy to catch on to the game.

[Lauren Child]

I was told a while back to thin paint for spraying to about the same consistency as milk, and that seems to have worked for me (same as Jordan above).

[Private_collector]

Gary,

Every brand & type of paint has different mixing requirements. The makers specifications should answer all questions in relation to your enquiries. Although you have not been given a proper label, the supplier should be able to supply the 'Data sheet' for correct mixing, thinning/reducing product, spray technique and most importantly...safety precautions! Also of great importance is the exact substrate preparation needs. Use of the right primers and fillers for the type of paint can be vital. For example, if you have used enamel primer, but intend to use an acrylic top coat.........well, the enamel will 'fry' up once the acrylic thinners are applied, and you will get a god awful mess. You can do things the other way around though. Acrylic undercoating can be covered with enamel or 2 pack paints, so long as you 'key' the two paints properly with right grade of sandpapers.

Without all the appropriate technical info for your paint, you won't get a finish anywhere near as good as your potential best. As others have said, there is also a great difference between the thinning/reducing products, and you MUST use the correct one for your paint. Then there is possibility that you can also add a hardener product, to effectively turn fairly standard enamels into a product of much greater resiliance and longer life.

A note of caution: all paint is dangerous if inhaled (and other ways into the body), but some, such as large proportion of the 'two part' urethanes contain chemicals that, when mixed, create free floating isocyanates. That is essentially, Cyanide gas! Inhaling these fumes directly will certainly damage the lungs. This damage may not be evident until years later, when lung problems such as shortness of breath or chest infections start happening. The correct respirator must be worn.

Anyone can apply spray-paint. It's not a hard job to do.............but, to achieve your very best results, you will certainly need all the information to assist you.

Hope this helps.

P.S: I always use a graduated/marked mixing cup for achieving desired proportions of paint components. These come in many sizes and have a range of mixing ratios clearly marked on the sides. Get a metal stirring stick too! They also have the mixing ratios for most paints, and are just as effective as the measuring cups, if you can't find them, plus they are very easily cleaned and will last forever if looked after well.

[Darrin Wright]

I agree with everything Tony has mentioned above, informative and easy to understand. Contact the paint supplier.
General rule of thumb, if paint is not thinned down enough it generally won't spray and goes on thick, if thinned too much will run easily on the finished product.
Temperature when spraying is also important.
I use my wifes digital kitchen scales for measuring out the paint, flatening base and thinners, that way I get the mix correct every time.
To save money on mixing cups etc, I also use 2Lt empty (and thouroughly washed) square milk containers. They are light weight, fit on the scales, square shape assists with pouring paint into gun, and when finished with go in the bin.