This is the story:

I got a job over the weekend to paint a body kit...ok so i took it considering that the guy threw 400 dollars at me Literally...i do the usual procedures before applying base and clear...now the job is a whole lot better than the previous...but still has orange peel just not as dramatic as the last job...my job was good and you wouldn't die from seeing it...

well i forgot that my bro works at ppg so i called him and ask him a few questions regarding symptoms of orange peel...His comments "orange peel is not b/c of you or your gun its the way the paint is...to help it out and reduce some of the orange peel you can add more reducer to the base coat or add more hardener to the clear"...now this info is coming from work that he's seen on the job...also as a side note he said not to use a whole lot but just a little bit more to thin it out...and he asked me what type of reducer or whatever i have to thin it with but i didnt know and didnt have the time to check...so bare with me...

Now my question is for those of you who paint a lot have you ever found yourself adding more reducer or hardener to make your job less of say "orange Peel"?

And what are you comments Regarding "adding just a tad bit more reducer to the paint/clear"????

and if you want to know i ended up sanding all the parts down and buffing out to shine again...but the shine wasn't as good as when i first cleared it...however the kit did turn out okay...

i am using a sata gun fyi and the correct equipment...this is my 4th paint job..

 

Um on the base I mix per spec sheet.

On the clear I mix per spec sheet with a little more reducer depending on what part/panel I'm shooting.

Little extra reducer helps the clear "run out" nicely with less peel. NEVER add more hardener.

 

Adding more hardener often times has the opposite effect of making something take longer to dry as well as making it more brittle.

As for orange peel *only* coming from the paint and having nothing to do with the painter, that isn't true. If a person wants orange peel they can give it orange peel.

 

i spray ppg at my shop. i also spray a lot of the cheaper base and clear, because people want to be cheap. all of their base mixes 1-1. the clear i use , mostly, mixes 2-1. i never reduse my clear. peel usually comes from what air pressure you use, how fast you move your hand while spraying, how close/far away you are while spraying, also from wha activator you used when mixing. they have slow, medium, and fast. peel, from what i understand is mostly not getting enough material on the panel. it could be that you dont spray enough to know that "spot". not trying to sound like an ***, just saying it gets better with practice. if it isnt as clear or shiney now sinse you sanded it and buffed it, you might wanna rebuff it and the use swirl mark remover and a black 3m pad.

 

There is a difference between rough surface profile/dry spray and excessive peel, so make sure its the latter. Excessive peel comes from many different variable not just one reason for all peel problems. Low air pressure/ improper gun adjustment, slow stroke, gun distance too close, too much overlap, improper viscosity, dirty air nozzle are the most basic causes or combination of causes. Sometimes adding a little reducer can help, but I wouldn't go over 10% to the mix. The conditions and material definitely come into play, use the correct speed hardener and the correct temp reducer to allow the clear to flow out as it flashes and begins to cure. You want to lay it out with a nice and even build but not so much that it ripples or sags once it flows out.

 

ok everyone thanks for your input...i will try to give a response to everyone but i will cover the main topic of what concerns mee...

i've never touched the idea of adding more or less of hardener or reducer. It was brought to my attention and i want to give it a try. i've always followed the guide lines 1-1base 2-1 clear...It was only when my bro told me to try it that i started to question it...My bro mixes or makes the chemicals of ppg and knows of the properties that it needs. thats why when he told me that to help reduce some of the peel to try that method... thus i am asking. now i consider myself a little bit more of an average painter from a scale of 1-10 and 10 being holy professional i'd give myself a 7...and thats far better than average...

I want to know if any of you have tried it...and what are the results...add in the fact that you use the same procedure, movement, pressure the likes...

thanks for not giving me the sarcasm i'd love to hear everyone's comments about this and maybe it will make me a better painter and move me up the scale to be a 10...thanks everyone i enjoyed all the comments...

 

I've used this method in the past. But ultimately I came to the conclusion that the difference is really not much, if at all in my case. I'm very observant about the viscosity of the mix after its stirred up, if I feel it needs a splash I'll add it. When using a clear that I'm familiar with and that has reducer in the mix ratio I will slightly go over. Thinner material will also have less build which is also something to think about. 2 mils of clear is generally whats recommended for proper UV protection. Some clears that are too thin may not have enough build in two coats on vertical side panels, so if you plan on only doing 2 coats don't go too thin. Next time you paint, do little test and clear similar parts w/ different viscosity clear and check the end result. What size gun do you use?

For me distance and speed has the most effect, my SATA 1.3 is maxed on material and the clear is always a consistent viscosity. I will say that a little thinner vs thicker, the thinner will layout slightly flatter.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hawjboi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...
well i forgot that my bro works at ppg so i called him and ask him a few questions regarding symptoms of orange peel...His comments "orange peel is not b/c of you or your gun its the way the paint is...

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did he even paint for living? no offense but gun control is the number one thing to avoid peels

 

thanks...i havent tried it yet but i will experiment with it...i'm using a Sata RP digital 1.3 thanks for your comment...

 

he's never painted before and i think i stated that somewhere in one of my post...yes i do beleive you too about gun control i just wanted to find some facts and first hand experience...tanks for you concern and comment

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hawjboi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">he's never painted before and i think i stated that somewhere in one of my post...yes i do beleive you too about gun control i just wanted to find some facts and first hand experience...tanks for you concern and comment</TD></TR></TABLE>

99percent of the time it's the painter.

every job will be different consider the temp, paint and stuff you put in it, everytime you have to adjust a tad to get everything right.