What paint to use Acrylic.......Basecoat with Clearcoat.

[StanTheMan]

hello experts......
in a paint supply shop today getting a price for Acrylic Classic Red.
$200 plus thinners & so on.

he then suggests I could use a basecoat in Classic red & then cover it with clearcoat. at about the same cost. but stars saying its better because the sun will not fade it as quickly as Acrylic.


mmmmm.....he was saying there is absolutley no advantage by using Acrylic.

I was under the impression that the red doesn't come out as nice with the clear coat. The acrylic has a better shine to it. I want it shiny but i also want it to last.

I know i'm going to hear from bigdog & dave

I'd love to hear from Adam_Clubman too as i know you're respraying.
what do you think......what do you know.
i know there is a few others resparying currently. lets hear your thoughts.
lets hear what you know.


Clear coat ....or not.
is this guy telling me crap.

thanks in advance.

[fastfreddygassit]

two words...
TWO PACK, the paint and not the rapper....

Just a few observations from my experiances with spraying cars and bikes...
acrylic flash dries fast where 2 pack takes a while before it is touch dry.
2 pack has shine straight off the gun, where acrylic needs a colour sand and buff.
More of a chance getting sags/runs with 2 pack than acrylic.
Better coverage per litre with 2 pack.
cob (clear over base) I haven't tried but did look into it a bit...
Evidently there is a cob system where you spray acrylic colour THEN go over it with a 2 pac clear. It appeared to have its advantages with metallic paints.
In a nut shell, 2 pack has a much, much greater shine and depth than acrylic for the backyarder. Especially when you do a final colour sand and buff with appropriate 2 pack compound. And the shine lasts...
just my 2c (excluding GST)

[Daz 27]

use the acrylic red & then go over it with a clear top coat, you should get a really nice gloss.

[CT]

You cannot do 2pak at home - it is highly illegal but you could hire a booth and then use 2 pak but unless you have done it before, I would not bother. Clear over base acrylic will give an excellent, long lasting job if done correctly. If you do a good enough job off the gun on the base, it will not require much clear at all. I did the race car in black acrylic every season to brighten it up. I never bothered with the clear but another good way to build gloss is to add some clear into the colour mix for the final couple of coats of colour. The less buffing the better. Just do it!

[StanTheMan]

so if i was to do acrylic with clear top coat......do i need to buff back the acrylic before the clear goes on?

[Adam_NAclubman]

I'd love to hear from Adam_Clubman too as i know you're respraying.
what do you think......what do you know.

We haven't decided what we're doing with mine yet. I wanted white with a few coats of clear. My painter friend said that this would prevent fade (but really... whats going to happen if white fades... does it turn... um... white?) but that acrylic would be easier and quicker (I think).


Ultimately I'll let him decide as he knows what he's doing, I'm sure acrylic would be fine

[fastfreddygassit]

You cannot do 2pak at home - it is highly illegal

*sigh* the number of times I have heard that it is illegal.
If it was "highly" illegal then you would need a licence/DG ticket to purchase the paint...
Cellulose paints on the other hand........
'nuff said.
I've sprayed a couple of cars and a few bikes in the garage.
I would not go back to acrylic for quids.
The depth of finish, shine/gloss, durability and impact resistance (stone chips) of 2 pack sh!ts all over acrylic.
I have a GSXR 7/11 I sprayed (gloss/tinter black) in '96 that is still uber shiny.
2 pack is, however, HIGHLY dangerous. It contains Isocyanates, which are toxic. That is bad.
Isocyanates can build up in the blood stream. That is bad.
They can lead to death. That is also bad.
But I use an external air supply 3M respirator/full face mask. That is good.
Spray painting requires common sense in regards to personal safety.
Not using a respirator when spraying acrylic wouldn't be good for your health either....
What I was attempting to get across in my original post is that a good paint job (for a backyarder) is about 80% prep work
and only 20% is the spraying. Make that 20% count.....
Hence my recommendation for 2 pack.....from my dodgy backyard experience.

[SLash]

Hi Guys, I started another thread in regards to 2 pack and spraying my 98 evo gold.... can someone run through some pointers....

prep work, and applying etc...

-thanks.

[CT]

You cannot do 2pak at home - it is highly illegal

*sigh* the number of times I have heard that it is illegal.

Only because that's what the paint sellers say when they refuse to sell 2pak - well at least the guys I use do. Maybe the NSW and Vic laws are different I've never bothered pursueing it. No denying it's better finish wise but I reckon if you are really serious about a long lasting, high quality paint job, you'd be getting pro's to do the final prep and spray work anyway.

Should you consider 2pak at home, further reading below.

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/mao/spraypain ... oating.htm

http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/NR/rdon ... ng_415.pdf

[pinkie]

Be careful if mixing the acrylic and 2pac ie I don't think the 2 pac would go over the acrylic unless almost the acrylic is stripped almost bare and properly prepared. It may react over time from beneath.

Acrylic paints can go on \"thick\" and be buffed regularly, whereas clear coat ie 2pac is a little easier to live with as it shines off the gun as already stated and usually doesn't need buffing as much.

[StanTheMan]

I think the 2 pac is a little beyond me, allthough it would be the most preferable option. When the time comes, It will most likely be acrylic with clear topcoat.
At the time it will all depend on how much finances are avilable. How much it will cost for a pro to paint it for me, What kind of qualety it will turn out or if i can rent a spraybooth at aprofessional workshop for the day. All the ones around Broovale don't want rent it out as such.

But acrylic with clearcoat I think i can handle at home.

but this is all great information. Thanks for your input everyone.

& please keep it comming. don't hold back.

[bruce]

Don't leave the budgie in the garage when you're doing it !

[RobbieRat]

But acrylic with clearcoat I think i can handle at home

The acrylic you'll be fine with at home, the clear should still be done in a booth or at the very least in a tent with positive pressure.
Reason being it tends to pull every little bit of crap out of the air and surrounds and you end up with little specks in the clear that wont rub out.

Very frustrating if you have to start again.

Any paint supplier should be able to steer you towards a booth for hire somewhere, some come with a painter as well and the whole deal shouldn't cost more than $200.

Have fun!

[StanTheMan]

But acrylic with clearcoat I think i can handle at home

The acrylic you'll be fine with at home, the clear should still be done in a booth or at the very least in a tent with positive pressure.
Reason being it tends to pull every little bit of crap out of the air and surrounds and you end up with little specks in the clear that wont rub out.

Very frustrating if you have to start again.

Any paint supplier should be able to steer you towards a booth for hire somewhere, some come with a painter as well and the whole deal shouldn't cost more than $200.

Have fun!

Sweet...I'll try that angle

[Astroboysoup]

yep i went the acrylic route and plus a coat of pearl mixed in clear and then another two coats of clear on top of that.

if you're doing classic red you might as well add some red metal in to the clear coat. give you that extra bit of reflection

you don't have to sand back your final coat of classic red.

i continually sprayed wet in my tent.

watch for drips...pain in the ass.. i got so pissed off with the drips on the bonnet i just gave up... i wasn't going to sand it all back AGAIN..