Novice Painter Needs Your Help

[Clsccmro]

I haven't done much of my own painting to figure out what I'm doing wrong exactly. I have a pretty nice gun and a compressor that can definitely handle it, so that's why I'm a little confused.

Every time I spray something, the primer and the paint applies really rough. It applies like sandpaper, I never get a smooth coat. It makes me have to sand twice as much as I should have to. Now I'm not looking for the most professional paint job here, so I'm definitely not being picky. Am I not mixing enough lacquer thinner with the paint or what? It's not the brand or type of paint either because I've used a couple different ones now. I'd like to put a coat of clear on next, but I'm afraid what might turn out. Please, all of the experienced painters here, fill me in!

Here are a couple of things I might be doing wrong:

No water filtration for compressor
Not enough lacquer thinner, or too much
Using generic lacquer thinner, not the "high quality" stuff

[fletcherscustoms]

Well it could be a couple hundred things honestly. First and foremost is always use the brand specific components and mix has instructed by info in product sheets for the paint. Always have water and oil filtration when painting, it'll bite you big time!! Biggest thing is something all novices run into is laying the paint on to thick and getting orange peel. Don't try to completly cover with one coat, spray a few coats with proper flash times in between!!

What paint brand and type are you using?
What gun and pressure are you spraying at?
Distance from car when spraying(gun tip to surface)?

[HILROD]

Laquer thinner should only be used with laquer paints. If you were painting enamel or eurethanes you would need those thinners or reducers. Also an air dryer would be needed, at least the disposable desicant ones running inline close to the gun. Also some paints need to be thinned just a little more than recomended to spray smooth. FRANK

[toxicz28]

From what I read, it sounds like the paint is drying before it lands on the panel. This could be caused several things.
Too hot out.
Spray gun too far from the panel.
Wrong temp range reducer/thinner for air temp.
Not enough reducer/thinner.
Air pressure too high.

This is information we would need to know in order to help you properly.

[Happyfunballs]

Use enamel reducer rather than the lacquer thinner.

[Clsccmro]

I am spraying at 40 psi, and it doesn't matter what distance I spray at, it will do the same thing at 6 inches as it does 3 feet. I do believe the paint is drying before it hits the surface, but like you guys all said there could be many things causing it. I am mainly painting with Evercoat high build primer, and DuPont Lucite Diamond Black. It says on the cans to mix a 1:1 ratio of paint to lacquer thinner. These are enamel paints so I have to use Lacquer thinner. I thought that the temperature might be affecting it as well, but it was doing the same thing in February as it is in June. Should I try mixing more lacquer into the paint since it is warmer now or less?

I know that the filtration could be a problem, but I have a horizontal tank, not a vertical and my filtration won't hook up to the lines, because the tank gets in the way. Basically, the way the tank sits prevents the filter from being able to be hooked up.

I have noticed that when I spray within about 6-8 inches from the surface, and I apply too much paint to the surface, it applies real nice and smooth, barely any "sandpaperish" texture.

Thanks for the help so far guys.

[Happyfunballs]

I just did a quick scan of some Evercoat primers and none specified reducing 1:1 with thinner. Give us the exact product. I'm willing to bet a better portion of your problem is in the materials your mixing and/or the ratio's. Enamel paints would be better applied using Enamel reducers, specifically a temperature specific reducer.

[Duesey]

I agree with Happyfunballs. Lucite topcoats are lacquer I believe. At least years ago lucite was lacquer. They tend to spray dry and look dry. Black lacquer doesn't look good until sanded and rubbed. The evercoat primers should be a urethane base product that needs a good generic urethane reducer. Almost any gun should spray almost any product good but usually if your spraying high build primer with to much texture it is almost always to thick. Most guys add the final reducer to their liking after the cataylist and thin by watching the paint stick and how fast the paint drips off the stick.

[toxicz28]

These are enamel paints so I have to use Lacquer thinner.

Dead wrong! Laquer= thinner. Enamel= reducer. Urethanes=catalyst. Read the labels. Use what is right for each product. Don't get creative and mix them unless the labels say it's ok.
Try substituting "paint thinner"(mineral spirits) for laquer thinner, and you will get a cup full of goo.
Also ask the paint store for the MSDS (material safety data sheets) for the chemicals you buy.

I have noticed that when I spray within about 6-8 inches from the surface, and I apply too much paint to the surface, it applies real nice and smooth, barely any "sandpaperish" texture.

That's the way it should be. Also, are you using a high pressure gun, or a low pressure gun?

[Clsccmro]

toxicz28, sorry I didn't mean to say that they are enamel paints, they are lacquer paints, so that's why I need to use lacquer thinner.

I'm using a low pressure gun.

Also, I do realize that the Lucite paint I am using will look dry, but it's not the look that is the problem, the surface truly feels like I sprayed 100 grit sandpaper onto it. I'm going to do some test spraying tomorrow. I must just need to figure out the right ratio of lacquer thinner to paint. I rechecked both the cans and they say a 1:1 mixture, but I guess my circumstances must be altering the ratio a good bit.

Again, thanks for all of your help guys, you're great.

[Happyfunballs]

How old is the Lucite? Mix according to manufacturers spec and try lowering the pressure a bit. If you have an HVLP gun this should be a problem. If that doesn't work bump your ratio a bit and try again at the lower pressure. If that doesn't work, something else is mucking up the works.

[NovaPwr]

What type gun are you using? I bought a so called "quality HVLP gun" a couple of years ago from a distributor we deal with at my cabinet shop. That thing was a pc of crap! Tried every tip. No matter how we mixed our paints or applied them the results were similar to those you described. It was a very poor design I guess. I complained to the salesman and a couple weeks later he brought us a new gun. Looked very much like the crappy one but it worked like a charm. Just a thought.

[toxicz28]

It doesn't sound like your mixing is wrong, but your technique is way off.
If you're using an hvlp gun, your pressure is too high. My gravity feed gun requires 23psi at the inlet on a small 1/4" hose. Sorry for sounding harsh but, RTFM for your spray gun and follow it! Get one of those adjustable regulators that you can attach at the gun, set the hose pressure high and dial it down at the gun. Get the right inner diameter hose for your gun too. You'll get a much more accurate pressure at the gun. An adjustable requlator and 50' of the right hose is cheaper than paint and solvents. You said before if you're 6-8" from the surface, and apply too much paint it's smooth. Does the paint run? If not, that right there should tell you about your technique. Keep the gun 6 to 10 inches from the panel. The whole purpose of High Volume Low Pressure is to dump most of the paint onto the panel at a low pressure to avoid overspray. The further you are from the panel, the more time the solvents have to evaporate, causing the paint to dry in the air. What you described before was overspray. And doing that on an entire panel/ car is just a waste of paint and your time.