Did I buy the wrong clearcoat?

[Hemi Killer]

I just got my order in from Hiro Boy. I thought I ordered a gloss clearcoat but apparently not. It is part #ZP-3002, and it just says "laquer clearcoat" it does not specify whether it is matte or gloss.

what did I buy? Can it be polished out?

[MPWR]

Automotive clearcoats are pretty well by definition gloss coats. A matte coat would be a rare specialty item.

The options for automotive clearcoats are usually one part (lacquer) or two part (catalyzed) formulations. Both are gloss. I personally use only the one part lacquer stuff (with suitable thinner)- but many people are enthusiastic for the two part stuff.

One part lacquer can certainly be polished.

[Hemi Killer]

ahh I see. So their 2k system is 2 parts you mix together. what I bought was pre-mixed single part. correct?

thank you

[cjsbosox]

Hemi don't waste your money on Zero 2k clear. You can go to an automotive paint supply in your are and get a quart of DuPont 2k clear for $35 or so for the kit. By the time you have Zero shipped here you have gone through 20 bucks!

I bought my DuPont a year ago and have barely used 10% of it. I keep mine in a dark, cool place and it has not gone bad at all. I don't understand why some bother. Now their colors to match OEM I totally understand. And if you don't have a shop by you, go online.

[Hemi Killer]

Originally Posted by cjsbosox

Hemi don't waste your money on Zero 2k clear. You can go to an automotive paint supply in your are and get a quart of DuPont 2k clear for $35 or so for the kit. By the time you have Zero shipped here you have gone through 20 bucks!

I bought my DuPont a year ago and have barely used 10% of it. I keep mine in a dark, cool place and it has not gone bad at all. I don't understand why some bother. Now their colors to match OEM I totally understand. And if you don't have a shop by you, go online.

I only got it because I was ordering a bunch of Zero paint colors and thought I would throw it in. Thanks for the heads up.

now I am having issues. When I spray it, it seems like its drying before it hits the model. I literally looks like cobwebs everywhere. it is 80+ F here. (inside the house)

[Hemi Killer]

i think I got a bad bottle of clear. it keeps shotting cobb web stuff everywhere. I bought some Duplicolor clear, its perfect straight out of the can.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

Originally Posted by Hemi Killer

i think I got a bad bottle of clear. it keeps shotting cobb web stuff everywhere. I bought some Duplicolor clear, its perfect straight out of the can.

Cobwebs mean your paint is drying before it hits the surface, you either need more thinner, lower pressure, a retarder, or some combination of those three. Shooting a bit closer to the model can help. Every setup is different, so premixed paint can be problematic if it doesn't spray properly right out of the jar. I haven't used Zero paints so I don't know what thinner(s) are compatible.

[Hemi Killer]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoomMX-5

Cobwebs mean your paint is drying before it hits the surface, you either need more thinner, lower pressure, a retarder, or some combination of those three. Shooting a bit closer to the model can help. Every setup is different, so premixed paint can be problematic if it doesn't spray properly right out of the jar. I haven't used Zero paints so I don't know what thinner(s) are compatible.

my spray booth is next to a window and its 105+ out today. the new clear I got is fine, but I used it tonight. Ill save the Zero stuff untill winter. Thanks for everyones help.

[stevenoble]

You need to thin it some more, if you're getting cob webs. Also make sure you are using an airbrush with the correct size tip, a 0.5mm works best. You can use smaller ones, I've sprayed it with a 0.3mm tip but you do need to thin it significantly more in order to stop the cobwebs. I tried the Zero 1K in the past. Eventually got it to spray fairly well, but never really got on with it. Their 2K is excellent and always sprays well for me, so that is what I use now...

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by Hemi Killer

my spray booth is next to a window and its 105+ out today. Ill save the Zero stuff untill winter.

Waiting until the weather cools may help some, but properly thinning is what the clearcoat really needs. If it's spiderwebbing, it is probably thick enough that it is not flowing well as you paint it (spiderwebbing is essentially a similar phenomenon as orangepeel- it causes and solutions are the same).

Prethinned doesn't necessarily mean that the paint is ready to be sprayed. If you buy automotive clearcoat from a paint supplier, what you find in the can is a gooey ooze similar in consistency to thin honey. It must be thinned to be sprayed in any spray equipment- automotive or hobby. When I bottle the stuff, I fill a jar with it a quarter of the way and then fill the rest of the volume with thinner- so I start with 3/1 thinner/clear. Then when I spray it, I nearly always add a good bit more thinner (how much depends on weather and other conditions). Getting clearcoat sufficiently thinned is critical to getting it to perform well.

Like Bob I haven't used Zero, so I can't really say what thinner to use with it. For the paints that I use, I buy gallon cans of PPG DTL-105 thinner. A can lasts me several years.

[Hemi Killer]

Awesome thank you. I was afraid of thinning it too nuch. Ill play around with it

[John18d]

hemi killer - most of the Zero paints from Hiroboy are designed to be sprayed at a temperature of about 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit. At 105 ambient temps that way too hot without a retarder. A retarder has different temp ranges and slows the drying time to allow the cooler premixed stuff to work at a higher temp. cjsbosox is correct about the 2K clears - you can buy a quart with hardner and then some reducer for a lot less than to ship a quantity over from Hiroboy - also a quart will last a very long time -many many many models worth. 2K is really 3 things - the cellulose clear - the catalyzer "hardner" and the reducer "thinner" most mix at 2 parts clear to 1 part catalyzer to 2/3-4/3 reducer depending on the final consistency of the ready to spray mix. When I spray 2K clear I mix the first batch to spray on the thicker side to lay down a "tack" coat then I thin it more for the 2nd and possible 3rd coat to allow it to flow better. If you reduce the first coat too much "Hot" the reducer will attack the decals if you have any on the model. It's always better to practice some before you spray the actual model. I use PPG 2K called Delthane from their Deltron line - but there are many other brands - I don't mix and match brands for components - I use the same brand for clear-catalyzer-reducer. Some people say they have mixed products without problems, but I prefer not to take a chance on a model that I've put hours into only to screw up the final clear coats - hope that helps you. Here in Tucson during the summer our temps are up around 105 too so I do my painting early in the morning before it gets hot. - hope this helps you hemi Killer - also don't buy anymore of that 1K clear that you have from Hiroboy - you can get 1 quart acrylic clear "1K" from Super walmart for about $30.00 in the auto-body repair/ paint section - John

[Hemi Killer]

Thanks John tgat helps a lot. I did pick up a quart of duplicolor clear to play with its a lot thinner out of the bottle than the zero.

Funny thing i played around with some tamiya clear spray for the first time. It was too easy, like idiot proof.

I thinned the zero with laquer thinner 50/50. It was much better but im wondering if i should thin it even more?


Thanks again

[John18d]

Hemi Killer - be careful not to over-thin the clear - when it has a lot of reducer added it becomes "hot" chemically and can attack decals and even the plastic. There is a limit to thinning - that is why there are "retarders" a retarder does not thin the paint/clear further - it just slows down how fast the VOC's evaporate and the paint-clear drys. Yeah that Dulpicolor 1K clear from Walmart is supposed to be "ready to spray" but that's for 1:1 things - I'm sure it needs a little thinning for airbrushing. Let me know how you like that Duplicolor 1K - I have not yet tried it - John

[John18d]

Hemi-Killer - with respect to the Tamiya clears - they're ok - I use it for small stuff that's not worth getting the airbrush dirty - it is not as glossy as 2K. I use more of the Tamiya "semi-gloss" and "matte" clears so I get different sheens. The only thing I use the Tamiya gloss coat for is to cover my carbon fiber decaling on interior parts. - John