zero 2k clear

I took dive and rather than buy zero clear ready to spray I bought the 2k stuff.the instructions although an example I followed bar I found the amount of thinner that was listed as an example left it too thick so I thinned it to where I could air brush it but it was still thicker than the premixed stuff.

anyways I was happy with what I got bar I will have to micromesh it to get rid of foreign bodies and apply a second coat.

that was hours ago and about an hour ago I go in kitchen and see bottle of premix I made and gave it a shake.

to my suprise it was gel like.i tried a but if thinners in it but it didnt make a difference realy.

what went wrong?

I think it might be a case of mixing just what I want to brush each time but the mix as as instructions said.

50ml clear 25ml hardner and thinner.

Thanks.
:)

Shelf life for mixed 2K clear is about 40min. It cures by chemical reaction, which starts as soon as you mix clear and hardener.
Recommended volumes in the mix only represent proportion. You only mix as much as you could use in 30-40 minutes. I mix 6 to 9ml
only at a time. You also need to read safety instructions very very carefully. Proper ventilation is critical when you use this stuff.
It is a urethane based product and requires special care when used.

Lezdep is correct. Never pre-mix it. Whatever you don't use in the session is waste. Once it goes off you'll never get it back. Make sure you clean your airbrush thoroughly too or it will be going into the bin along with the hardened clear coat. I also second the warnings about health and safety. It's lethal if inhaled. An extractor cabinet, proper filter mask, gloves and eye protection are a must when using this stuff..

Re the mixing ratio....

I start with a 4 - 3 - 2 ratio of clear, thinner and hardener... That gives a good consistency for an initial coat... I then progressively add more thinners to it for the 'wet' coats, until the final coat is almost pure thinners...

This has no adverse effect on the clear, or the underlying colour coat / decals, and helps the clear to level out...

Bradfordian - take Steve's warning seriously - 2K uses cyanoacrylate aka superglue - CA zap - etc it is DEADLY stuff if you inhale this vapor - be sure you have adequate ventilation in addition to the industrial respirator - also don't be tempted to remove the respirator until after the vapors "fumes" have dissipated.
And as the previous posting state - DO NOT PREMIX 2K mix only what you need or it will cure - sometimes faster than 40 minutes if the ambient temperature is warmer.
And lastly I also mix my 2K at a 100% clear - 75% reducer (thinner) 50% catalyzer (hardener)
and one more thing Steve is correct again - be sure to disassemble the airbrush and clean thoroughly or else that airbrush might become junk.
I have used Zero 2K and PPG 2K extensively - if you have any questions please PM me - maybe I can save you some trouble -
John

Thanks all for the advice, I got some masks today.

I mixed ratio of 10 5 5, the mix was great but it ended up being far too much, there was more than enough for 2 models.i am awaiting the results, I wasnt happy with premixed zero clear, always came out orange peely, might have been me but I was micromeshing the bodies first.

decided to take the plunge when I read soo many goods things about it, happy with results so far.but I did mclaren f1 body and I think there must have been some contaminant on the body and the clear seemed to split.so letting it dry to micromesh it again.

thanks again.
:)

If you could post some pics of the Body that would help a lot. Personaly I don't want to polish 2K clear on a scale model. I can't seem to get it to shine again after hitting it with 4000 up to 12000 grid micromesh. And the polish i use( i tried various brands) does not seem to do anything to the paint. So i tent to not polish it unless its a flat surface with no sharp edges.

If you could post some pics of the Body that would help a lot. Personaly I don't want to polish 2K clear on a scale model. I can't seem to get it to shine again after hitting it with 4000 up to 12000 grid micromesh. And the polish i use( i tried various brands) does not seem to do anything to the paint. So i tent to not polish it unless its a flat surface with no sharp edges.

Thin the clear more in the later coats as already mentioned above and you shouldn't need to sand it back before polishing as it will level out a lot better. Also I don't know what kind of polish/compound you're using but normal hobby stuff is useless on 2k. You need to use proper auto compound. Meguiars #105 followed by #205 is an excellent way to start. They have a lot more cut than hobby compounds.

I got meguires, had it months ago.the enzo I was doing I decided to go for nice shiney finish so stripped the body off the chassis and been micromeshing and clear coating it.but every time I was not happy with the finish.why I decided to use 2k as everyone basicly said it levels great with nice shiney finish.prob was yesterday it was windy and I am outside on 7th floor veranda and after 2k I found it had like little black hair things here and there.so had to micromesh it again and redo 2k.this time it came out great bar I can see little dust flecks, they look like little nipple things on the surface so need to polish them out.

I think I just went a bit too thick on the mvlaren f1 and it basicly messed up the rear fender on 1 side.i have micromeshed it smooth but I can see blotching where it messed up so will have to apply a couple of coats of paint I think then I will have another go at the mclaren f1 with 2k.i took pics but tinypic is an ass sometimes on my mobile.

I think I update the build threads when I have the bodys done.

I wish I had used this stuff on my aventador as I used the premixed which is meeehish but that model came out great (just got its rear wing to do)

This 2k is great but I messed up the first time and blew most the thinners now.it looks like only very small amounts need micing at a time.

anyone can tell me what the thinners zero 2k uses as I would rather buy a big bottle if its on ebay.

anyone can tell me what the thinners zero 2k uses as I would rather buy a big bottle if its on ebay.

Zero paints are just rebranded Lechler paints. You can get a litre of medium thinner on eBay.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/150466678086?nav=SEARCH

I use a standard small glass airbrush jar, about the size of a cotton reel. I half fill it with Clear, half of that again (to 75% full) with hardener, and half of that again (to 87.5% full) with thinner. That sprays in normal temperatures perfectly well, in my Iwata. Depending on how many parts I'm spraying (body plus doors, hood etc) that usually leaves me a bit over at the end (maybe 1/10 of a jar). The more separate parts I'm doing, the more is wasted by being sprayed "past" the parts. For one, single-piece body with no other parts, I'd probably do half a jar in total. As it is, I more or less filled the jar and did all the bits of the Murcielago PLUS the GTA body + bonnet with one mix... but I had none left at the end.

I use Zero Airbrush Cleaner for clean up -- and a 3M mask that cost about £25. An essential investment. I keep a jar of Zero Cleaner to hand, and as soon as I've finished spraying the 2K clear, even between the mist/tack coat and the wet coats, I blow the airbrush clean and backflush it, to take no risks of 2K setting in there...

bestest,
M.

I generally find the 2k clear quite economical. I usually mix 5ml of clear, 2.5ml of hardener and 2.5ml of thinner to give 10ml of mixed clear or 2/3rds of a cup on my 15ml airbrush cup. I usually find that I can paint a normal 1/24 car body, the body parts of a simple 1/20 F1 car (minus the wings) or a 1/12 motorcycle kit with the 10ml of clear. Sometimes I'll do another smaller mix if necessary, but rarely is it needed. I've recently invested in a new airbrush that I use only for clear coat. The Sparmax GP-70, which is fairly inexpensive and essentially has a larger tip and needle at 0.7mm, than my previous Tamiya Spraywork brush that had a 0.5mm tip and needle. I find that the extra size of the nozzle really helps to lay down lovely smooth wet coats of clear and makes painting a real pleasure..

I think it might be a case of mixing just what I want to brush each time but the mix as as instructions said.

50ml clear 25ml hardener and thinner.



You can mix it in any quantity you want. As long as you stick to the correct ratio. All you need to remember is whatever quantity of clear you use then you use half that amount of hardener. For example I've even done 1ml of clear, 0.5ml of hardener and 1ml of thinner, which gives you a tiny amount of clear, maybe enough for a motorcycle front mudguard for example. It's much better to mix tiny amounts because it saves on wastage. You know that if needed you can always mix some more, but mix too much and it's going into the bin if you don't use it. That's the nature of the beast with 2k clear, but with the stunning results it gives, it's more than worth the effort to perfect it. Once you've mastered the application it really is the quickest, easiest and decal safest clear out there. Nothing else comes close to it :)

2k is good stuff but I've personally switched to Testors wetlook clear full time. Dries hard, not as hard as 2k obviously, great shine, dries very fast. It's also safer and easier to clean. Just my 2 cents. 2k is a good hard clear for acrylics though. It doesn't eat other paints.

2K uses cyanoacrylate aka superglue - CA zap - etc it is DEADLY stuff if you inhale this vapor - be sure you have adequate ventilation in addition to the industrial respirator - also don't be tempted to remove the respirator until after the vapors "fumes" have dissipated.

Not to hijack this thread, but I have been debating picking up some 2k clear for some time now, but I am very concerned about the potential health issues for my family and pets.

My set up is pretty good - I have the MicroMark MicroLux 15x30 Spray Booth that vents directly to the outside and I always use a professional 3m respirator and gloves. I don't use any type of eye protection.

The issue I have is that when I am done painting lacquer I can always still smell fumes in the room. If I spray the more potentially hazardous 2k clear and the fumes still linger (even with the spray booth on and the door closed) does that have health ramifications for my wife, baby, dogs, and cats?

I would like to get great results but am not willing to put my family's heath at risk in the process.

Any insight, opinions, or feedback is greatly appreciated.

Stu

Well its normal to still smell some of the paint. And yes this could be a healt issu. I personaly don't take off my mask untill the airbrush is all cleaned out and I am ready to get out of the room. After closing the door I cant smell any of the paint or 2K clear. But if you do you should get either a better spray booth or a second one to make it dubble as powerfull. Or spray lighter coats so the spray booth has more time to move the fapours.

Hope this helps.

Stu - in my opinion if you do not have a dedicated room for spraying the 2K then I would suggest, no - I wouldn't have the fumes around my family or pets if I had them.
Do you have a garage? if so, maybe you could spray there.

thanks for the quick response guys. I do have a dedicated room to spray in, and I can (and do) close the door, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

I guess I am still on the fence.

thanks for the quick response guys. I do have a dedicated room to spray in, and I can (and do) close the door, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

I guess I am still on the fence.
If you can still smell paint after you finish painting session, you need a better extractor fan. I have self made spray booth where
I've used powerful furnace fan. Same fan as used in my house ventilation system. Even with that I don't feel 100% safe. Btw,
I actually leave extractor running for few more hours, after I've actually finished painting.

Unless you have the proper kit and you feel happy that it will do the job of extracting the vapours from the 2k clear, I wouldn't use it. I still wonder everytime I use it. In fact I have limited how much I use it myself somewhat. It's not something to be taken lightly. I did read that you can get a 2k that is isocyanate free? Never used it so I can't comment on how good/bad it is to use. Lets be honest all paints are bad for health if atomised and breathed into the lungs. Safety precautions, whilst very necessary with 2k are also essential for any paints that we spray. Get a good lungful or two of Tamiya TS, Mr Color lacquer or Zero paints and it makes you feel sick and dizzy, so I always wear full kit, mask, gloves, goggles and have the extractor running when I spray those paints too. There is no such thing as being too careful when it comes to your health..

I concur 100% with what Steve wrote above
John

Hi
Anyone knows if the 6 months shelf life on the hardener stated on the bottle , is really only of 6 months?
I have bought a 100ml clear but I'm a slow builder and it has around 18 months since I first used it (only painted 2 cars, the second one 8 months after first usage) , and I wanted to try on a third car but I'm afraid it might be too old. I sprayed a week ago on some small pieces and it seems ok and cured normally, should I risk it at use it another time (I still have enough for a t least 3 our 4 other cars :-( ), or should I discard it and buy a new set?
any thoughts appreciated.
Andre

Hi
Anyone knows if the 6 months shelf life on the hardener stated on the bottle , is really only of 6 months?
I have bought a 100ml clear but I'm a slow builder and it has around 18 months since I first used it (only painted 2 cars, the second one 8 months after first usage) , and I wanted to try on a third car but I'm afraid it might be too old. I sprayed a week ago on some small pieces and it seems ok and cured normally, should I risk it at use it another time (I still have enough for a t least 3 our 4 other cars :-( ), or should I discard it and buy a new set?
any thoughts appreciated.
Andre

Andre - I answered your other posting
John