reducing your 2 part primers

[installer]

this is probably the dumbest question there is, but i haven't been able to find any real hard evidence of how to do this, i'm thinking that reducing the primer isn't a good idea to begin with, but adding a slight ability to the mixture to help it flow would be helpful with guns that have smaller tips.

from what i understand from reading on this site and other autobody links i've checked out you aren't supposed to spray through a gun with a tip smaller than 2mm. i have a touch up gun that has a 1.8mm tip and it was a very slow process...........so slow that i stopped and cleaned my gun. i thought maybe reducing then would have helped but wasn't sure how to go about it.

so the next question is.............what is typicaly used to reduce a 2 part primer?
this i have no idea on......

any ideas?

thanks for the imput!

[ABD]

I agree with all yer thinking up there...Primer is beast to be thick and strong, reducing it takes away from that a bit...but at times I do reduce, I'm sure most peeps do......I try to never reduce more than 10% if that doesn't help I crank up the Air...If it's still being a pain, it's time for a different gun.

I use reducer from whatever system I'm using...I use omni a lot, soooo Omni Primer, gets a splash of Omni reducer..........Just how I do anyway:D

[installer]

well, i decided i was going to look into purchasing a gun specifically for spraying primer, and also a gun specifically for spraying a clear/mini-flake combo.
i went to get one and wow............for a siphon fed 2.0mm nozzled gun i was looking at 70 bucks.......wtf? thats alot isn't it? being that i'm in canada we have whats called "princess auto" it's a store with friggin' everything......i love the place, but if i am gonna pay that for a primer gun then i was gonna have to do the same for the flake gun i would rather take the 140 and put it towards 1 good gun. i looked at harbour freight tools down south and they seem to be the next likely candidate, but after looking into the 2 part primer "death-factors" and myself not having the ability to spray it properly i decided i will stick with the high-build out of a can........for the amount i would be doing, i think it makes sense for me to do it out of a spray can untill i find everything i need. i just don't wanna half-ass it......y'know? and as of now the high build out of the can has worked for what i've needed.

but not to say i don't want to learn more about this....i'm just going to focus my attention more on the airbrushing and deal with primer issues when i come to them.


you just get to the point where you wanna do it all.

it just takes time!

[JimmyG]

I suppose it comes down to the coverage area you want to prime....70 bucks ain't alot for a 2mm primer gun....HiBuild primer in rattle can is 15-20 bucks? It really erks me when I use 1/2 can of high build and a week later the rattle can won't spray....
It's just a matter of business equipment if you need 1 gun for primers and another for flakes, another for base and one especially for clear....
Just like folks keep several airbrushes for different applications....
The bottom line is proper care of spray equipment....

[colourshift]

Always want to have a separate gun for primer, primer guns get ALL gunked up on a regular basis.

[ABD]

Yip off what Jimmy says..Just comes down to needing and using the right stuff when ya need it..LOL....If yer Priming enough things, one day it'll be better to have everything you need on hand.

$70 is pretty cheap (IMO) for a good gun...I payed near $300 for my clear/base gun..They go up to $600 and over for some....

I use my good gun constantly, don't know what I'd do without it..Full size HVLP, I use it like a mini gun for small artwork on to full clearing....4 or more years now, never givin me more than a hiccup of probs........I have some cheaper $100 guns that I can't say the same for....Like you said, "takes time"....Been years buying stuff for my shop..LOL

[REDTAIL]

i picked up some SEM flexible primer surfacer that said do not thin the stuff was a pain to shoot

when i needed some more i asked at my paint store and the guy said here use this and reduce it 15%. it sprayed so smooth it needed very little sanding to get ready for the base i was really impressed with the way the primer shot with a 1.8