AutoAir - Wet Sanding

[jeanseb]

Hello,

I was wondering if AutoAir paints, which are water based can be wet sanded.

Thanks!

[colourshift]

wet? Cured or not, I wouldn't recommend it. I have not had good success with sanding it, wet....even with a heavy layer of AA's transparent base over it. I have gone over a piece dry, and very very carefully.

[jeanseb]

wet? Cured or not, I wouldn't recommend it. I have not had good success with sanding it, wet....even with a heavy layer of AA's transparent base over it. I have gone over a piece dry, and very very carefully.

Hi,

I tried wet sanding it, and the paint just melts, even after I cure it with heat and I let it settle for 24h.

I am trying to paint my helmet with auto air paint. I notice the paint has troubles sticking at some spots, even after I wet sand the surface and degrease it. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[sharonsstudio]

did you wet sand the helmet till there was no more shine if there is even a little shine you will have a problem with paint not sticking..

[jeanseb]

did you wet sand the helmet till there was no more shine if there is even a little shine you will have a problem with paint not sticking..

Hello,

I tried to. To tell the truth I still had some shinny parts, like 1mm spots. But I noticed after I stripped the paint some spot where the paint was not sticking seemed to be preped properly (not shinny).

Have you ever used autoair paints?

[ABD]

I have no exp. with AA..but some things hold true to most paints....i guess 1st thought is contamination or lack of bite...like Sharon said..Did you sand well enough?..You said you cleaned, same deal , Was it clean enough?

You may have done both perfectly, than i'm getting stumped....Short of lack of proper coverage..like a dust coating in a spot ya missed....But there all just guesses.

Did you prime it 1st?...I like a fresh layer of new paint between my art/top coat and the original helmet material....Who knows what the helmet has been exposed to?..If the primer sticks. Then yer dealin with with all new and perfectly compatible goods........Just some ideas....Keep at it




EDIT/////Ya beat me to the post, i'm a tad slo on typing haha!

[colourshift]

Auto Air is all I use for automotive based projects...sharon's right, you have to scuff the surface well for good adhesion. I use 800 grit wet dry, and a grey scuff pad for tight areas.
I degrease (which if you said it's 1mm 'spots' sounds like a contaminant problem, not a scuffing problem) with 50/50 Simple green contentrate and water, then mineral spirits.

[jeanseb]

Auto Air is all I use for automotive based projects...sharon's right, you have to scuff the surface well for good adhesion. I use 800 grit wet dry, and a grey scuff pad for tight areas.
I degrease (which if you said it's 1mm 'spots' sounds like a contaminant problem, not a scuffing problem) with 50/50 Simple green contentrate and water, then mineral spirits.

Hi,

I wet sanded using grit 1000 (and dish soap). As for the degreaser, I used Dupont Plas-Stick - A-2320S. It's a plastic degreaser, recommended by the paint shop.

Any how, I scrapped all the paint and I am starting from scratch. Any recommendation with AutoAir? this is my first helmet.

Thanks!

[colourshift]

First of all, the sandpaper you're scuffing with is too fine. That will not help your adhesion issues.
I'd go over it twice with the recommended degreaser the shop hooked you up with, and then hit it with the mineral spirits for good measure.
Let everything dry.
There's a chance there's something bleeding through the old finish that the AA doesn't like (long shot, but I had that happen with other stuff)...in which case you could use the light or dark sealer made by AA before you started your graphics.

[jeanseb]

First of all, the sandpaper you're scuffing with is too fine. That will not help your adhesion issues.
I'd go over it twice with the recommended degreaser the shop hooked you up with, and then hit it with the mineral spirits for good measure.
Let everything dry.
There's a chance there's something bleeding through the old finish that the AA doesn't like (long shot, but I had that happen with other stuff)...in which case you could use the light or dark sealer made by AA before you started your graphics.

I actually did try the sealer too (white one). It did not stick that well. I will try dry sanding with grit 800. Then I am not sure I understand the degreaser thing:
"I'd go over it twice with the recommended degreaser the shop hooked you up with, and then hit it with the mineral spirits for good measure."

You want me to degrease the surface twise. Then what is the mineral spirits?

Also, how to cure the AutoAir paints? I did use an air dryer for about 10 minutes.

Thanks for your help!

[colourshift]

Yes, wipe it over twice with the Degreaser the shop hooked you up with, and then AGAIN with the mineral spirits.

You can sand with 600 too...although it's widely recommended 800.

When you say it didn't stick that well...how, exactly?

[jeanseb]

Hello,

Attached is a picture of a mark I did with my nail on the paint. As you can see the paint did not stick (the blue paint is completely gone with no effort).

[Clinton]

Looks like you didn't prep the surface very well. You need to make sure you sand with at least a 600 grit paper (I use a grey scuff pad). You need to make sure all the shine is off, if there is any shine left it will not adhear. Second it looks like you put it on very dry, Auto Air has a texture but no where near what you have in that pic. You need to make it wet enough to bond as well, if all you blowing on is dry spray it wont stick either and that's for any paint. I would make sure it's scuffed really well thin down your Auto Air aprrox 30% and spray a nice even coat. Let it dry or use a hiar drier to set and lay down the rest of the coats the same way, letting each layer dry before putting more on.

[Clinton]

Here this is about the max amount of texture I get out of the Auto Air and that is mainly because of the candies. There are about 6-7 layers of paint in that spot.

[Clem]

I had to change the way I went about scuffing what I do. I read where folks stated scuff until no shine and thought that was it.

Keep scuffing, Don't believe you can do this too much. Basically, if you think it is ready scuff a little more. I use rubbing alcohol to wipe it down after.

Not near the problems doing it this way.

Clem

[jeanseb]

Looks like you didn't prep the surface very well. You need to make sure you sand with at least a 600 grit paper (I use a grey scuff pad). You need to make sure all the shine is off, if there is any shine left it will not adhear. Second it looks like you put it on very dry, Auto Air has a texture but no where near what you have in that pic. You need to make it wet enough to bond as well, if all you blowing on is dry spray it wont stick either and that's for any paint. I would make sure it's scuffed really well thin down your Auto Air aprrox 30% and spray a nice even coat. Let it dry or use a hiar drier to set and lay down the rest of the coats the same way, letting each layer dry before putting more on.

Hello Clinto,

Thanks for your suggestions. I do spray "dry" because this is recommended on each Auto Air bottle I got. It says something like "apply in light coats", "avoid wet layers". It could be stated in other words (I dont have a bottle nearby but I am pretty sure this is the recommendation).

I just got grit 800 and gray scuff pads as recommended by colourshift (http://www.airbrushtech.info/AIRBRUSH/forum/member).

Since that picture it's truth I have been adding thinner and it seems like it sticking better.

[jeanseb]

I had to change the way I went about scuffing what I do. I read where folks stated scuff until no shine and thought that was it.

Keep scuffing, Don't believe you can do this too much. Basically, if you think it is ready scuff a little more. I use rubbing alcohol to wipe it down after.

Not near the problems doing it this way.

Clem

Thanks for the advice. I will try to scuff a bit more. Any recommendation on curing the paint? How long should I use the hair dryer? How long should I let set after? How long between coats? Should I sand between coats? Should I degrease between coats or is this forbidden on this water based paint?

Thanks!

[bigheadpaint]

I have had troubles finding reducer for the 80 dollars in paint i have bought. One site said windshield washer fluid didn't work! or original liwuid fantastik mixed 50/50with water can't find. My local art store takes a while with everything.


nate

[Clinton]

I have had troubles finding reducer for the 80 dollars in paint i have bought. One site said windshield washer fluid didn't work! or original liwuid fantastik mixed 50/50with water can't find. My local art store takes a while with everything.


nate

Why not go to a dealer then, and get the proper 4011 or 4010 reducer.
Bull Street Station
151 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 236-4344

It's right on Auto Air's site.

[Clinton]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to scuff a bit more. Any recommendation on curing the paint? How long should I use the hair dryer? How long should I let set after? How long between coats? Should I sand between coats? Should I degrease between coats or is this forbidden on this water based paint?

Thanks!

You shouldn't need to degrease between coats. Why would you need to? If you degrease your surface and them clean with final wipe (rubbing alcohol) you should be good until your done your project, just keep it clean. The best way to get all the info is to read right from the guys the make it. http://www.autoaircolors.com/technical.htm

[Frog]

Laying the AA down to heavy can cause this as well.

Are you laying it down in thin coats DONT try to get full cover with one coat.
It usualy takes me 3 to 4 coats to build up an even full cover.

Michael

[jeanseb]

Laying the AA down to heavy can cause this as well.

Are you laying it down in thin coats DONT try to get full cover with one coat.
It usualy takes me 3 to 4 coats to build up an even full cover.

Michael

Yes this is what I have been doing (this is what is recommended on each Auto Air bottle): apply in thin coats, do not apply wet coats. Again I notcied the speckled aspect when away when I started thinning the paint, while paint coverage was getting lower.