Spraying Clear with Airbrush(Ya I said it!)

[Juicegoose]

Thanks for any and all advice guys. I'm new to airbrushing and learning as much as I can. I am strictly using my airbrush(badger 105) to paint HOK kandy base coats, pearl base coats, on fishing reel seats. these are small items that generally only require around 3ml to get me 3-4 coats of coverage.
The question I have is around clear coats. I have bought am using the HOK show Klear system with the RU311 reducer. Testing on plastic spoons(because the reel seats are plastic) I'm getting good layout of the clear from my airbrush but wanted to know if I need to change anything to make sure I don't shoot myself in the foot.

I am using a airbrush over a small hvlp because I only have to mix roughly 3ml of clear at a time and that is enough to cover 3 wet coats.
Health note. I do shoot in my garage in Houston Texas. I have a small portable airbrush booth with a fan that exits under the closed garage door. I also shoot with a 3m mask on with charcoal filters. Not a full on suit though or fresh air system. Again we are talking very very small amounts.

Should I increase my compressor pressure when spraying clear? I generally have it set to 20PSI. I have noticed on a couple of my plastic test spoons that I'll get what looks like clear little balls(1 or two maybe) on a spoon. It might be that I'm not letting the clear flash properly and getting solvent bubbles.

Again I know the collective mind says spray with hvlp but I simply don't spray enough at a time. later on maybe but right now I'm stuck with what I got.

Also i have to use the 2 part for its harness. the reel seats can see some abuse.

Thanks again for all of your help or advice.

 

[Mr.Micron]

You should buy an airbrush just for the clear if that is what you will be using to clear with. Nothing wrong with using an airbrush for super small thing as a clear coat gun I have done this too on certain items but I have one airbrush that the only thing that goes in is clear.

 

[Juicegoose]

Thanks bud. Would another 105 do the trick or should i look at something with a wider spray pattern.

Also is the psi sufficient.

 

[markjthomson]

Hey @Juicegoose - welcome... you are lucky to get a reply from Mr. Micron without him asking you to do an introduction... So you aren't a stranger, how about you pop along here and give us an introduction...http://www.airbrushforum.org/introductions/
Read the nettiquette as well to help understand who we are.

As to your pressure question, the pressure is more determined by the viscosity of the paint rather than the paint you spray. There might be some minor changes in pressure but that will be a slight adjustment.

 

[Juicegoose]

Thanks Mark and will do.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Hey @Juicegoose - welcome... you are lucky to get a reply from Mr. Micron without him asking you to do an introduction... So you aren't a stranger, how about you pop along here and give us an introduction...http://www.airbrushforum.org/introductions/
Read the nettiquette as well to help understand who we are.

As to your pressure question, the pressure is more determined by the viscosity of the paint rather than the paint you spray. There might be some minor changes in pressure but that will be a slight adjustment.

LOL thanks Mark right now life has me set to super hyper drive mode so I know there are a lot of post I have missed .

As far as airbrushes for clear goes I use a Iwata Eclipse CS with the .5 set up for the super small items at 30 PSI Reduce to MFG standards .

 

[BRUSHAHHH]

I agree with Mr. Micron. I keep a Paasche VLS suction feed for small amounts of clear coat. That`s all that goes through it.

 

[Nada]

Going along with everyone else.. i would get a dedicated brush for clears.

Hard to say on pressure but 20 seems low. Little balls is not real descriptive.....

 

[Juicegoose]

Thanks guys for all the replies. I'll look into a second gun

 

[Vladimir]

I've also used 0.5 setup with bottom bottle. The clear was well reduced to go through the nozzle.
Give time for the reducer to come out of the clear between coats and everything is going to be OK. Time between coats depends on the temperature. It's very important for you, as you live in Texas, I understand it's not that cold there)) So give the reducer to vapor or you'll have those small bubbles in dry clear's layer, they're called here "clear boiling". I don't know how car painters call this problem in the US. Those internal bubbles are actually the reducer that hasn't vapored. It happens when the clear exposed to high envinronment temperature dries faster at it's upper part, than internal one, and the thinner remained (not vapored), is trapped inside the clear layer. Something like that

 

[Juicegoose]

Think they call them solvent pop.

I experienced it on a test seat already when i rushed the flash time and also sprayed to heavy a coat.

Typically temp in my shop is around 80-90 with humidity 60+
I use the ru311 reducer

 

[Vladimir]

Heavy coats = big amout of reducer and so on...
So you' ve got your clear isues cleared up for now

 

[Russ Allen]

Definitely use a different airbrush for clears and ONLY shoot clears through it. If I'm clearing a very small item, I use my Kustom Iwata TH for spraying small amounts of clear but these are pricey airbrushes. I like it as it has a fan cap to give great coverage and lays down more clear per coat then say your .3 nozzle setups for example. I definitely wouldn't spray any clear with your Infinity as it will atomize the clear so fine that even 3 coats would be very minute, just wouldn't be much coverage! Just my opinion as everyone will have their own! Best of luck!!!


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[Sprzout]

Sorry to hijack a bit, but why do you guys recommend a separate airbrush ONLY for clears? I've got 3, so that's not a problem for me (I'd probably just dedicate my Paasche VL to it)...Is it because the clear tends to gum up the brush?

Just curious as to your reasons.

 

[Mr.Micron]

Sorry to hijack a bit, but why do you guys recommend a separate airbrush ONLY for clears? I've got 3, so that's not a problem for me (I'd probably just dedicate my Paasche VL to it)...Is it because the clear tends to gum up the brush?

Just curious as to your reasons.

so dyes and pigment does not muck up a clear job.
Spray guns I have one for primer only , One for base , one for metallic and pearls and one for clears .
no matter how well you think you have cleaned something it will find a way to show up when you do not want it . So if you only have one gun or airbrush for clears only (out of the box for clear only) then you know you should get a great clear coat .

 

[Sprzout]

so dyes and pigment does not muck up a clear job.
Spray guns I have one for primer only , One for base , one for metallic and pearls and one for clears .
no matter how well you think you have cleaned something it will find a way to show up when you do not want it . So if you only have one gun or airbrush for clears only (out of the box for clear only) then you know you should get a great clear coat .

Hmm...Maybe I'll just pick up a cheap "spray gun" (single action airbrush) that Hobby Lobby has for sale for $20, then...It's just laying down a layer of clear, not doing any fancy detail work or anything.

 

[Juicegoose]

Well i tell ya boys im dealing with some soft finish right now. I mixed 3ml of usc01 with 1ml of ku152 and 1ml of ru311. Did my spraying and heat baked them but even after 7 days i can press my nail into the finish and make a dent. Grrrr

 

[Sprzout]

Well i tell ya boys im dealing with some soft finish right now. I mixed 3ml of usc01 with 1ml of ku152 and 1ml of ru311. Did my spraying and heat baked them but even after 7 days i can press my nail into the finish and make a dent. Grrrr

Sounds like you're laying on the clear a little too thick. I had similar problems with a rattle can of clear; it should've gone on with several thin coats, not 2 thick coats.

 

[Juicegoose]

Im spraying a tack coat letting it flash and then two wet coats with proper flash in between. It hardens up just not rock solid