too much orange peel

[76zimmer]

I'm using an old but good Devilbis syphon gun, which I've used many times, and base/clearcoat paints by Nason, which I've used many times with pretty good results.
I'm mixing the paint/reducer/activator by the can recommendation, and using 2:1 ratio of paint to reducer which is the lower end of their recommendation. Using 35# at the gun and a 80 tip on the gun with a fan pattern of about 8" wide at a 12" distance.
I painted 2 colors, so first was sealer primer, dry 4 hours, scuff, tape up, paint first color 2 med wet coats. Wait til next day, untape, scuff, tape up, paint second color. Wait a day, untape, smooth tape edge with 600 wet sand, scuff all paint, and spray 2 med wet coats of the clear.

The orange peel is more noticeable than what I'm used to, but I cant think of what if anything I'm doing different.

 

[ryoken]

too fast a reducer will do it, with all the hot weather... too thick a paint (most common)... too low air pressure...

is this an old school, non hvlp, JGC or MBC gun?

with an 80 cap, I'll generally run 45 lbs or so, and just stay a few inches farther off the panel... really atomize it..

also, just to confirm.... paint work is progressive.. thus why it'll only be as good as your substrate.. leave peel in the primer, previous coats, etc, thats how your paint will start out, etc...

 

[76zimmer]

Thanks Paul, I actually bought the gun around 80' or so. It is a syphon gun cant' remember the model right now, but JGC sounds familiar, it was about 250$ back then.
The color coats I wet sanded with 600 on the hood only to get some of the orange peel out of the color before clear, it still had some but not as much as the clearcoat shows. My shop temp was about 70-75 while spraying, and I used mid temp 65-85 reducer. I didn't get any sags, so I'm thinking I wasn't too thick with the coats, but that is a possibility.

 

[ryoken]

JGC's are a one piece body, MBC are a 2 piece body.. it should say on the side of the body.. JGC's are more common... best pressure pot gun ever made....

probably could be a tad bit thinner then... do you eyeball your viscosity with the mixing stick?

also keep in mind... an 80 cap is very borderline spraying basecoat sometimes.. it really is too large.. doable, but smaller tips are usually prefered for base and lacquer...

just remember, orange peel is caused by the paint not atomizing enough for it's viscosity, or not having enough flowtime, if your spraying a thicker viscosity (wrong reducer)....

 

[76zimmer]

I sprayed primer sealer on today, came out real smooth (ready to spray from the can)
I will put the 1st color on tonight when I get home and 2nd color tomorrow.
I got about a 10 count drip off the stick from the time I pull it out of the cup, until its pretty much done dripping. I think I got a viscosity cup somewhere, what should I shoot for if using that with my 80 tip?

 

[76zimmer]

I just looked at my gun, its a JGA502...with an 80 tip. I thinned about 60-65% this time, got about a 6 sec drip off the stick, and upped the pressure to 40# at the gun, and stayed off the parts a little more say 12 inches or so. smoothed out a little more this time, more like what I was hoping for, but this is only the color coat not the clear. So I guess I will try maybe 70-75% thinned and about the same specs otherwise in the morning with the second color, if satisfactory with that, I'll hit clear the same.

 

[76zimmer]

Got the 2nd color and clear coat on this am. thinned to 75% and put a little more heavier coat with the clear. 40# at the gun, and it smoothed out a lot better after about 15 inutes or so. More like what I was expecting.

Paul thanks for your help, much appreciated.

 

[ryoken]

hey, sorry I didn't get back to this..... it's been a pretty tragic week for me, little preoccupied...

glad it's coming out decent... pm me anytime bud....

 

[76zimmer]

finally got the pics to load up....this is my Dads' Postal DJ-2....Dispatcher Jeep....he was a letter carrier for 23 years and just has an attachment to these things, that I guess unless you've been there its hard to understand.

4 cyl. Chevy, with a powerglide, and a D44 rear axle.

before and after

 

[StevoandaRedK5]

that's awesome!

 

[Blue85]

Anybody who's been spending a lot of time doing bodywork can appreciate the flat panels of a Jeep like that.

From what I've been reading, the rated pressure for the gun is just where it produces environmentally-friendly levels of overspray. Optimum spray performance is often at a higher pressure.

 

[76zimmer]

Anybody who's been spending a lot of time doing bodywork can appreciate the flat panels of a Jeep like that.

From what I've been reading, the rated pressure for the gun is just where it produces environmentally-friendly levels of overspray. Optimum spray performance is often at a higher pressure.

Well there not as flat as you would think, you see when Kaiser built these, they pretty much threw 2 pieces of metal together, hit it with a bunch of spot welds at high heat, because every damn panel has a bunch of those dimple warps in it. I didn't worry to much about those in particular, just the "additional" dents I took care of. Pop was really happy with it.