I dont have heaps of experience painting cars so I had a bit of a practice on some old old tin before my car got back from rust repairs to sort my gun and get my technique in. I painted a tailgate in my shed on a fine afternoon and was pretty impressed with how it came out.
Started on the car today - It was still and a bit hotter by the time I got around to painting (maybe 28!) and I just couldn't get the paint to come off right- came out rough as with "spiderwebs every where"
Apart from the weather the only difference from the other day was I used 1.5 thinners to 1 part acrylic (as per recommendation on tin) instead of 1-1 which I used the other day.
Any pointers?
I am starting again anyway as I painted the sills with the car on ramps- got pissed with the result and decided to pack it away before I made things worse. Rolled off the ramps too quick, bottomed out and scraped the rear ramp halfway along my newly painted sill
JAke.
Sounds like the paint is too thick. Its hard to explain but when you mix it lift the paint stirer out of the pot and see how it runs off. When you get the hang of it you can see if its too thick or thin. You should be able to buy a viscosity cup from the paint supplier. He will tell you how it works.
Other than that the panels are too hot and the paint is drying before it flows out or you might just be holding the gun too far away and not laying the paint on wet enough.
Bootlegger's right about trying to explain the right viscosity you need...very hard without moving pictures! Another thing that can cause 'spider webbing' is too much air pressure for the nozzle you're using. Always do a test run (excuse the pun ) on an old panel (door, mudguard or washing machine ) just to check the flow..it's a lot easier than having a whoops on the actual car.
Scotty.
[img]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/scottyharrod/WOOFTOsmall.jpg[/img]
Woofto Car Club Member No 2
Hi Jake,
people are going to shudder when they read that I have answered this......
I have written and posted a month's reading in the body/paint/panel section of the forum - I don't think there's much that I have done with paint which doesn't get some mention..... if you have an afternoon (or two) spare, you may wish to trawl through it......
Short answer is - as above - paint too thick, temperature too high and humidity too low.....
Distance from the work can also cause paint to dry in the path to the panel.... as too, will too high a pressure.....
The speed at which you pass the gun along your panel can also result in problems - I tend not to look directly at the "colour" of the paint - but look at the amount of "wet" immediately behind (just behind) the fan as it lays it down..... too "wet" (heavy build and threatening to "run") and you're going too slow.... no "wet" and thin (very little sheen on the finish and almost a "dusting" instead of wet paint - too fast..... again - it's something you need to find by "playing" for some time on a practice panel.
If you see a fridge door in the hard waste - I'd suggest you claim it and keep it long time - Langley....... it will be a great "canvas" to re-learn these techniques before each new "project" gets sprayed.... and when you're done - one day - just re-donate it to a hard waste.......
The exact opposite of what you have is "running" - too thin......
I suppose that gives you both extremes - you aren't going to get them both at the same time without changing something.... so, you'll learn to see how it "lays" on a panel and what to change.
Pressure is another little "gem" which takes a bit of time to learn - too much and you will "dry" the paint - too little and it will either "sputter" or, in the case of a suction gun - may not even draw the paint up into the gun...... I'd have a good look at your gun documentation and stay within the parameters of what they recommend before playing around too much outside of it... again, you probably will find a setting which matches your mix on the day - but for now... learn to spray with what they recommend.....
Whilst you are learning, use exactly the recommended mix of thinners/paint by the paint manufacturer - I am firmly of the opinion that it is your technique which needs adjusting - but generally, the mix is 1 part acrylic - 1.5 parts thinners (to match paint).
You can later get different grades of thinner - some hot, some mid and some slow.... but these are really suited to those who do this for a living - or who can pick what is best to use on any given "session"......
This is best left alone until you are confident in stepping up and shooting paint......
I believe (and all this is based on what you have written - not what we can see).... your issues are paint mix, temperature/humidity, gun distance and pressure - again, it's something you'll have to play with and learn how each of these result in different finishes....
It's a fine "feel" for your pattern and technique - but one you will only get better at - you need to go play and be prepared to waste a bit of paint......
good advice, Scotty....
Paint, equipment and technique has come a long way in the past decade - now to the stage that many of us "back-yarders" can almost "match" the finish of professionals - and, can often "better" the finishes coming off the production line...... it is something once you learn to identify what is going on - will last you a life-time.....
Acrylic is so forgiving - you can almost stuff up a job and yet compound it to a reasonable finish..... if there are crater fills (air holes) in it, you'd be better off blocking back to a sound base and re-spraying.....
For "glim" finishes, you will need to do a lot of work on your panels - and for this reason, I would probably suggest trying to focus on a level of finish which matches your vehicles finish - it can become "obsessive" - and will show up anything around it - if you go beyond a "match"......
I'd like to throw more up here - but I'm only re-hashing what I've already written a long - long time ago......
I suppose I should really go back in and try to "index" it.... or break it down into categories.......
Sorry about the mini-novel, folk - I was doing so well up until the second paragraph....
and - it's a bit iggledy-piggeldy... I could spend a bit of time and re-arrange it so it "flows" (excuse pun).... but I think most of what I wanted to get up to Jake is there..... the rest is in that "manual" on the forum a long way from here.....
Thanks for the replies guys very helpful- running through it all in my mind now it seems most of the advice in the post hit the nail on the head- i can remember desperately twisting knobs on the gun trying to get something different particularly the air adjust. It was stinking hot too.
I had taken the time last night to settle down in front of one of Rosco's sticky posts and while reading it it bacame aparent that I shouldn't even had started the compressor yesterday! But I had decided I was painting and I could feel the start of the sea breeze coming in so I wanted to step in quick and get some paint on.
I have an old tailgate in the garage so I'll think I'll get to practicing armed with the above advice. Let you know how I go
Cheers Jake.
I hope some of it helps, Jake - I write a lot of stuff - sadly, it gets lost in the "forrest" sometimes......
Let me know how you get on next time....
Those "nozzles" you refer to can play a bit of a role in it - again, don't be afraid to play around with them a bit and observe what each one does - more to the point - how it effects the pattern.....
.
Another thing that can cause 'spider webbing' is too much air pressure for the nozzle you're using. Always do a test 
) on an old panel (door, mudguard or washing machine 
) just to check the flow..it's a lot easier than having a whoops on the actual car.