Payton Cozart, product manager for Carlisle Fluid Technologies, discusses mixing procedures and options to reduce paint cross-contamination in spray application. #ask an expert
A typical gun cleaner (inside view). Image Credit: All photos courtesy of Carlisle Fluid Technologies.
Q: We paint custom parts in a variety of colors, all with a gravity gun, and our challenge is to mix the right amount of paint for each project and prevent one color from cross-contaminating for the next job. I cleaned the gun and wasted a lot of paint and thinner. Is there a better method or process that can help?
A: First, let’s look at the first problem you identified: mixing the right amount of paint for each job. Car paint is expensive and it won’t fall off anytime soon. If the goal is to keep the cost of the job down, the first thing to think about is how to minimize the use of mixed paint to complete the job. Most automotive coatings are multi-component, basically mixing two or three components to provide stronger paint adhesion through chemical crosslinking to achieve a long lasting and durable paint finish.
The main concern when working with multi-component paint is “pot life”, in our case sprayable, and you have time before this material fails and can no longer be used. The key is to mix only the minimum amount of material for each job, especially for more expensive finishes such as colored base coats and clear coat layers. This number is of course based on science, but we believe there is still an art that needs to be perfected. Skilled painters have developed skills in this area over the years by painting substrates (parts) of various sizes using their current application tools. If they are painting the entire side of the car, they know they will need more mix (18-24 oz) than just painting small parts like mirrors or bumpers (4-8 oz). As the market for skilled painters shrinks, paint suppliers have also updated their mixing software, where painters can enter vehicle, paint and repair dimensions. The software will prepare a recommended volume for each job.
Post time: Apr-26-2023