Mixing Different Brands Of Paint

[keithtsr]

I have been painting for over 30 years, this entire time everyone has said don't use/mix different manufactures paint.....Why?

Ok, I don't....yet. When I look at one brand of clear vs another they seem to be very close....seem.

The reason I am asking this question is I have gone from Dupont Hot Hues to PPG and now back to Dupont. PPG just will not work for me, I pound on lots of base, candy, flames etc. and it lifts just about every time, and I use the harder. I have a bunch of PPG clear that is not all that bad.

Can I put PPG clear over Dupont Base?

 

[Brian Dee]

maybe your problem is in the fact that you say you pound on the base. How much time do you let elapse before you shoot the clear.

 

[keithtsr]

Hi Brian,
I wait about 30 minutes between coats, sometimes longer. The last bike I shot, tanks, 2 fenders, I went into the booth at 9 a.m. and finished clearing at 10 p.m.. Two coats of base color, 1 coat of pearl. I waited 3 hours and started laying out flames, had to stop and wait another hour because the paint was not dry enough and it left marks. I shot 5 or 6 coats of candy, removed the tape and shot 3 more coats of candy, right at 30 minutes between coats at about 75 degrees. When I was shooting the clear I noticed the tanks starting to lift. The time before I shot PPG and everything went fine, until I put the bike on display, it went from a dark candy blue to a light blue. I always use DX 57 in the base and I shot this one with Vibrance VC 5200 and VH 7970. PPG actually warrantied this job and another one that had the same problem.

I switched to 2021 and kinda like this clear, 2 days hard as a rock so you gotta be on your toes
.
Do you think I can shoot the 2021 over Dupont base, maybe changing the reducer or leaving it out?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[keithtsr]

I guess the question I am trying to ask is do you think the 2021 will stick to the dupont.
Long way to get to a simple question, sorry.
Keith

 

[TAZ]

Keith,
It used to be that Dupont used a 'basemaker' reducer, which was a reducer that included something that helped make the clear adhear to the dupont base.
Not for sure if they still do that. Plus enamels and lacquers were all still around. You really shouldn't and can't interchange these. now days, most paints are a little more forgiving. They are closer to eachother than they used to.

So to answer your question, I would say yes, it would adhere to the dupont base as long as you used the dupont base. Again, this goes back to me saying I am not for sure if dupont still uses the special reducer to make the clear adhere to the base.

 

[keithtsr]

Taz,
Thanks so much for getting back with me. Dupont, a least the ones I used last night does not have a reducer. I may use the PPG clear down the road, I shot Dupont clear last night.

By the way, I shot 18 coats of base yesterday. This includes the base, pearl and a lot of candy. No lifting.....so far, it's the most base I have ever laid down.

No runs, no drips and just a few errors!

Thanks again

Keith

 

[Brian Dee]

there ya go. Stick with the advise from Taz, he knows his stuff.

 

[TAZ]

there ya go. Stick with the advise from Taz, he knows his stuff.

lol...well, I know very little about the current Dupont system. Haven't sprayed that since early 90's back in the "Basemaker" reducer days.

@keithtsr
Yea, some 'clears' don't require any reducers. Just the hardener.

Sounds like you put alot of base on. Glad you're happy with the results. Be sure and let all those coats dry good before you clear. Otherwise, you'll have soft base sandwiched between the surface and the clear. This will make it very prone to chipping.


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