What ratio for mixing clear, activator,and reducer?

[Jay]

I've sprayed clear before but w/o using reducer and I'm just wondering what ratio use. I've used 4:1 clear to activator.

Also, will the reducer let the clear lay flat w/o having to do much color sanding? I've put real wet coats on before but they tend to run and still have a lot of orange peel.

Another Q but it's off the subject: How bout adding a reader's paint jobs section? I don't necessarily mean their cars but if they've ever done someone else's car. It's a way to showcase what they've done if it wasn't their car. Just an idea.

 

[TAZ]

Jay,
Different clears require different ratios. Currently, I am using PPG Global system's clears (893 and 894 clears with 884 hardener). Both these clears require a 3-1-1 ratio which means you will need three parts clear, 1 part hardener, then one part reducer.

The reducer will definitely help the clear flow out better. It will also reduce the thickness of the paint, which will in turn help keep the orange peel down. Though spraying thick clear can be done, it is not recommended. If doing smaller parts like a motorcycle tank or fender, I would suggest using a slightly faster reducer then recommended. In other words, don't use a slow reducer to do one panel. Your chances of runs

greatly increase.

If you spray a true BC/CC system, most of the clears use the same reducer as the basecoat. So this will help cut down on costs a little bit.

 

[TAZ]

I forgot to reply on your readers paint jobs section idea.

Right now, the Custom Flame Painting, my e-Parts Source, and my ADitude Web sites keep me very busy right now. So I try to keep everything automated as much as possible (especially the classifieds section at e-Parts Source). So I really don't have time to manually add readers paint jobs photos. I have the Readers Rides section for any vehicles you'd like to post. It's an automated section that I really don't have to mess with much. So feel free to add the car you did. I'm always looking for featured rides for our Custom Flame Painting front page.

Thanks for the input though

 

[Jay]

Thanks for the info Scott. I wasn't able to read this before I painted this afternoon but I mixed it 4:1:1 clear:hardener:reducer and it layed out pretty darn good. I was clearing just a junk hood that I practiced on so it was laying flat, as in horizontal, so there weren't any signs of runs. I was spraying ghost flames, or well trying to since it was my first try, but I used way too many pearl coats. The pearl just looked like real rough gray flames but in the light they really stood out but I'm not gonna worry about it for now.

Still another question, how do you clear a side panel like a car fender or door where the clear will lay flat but not run much if at all?

As for the posting pics of cars we've done, unfortunately I've only painted hoods for now, but I already have one guy that wants me to flame his dragster and my mom wants ghost flames on her '01 Tahoe. Anyways, enough jabbering.

 

[TAZ]

Jay,
Clearing the sides of a vehicle that are not laying horizontal are a little more trickier and really just takes a little more patience then spraying horizontal panels (like a hood, roof or deck. The best advice I can give you on this is to lay the first coat on medium wet, then let it tack up, then spray the second, then do the same for the third coat.

A good tip to check whether it is tacked up enough is to touch an area on the masking paper real close to where the clear is, slowly pull your finger away, if it pull "strings" back, then you need to let the clear tack up more. If you pull your finger away from the clear and it does not seem "stringy", then you are good to go for the next coat.

On your pearl, it is very easy to go overboard, usually 2-3 medium wet coats of pearl get the job done. This is with a 50/50 mix with a mixing clear base.

As far as posting any pictures. Don't forget you can use HTML in your posts. So you can include any pics that you want to show. Of course the photo must reside on your server and the URL to your pic must start with http:// and end with either .gif or .jpg

 

[Verwokkfrpew]

thanks for the list guys. it'll really help me.