Spraying Auto Air Pearlescent paints?

[WheelNut]

I got some Auto air pearlescent paints for christmas and after messing around with them for quite a while I just cannot get them to spray nicely! I tried them in my new Iwata Hp-B, and well, lol, it was horrendus. No matter how thin I went the paint would still build up and them explode out. I figure the metallics in the paint are just to heavy. So i tried the trusty old Paasche VL with the number 5 tip, still no luck. I tried every thickness from straight out of the bottle to 4:1 thinner, and they did spray better, but the spray pattern was terrible! The paint wouldnt atomize properly so I couldnt do fades, basically it was like using a spray can. So of course what I'm wondering is, how do I set these paints up for airbrushing?

[2ndGeneration]

What air pressure are you spraying them at?
I used the pearlized Lime Green with somewhat of a sucess, worked fine for filling in and or backing. As far as fades and whatnot, I don't think so.

[Piggy89373]

Wheel, using your Iwata, try a different and larger nozzle. The .5 mm nozzle is a different construction than the smaller tips that come with the brush. The larger nozzle has a different chamber that allows the paint to flow better. Supposedly, with the tougher paints like pearls and metallics, you can get those fine lines or better fades you're after just by using the bigger tips. I'm not sure about the VL tips, so can't give any advice there.

[dyslexic]

I have had great succes with VL and the #5 tip with pearls and metallics, what works for me is about 40 -60 PSI with the paint thinned about 2 or 3 to 1 depending on colors and thickness from the bottle.
I tried it in my HP-C and while it worked fine for a lil bit it was a royal PITA to clean out.

you didn't mention what you where using to thin the paint personally i'd stay away from water just dosen't work as well as you would think it should some say use Isopropyl alcohol the higher the alcohol% the better I've found that windex yes good ol blue windex works well and windshield washer fluid (plian old blue 1.25 a gallon) works a bit better again probably due to the higher alcohol content.

another thing is I tend to go very slowly with this type of paint and build up the color in very thin layers usually 6 - 10 layers then check to make sure it's even then a few more layers just to get it to the desired shade. hitting it with a hairdryer in between each coat for a min or two.

[hirme]

with the paint thinned about 2 or 3 to 1 depending on colors and thickness from the bottle.

that mean 50ml of windex and 25ml of paint for a 2:1 thinned, right???

and won't it affect the pearl effect if you thin it?

thanks:)

[Stalker911]

Yup that's what's ment. It won't effect the finish since the windex or alcohol evaporates away as it dries.

[WheelNut]

I actually meant to say sparklecent paint, but oh well, same thing basically. Thanks for the help guys I'll try your suggestions.

[charlieB]

WHEELNUT,

Think of it this way. A Ferrari can do miracles on an open highway, comparatively speaking to an Iwata .35mm tip. 400 Horsepower is plenty for any car. City Traffic, however, can be a waste for all that power. Probably even bad for the car in city traffic.
But a Honda Accord can do well on any given highway...maybe top 130 mph, but definitely can drive in teh city all day and then some.(iwata .5mm).

Point:
Pearls are like driving in the city. You can have a Ferrari do it, but the Honda will definitey be much easier to drive around. Hondaa are MEANT to be driven in the city just like .5mm tips are meant to shoot Thicker Pearl Paints. I hope i made some sense outtta my 2 cents.

[MrCrash]

Just wondering something. Following that logic, does this mean a finer tip is preferred for plan paints? The reason I ask is because no matter what I do, I can always spray pearls and metallics perfectly, but basic colors give me issues quite often (this could very well be due to brand of paint, but I thought createx and parma were the same).

[Piggy89373]

What kind of issues are you having with the plain paints? A smaller tip could help you achieve a finer spray pattern.

[MrCrash]

So far, whenever I spray plain fascolor, no matter what pressure I use, or whatever, it refuses to spray properly. I could do a better job with a stray and a mouthful of the paint. At the same time, I can lay down any createx paint perfectly with little to no effort. It's not like this is a huge deal or anything. The closest hobby shop to me only sells Createx Auto-Air and Spaz-Stix.