Thread: Basecoat clearcoat

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I have never used basecoat clearcoat . I alway's use acrylic enamel.I am getting ready to paint my Nova and want to use the basecoat clearcoat, I don't have a clue how to do it , could anybody help me out. No I don't want to pay anyone to do it I want to do it all myself.I can spray and mix paint pretty well. I also have access to a very nice booth.

I recommend calling the tech dept. at Valspar and they will tell you how to do it exactly. They helped me with my Vette. It was my first base/clear paint and very good. You must go to the site to see the Compainies they own, House of Color is one of them.
I used their brand and not to many others have my shine / (DOI) depth of image

http://www.valspar.com/val/auto/autoBrands.jsp

I painted my 27 roadster with base/clear, and I didn't see any real big differences from acrylic enamel. Don't expect to get any shine out of the base application. It loads on the car kind of like the old nitrocellulose laquer, (or laquer base primer). It flashes off quite rapidly, doesn't have any shine to it,and doesn't seem nearly as susceptible to runs as acrylic enamel----just be sure you give it the recommended number of coats and get uniform colour coverage. The clear is a bit fussier, mainly because it is clear, and you can't see it going on very well. I found that you almost have to paint by feel (you will know what I mean if you have painted much). Follow the paint manufacturers recomendations to the letter. Be really carefull about your mask and ventilation---this stuff seems much more "invasive" than any acrilic enamel I ever used.

Base Coat/ Clear Coat is about the easiest form of painting there is, next to lacquer.

Base is very forgiving when spraying, its not ment to shine, as thats the clears job. Clear is the Protective layer , has the UV protection, chemical protection , and the Shine, developed into it.

Having the right HVLP spray gun technology is a big bonus too.......3M right now has a wounderful gun on the market......It will make alot of bad sprayers into good sprayers ! It has a very soft overspary edge, and little overspray , this translates into better paint transfer on to the vehicle. ( less waste)

PPG, Valspar/HOK,Dupont,Sikkens all have good products, not all spray the same , but all have Base/Clear products.

Acrylic Enamel is only about 15 years outdated.
Lacquer is around 20 years outdated.
Plus Base/Clear can usually be mixed in older color formulas to.

Base is sprayed down over a compatiable sealer(usually 3-4 coats for coverage, then 2 coats of clear , if not color sanding and buffing. 3-4 for that.
All clears today are High Solids to be VOC compliant, and have a thick viscosity. thats why a good HVLP is needed to spray it out slick !
And having a good air compressor that can handle a HVLP is also needed, as most HVLP guns requier 13 CFM's.

If you can spray Acryli Enamel nice Base /Clear should be a snap .

Spray

I would add Sherwin-Williams to the list of good BC/CC systems. I've used their Ultra 7000 series paints. I use the Ultra 7000 Super Glamour Clearcoat. It really, really shines, and it lays down really smooth if you get the gun set and lay it down right.

When you go to a BC/CC system, be prepared to spend some big $$$, because you're buying basecoat, basecoat stabilizer, clearcoat, clearcoat reducer and clearcoat hardener - not to mention lots of acetone for cleaning the gun, strainers, measuring cups, etc. I bought a gallong of 96 Corvette competition yellow basecoat, a gallon of clear and all of the assorted other stuff, and dropped an $800.00 bill.

Get a GOOD respirator that is made for organic vapors. This stuff is double-nasty on the lungs.

Basecoat is easy - almost like spraying primer. It flashes really quickly - just get plenty of light and make sure your color covers evenly. Clearcoat is tougher, but if you can lay down acrylic enamel, you can do clear. Like spray said, it lays down much easier with a good HVLP gun. I've heard great things about the new 3-M gun, and I wish I had one, but the street price is about $530. I have a brand new Binks M1-G that I really like, which cost about $300.

Finally, get the product data sheets, and follow them like Moses just handed them to you after coming down from the mountain.

Originally posted by Streets
I would still rather have Lacquer.... I have seen too many BC/CC cars where after 6-8 years the paint falls off in chunks or after 2 years it blushes and fades!! Practice on somethang ya don't really wanna keep in case ya don't like the outcome!!

then it wasn't prepped right streets cause my paint is 15 yrs old but It has just started to crack in the door jams but that Okay I redoing the doors now well really the hole truck I want to put more purple pearl into the ghost flames suicide and shave the doors

327JET,
Lot's of good advise here, if you want to just shoot your car only, if your gonna want to keep shooting BC/CC in the future I strongly advise that you take a class from a good tech school and learn it right. The cost is well worth the gain.

Here's a link for you that might help......www.i-car.com

I used a conventional siphon feed Devilbiss when I did my roadster, and encountered no problems whatsoever. HVLP may be ok. if thats what you already have, but you don't need it.

Brian,

You're right. You don't need HVLP, and a standard gun will work. I just tossed in the HVLP idea in case he didn't have a gun. In my opinion, HVLP is much easier to use, and you've got a better chance of a good job with the high-solids paints.

Originally posted by Henry Rifle
Brian,

In my opinion, HVLP is much easier to use, and you've got a better chance of a good job with the high-solids paints.

And because of transfer efficiency you use about half as much material.....................which is no small matter with today's cost.

Boy Howdy- you got that one right Bob....

Thank's for all the input , you guy's are awesome . I feel that I can definetly do a good job myself . I have a Devilbiss H.V.L.P. gun that sprays really good. Now I have to finish the car's bodywork . I want to paint the car a bright red,I was told red is very expensive but that is what I want. The Nova is all in primer and th body is cherry. Here is a quick look. Thank's again!!!

Nice Nova

Originally posted by hambiskit
Nice Nova

Old thread I know, but Is the BC/CC as easy to spot repair as laquer is?
Can it lift and check like laquer can if you lay the new paint on too heavy or spray over feathered edges?