What is a basecoat?

[sak]

Over the weekend, I went into a local autobody supply store and was asking questions about automotive paints. But seemed to leave only a little less confused. The guy told me that he could mix me a small touch up jar of any color I wanted which I would then thin with basecoat reducer. He mentioned something about acrylic enamel while \i was looking at the paint chips bout It did not sink in. In the past, I have used whatever paint I can buy in hobby shop so when I hear enamel paint, I think of those little square testors bottles. And when I see acrylic, I think about something water based or craft paints. So I can't understand the concept of acrylic enamel paint. I suppose my question is, does basecoat refer to a specific type of paint or the process and do these basecoats require hardeners?

[Harry P.]

Cars these days are painted with a basecoat/clearcoat system. The base coat is simply the color coat, and then it's topped with clear to get the glossy finish. Back in the old days they didn't use the 2-step process, they just went with a paint that was glossy to begin with. So when the auto parts store guy talks about a "basecoat," what he means is the actual colored paint that gets sprayed on first, the "base"...before the clear goes on.

[kustoms]

harry P is correct basecoats are used first especially with kandy colors . Gold , Silver, copper all give a kandy color a differant hue when used for base coats The kandy color is transperant and you will see the tinted basecoats underneeth

Most all full size paints are now acryilic or ureathein when using any especialially automotive paint its very important too use a resperator cuz the paint fumes will cryslize your lungs and thats not good, The pluse side of using these type paints is fast drying time some as early as 20 minuets befor apling top coats try that with enamels hahahah good luck with your painting endeavers

Bud Ellis Kustoms

Edited February 28, 2010 by kustoms

[sak]

Urethanes or acrylic you say? Execellent. Thanks. So in you're opinion what is the best choice for an airbrush.

Thanks

Jeff

Edited February 28, 2010 by sak

[Chas SCR]

I use the Du Pont chromabase and then Urethane clear. Also a base coat can give another solid color a different Hue (this is the number that the paint gives out to either be brighter or darker)... Say if you want to brighten up a red that you have and really would want it to pop out then spray down a bright yellow as a base and then go over it with the red. The Yellow under the red will bring out the Hue in the red.

I should have said it raises the HUE number in the red so it will be brighter then normal.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Chas SCR

[MikeMc]

another note

You can shoot uerathanes without hardener added....yes they will dry !

[Chas SCR]

Also a little note: Take urethane paint instead of adding a hardener use lacquer thinner to dull it a little if you are putting it on interiors or even to tone down a paint job. Makes them dry faster then what they are suppost to and it cuases it to dull.

[kustoms]

Urethanes or acrylic you say? Execellent. Thanks. So in you're opinion what is the best choice for air brushes

Yes airbrushes are great I use a duel action pasassie and I luv it. the benefits of using airbrush is you have alot more color choices too choose from But the down side of them you haft too keep them clean everytime you use it you haft too clean it that includes complet disasemblie , I like the all metel passassie for the simple reason that hot thinners will not harm it like some of the plastic cheeper styles of air brushes on the maket having a good quality airbrush is like another tool in your arsenal there very nice too have

I also have a 1 hp small compresser that gives me all the air I need for my projects at just the flip of a switch stay away from air cans the frost up your airbrush and are too expesive in the long run I hope this info helps you out best of luck

Bud Ellis Kustoms

Edited March 2, 2010 by kustoms

[sak]

What do I use to clean the airbrush, the same reducer that I thin the paint with or laquer thinner. The laquer thinner doesn't harm my badger.

Jeff

[Mooneyzs]

What do I use to clean the airbrush, the same reducer that I thin the paint with or laquer thinner. The laquer thinner doesn't harm my badger.

Jeff

I would Recommend using Lacquer Thinner, I have always used it to clean my Air Brush and my Mini HPLV gun I shoot with.

[Chas SCR]

If you use enamul,Laquer or urethane you laquer thinner to clean it out. Do not use thinner to clean out acrylic water base as it will gum up on you and make a bigger mess then what you started with. Use Hot Water and you should be fine, for air brush that I use are two, Paashe VL Pro for the Clear Coats,Chrome paint, and Base Black for Chrome. Iwata eclips for all color urethane.

[Ddms]

another note

You can shoot uerathanes without hardener added....yes they will dry !

Not sure which urethanes you mean, Mike.

No hardener is ever needed for the 1k urethane basecoats that are sold by auto paint supply houses for small jobs, IOW, touch-up. My local FinishMasters mixes any color I want (PPG, DuPont, Nason, etc.) in 2 oz. bottles. He has swatch books I can select from, or I can give him a paint code.

The thinning ratio is 4 parts reducer, one part paint. So a 2 oz. bottle ($14) covers a lot of territory! Some FX colors might cost more. My shop will order HOK specialty paints, but I don't use them.

These paints "flash" (appear dry) to a smooth, semi-gloss finish in about a minute. No sanding is needed if they're sprayed properly. They can't be polished, so you'll need a clear coat. For a super-glossy look, nothing beats automotive 2K urethane clear. But I don't like super-glossy, so I use U-POL's Power Can. Tamiya TS-13 will work too.

If you use these paints, follow the store's recommendation regarding reducer. My shop here in SoCal recommends - and sells - medium temp reducer. Hardware store lacquer thinner will work sometimes, but, depending on the temperature, it might also curdle the paint. Bad.

But don't waste reducer on clean-up. Regular ol' lacquer thinner will do just fine.

These are great paints. They flatten right down, don't sag or run, and give great coverage. They dry so fast that dust doesn't have a chance to land on the wet paint. But, as Kustoms says in his un-spellchecked message, you need to wear a pro painters respirator when spraying them.

[kustoms]

Sorry for not using spell check. ill use it from now on

Bud ellis Kustoms

Edited March 4, 2010 by kustoms