Help!

[gcarter]

I need some help from some of you glass guys......
My intention is to spray a few pieces and part of the cockpit w/Duratec 904-001 Clear Hi Gloss Additive mixed 50:50 w/the red gel.
I haven't opened the can, but i can tell it's quite thin.
So what tip should I use?

[PMZONER]

I use a HVLP set-up that uses a small compressor to push the paint and a high volume "blower" to mix the paint with the airstream. 98% transfer efficiency. Almost no overspray.

If the clear/gel is about as thin as an automotive paint see if it will flow through a fine tip.

As you know better to put on a few thin coats than a heavy one, sags! runs! oh the horror!

I know the material is expensive, but I would shoot some tests to get the coverage and self leveling features of the gel just right.

[Scott Pearson]

1.3 is safe. It wont get you in trouble.

[gcarter]

Thanks guys!
Scott, I'll start w/the 1.3, and one of my goals is the center cockpit floor hatch and the rear seat battery box hatch. Those pieces will be good to practice on.

[Scott Pearson]

George,
Its a gravity feed spray gun right?

[gcarter]

Yes, Fixx is correct.

[Scott Pearson]

Ok...good. A 1.3 is what you want. Just wanted to make sure.

[Gary S]

I too am attempting to re-gel some parts also but am done for the year as it's too cold now.I bought this gun,some gloss additive and used Minicraft gel. 50/50 seemed too thin for me since I'm actually changing colors. I at first sprayed it straight and got alot of orange peel, then 50/50 and then it ran easy and was transparent. At last I cut the clear even more to about 75/25 and it seemed even better. I have painted many things over the years and this is the most difficult.Unlike paint it didn't flash off,so if you spray on more it just runs.It might have been getting to cool for me to do it in,I'll wait until next summer to finish and see if that helps. Second pic is glove box door sanded,ready to coat,next is after coating,third is sanded and buffed.In between these shots I had to re gell several times as it was thin in spots and when sanding it down I would go thru to the base.Put more than you think as it sands off easy,that was all done by hand.

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[scippy]

George, Gary, Fix....

I'm not familiar with gel-coats or additives, and I'd like to know more. I do know how labor intensive it is to
arrive at a nice gloss finish using gel-coat just by looking at George's work.......much more labor than paint.
"What is the reason for the 50:50 split (or 75:25) mix w/duratec clear finish & gel-coat?..is it just to achieve
a better finished gloss than a typical gel-coat finish would normally have?

[gcarter]

Pete, the gloss additive is to finish where you get a lot of attention, or it's difficult to finish.
It is a LOT easier to apply and requires little to no sanding most of the time.
Today I did the two small cockpit hatches and the foot box today.
They all came out really nice except I ended up w/a fly in the foot box!

[Gary S]

I was getting pinholes, it's good to know why. I actually thought I didn't have it clean enough. thanks

[scippy]

George,

The proverbial Fly in the ointment.....that sucks!!.............do you remove the pest immediately or after it dries
out & remove by sanding?
2 questions please,............could you use this formula you mentioned of Duratec & gel-coat on the hull bottom?
Fixx mentioned gel with patch aid...........what is that?

[scippy]

FIXX,
Thanks for making it simpler .i.e, websites etc, etc, ........I thank you

[gcarter]

When I started gelling the deck, I had horrible problems solving all of the issues.
Even today I don't relish spraying gel.
Here's a thread I started some years back about my experiences.....

http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?52810-Gelcoat-problems...&highlight=

[Gary S]

Wow George,thanks for the link.Quite impressive on what you have done.I was a little discouraged on my results at first,but seeing what you have done helps.I can see why people paint,but the end results seem worth it,gel has a different "feel" when done. I'm in nothern Illinois so Im done for the year. Here are a couple of pics of what I'm doing
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[gcarter]

I just finished spraying most of the cockpit and I ended up w/some pinholes. I was able to blow some of them out. I also now have two sags in the cockpit side where it got a little heavy trying to remove pinholes.
I happened to remember I polished the deck and cockpit a few months ago.....maybe the surface is/was contaminated w/something from the polish. It was Maguires and claimed to be silicone free but ya never know.
Fixx, before you say anything, I have a regulator on the gun inlet that allows only 10 PSI (indicated) so to much pressure's not the issue.

Another observation is this combination of products is not as hard as straight gel, or it takes a lot longer to completely cure.
I'll probably wait a week before I start sanding n it.