Awlgrip Question

[minaret]

Originally Posted by osirissail

I concur with Minaret that you should consider getting a HVLP gun. But along with the spray gun comes a compressor and just as important water separator and filters so that the air delivered to the gun is DRY. AwlGrip and water are vicious enemies. I also use an additional dryer cartridge screwed onto the inlet fitting to the HVLP gun.
- - In Florida we only spray between late morning and early afternoon. Never before or after. The reasons are that you have wait until the dew has evaporated in the morning and late afternoon there is not enough time for the paint to set before evening dew start accumulating. There is an additive for AwlGrip called "Accelerator" which will cut the "set time" in half and we use that most all the time. Also there is another additive called "Fish Eye Preventor" that it supposed to help reduce the little circles when the paint sets. I have never had any luck with that stuff so don't use it.
- - What is in the atmosphere when you will be spraying is critical. A lot of chemicals and strange things come floating in with the breeze. We had a devil of a time trying to figure out what what ruinging our paint sprays one day but not another. It turns out when the fishing and scallop fleet was in the harbor their processing loaded the air/breeze with some nasty stuff that ruined our spray that day.

x2 on the separators, I also use one of the small disposables on the air intake of my gun as well as a big primary. Dodging dew is a pain, and the main reason we like to paint in our big shed, opens up a lot more opportunities for good shoots. We too only shoot midday for the same reasons, although it is much cooler here in the PNW. Of course the drawback to that is that it is also the hottest part of the day, a potential problem. In the big shed I like to start a shoot about 9 AM, even though we dont get full on dewfall in there humidity is still an issue, it can cause blush, which causes uneven gloss. "Accelerator" for US paints (Awlgrip) is called Pro-Cure X-98. The same for 545 is called Cold Cure. Be very careful with pro-cure, especially with a high temp shoot. It makes your paint VERY hot, to the point I've seen whole pots kick in a 2 qt. setup. Very expensive big problem. And it would totally defeat all the careful mixing of cool reducers I mentioned in a previous post. However, many old time applicators will not spray without it, and claim it makes the paint cure harder and therefore more durable. I do use a lot of Cold Cure for 545 though, gets you sanding that much quicker. Both accelerants are truly nasty chemicals. I agree with staying away from fisheye preventers, fisheyes are always caused by contaminants. If you have them, find the source and get rid of it. It's the only answer. It took me many years to discover that silicone sealant which has been sanded is the primary cause of fisheyes. Microscopic bits of silicone stick really good, and are very hard to solvent wipe away as solvents just make them stickier. Once they are encapsulated in primer, you are screwed. As soon as you sand into the primer you hit the microscopic silicone, and voila!, fisheyes that wont go away no matter how many times you wipe off the paint and start over. It sucks. Another common one I see is people solvent wiping the night before a shoot, with just a quick wipe and tack just before shooting. This is a bad idea if you happen to be near a freeway, bridge with traffic on it above you, or airport. Greasy exhaust fumes are your enemy. I like the fishing fleet story, I've seen some pretty wierd causes of fisheyes as well. And some that we never did figure out, just re-primed till it went away. Not cheap. We'll make a real LPU painter out of anyone who reads this thread yet! Oh, and make sure you use a compressor with enough CFM's to push the gun without having to stop, keeping a wet edge is the name of the game. Another reason a bigger pot is better than a touch-up gun. Don't have to stop for refills as often.

[waywardsuun]

This is a great information. I really appreciate it! I plan to paint my boat with Awlcraft this summer. I was at a auction and bought some e-paint EP-PRIME 1000. On the can it says it's a two part high build epoxy primer in a haze gray color. Has any one used this? Do you think I could use it under Awlcraft as a primer? I plan to paint her a dark blue. I'm in Arkansas and most of the people here don't know the difference between Awlgrip and Imron, I just barely do but I'm learning.
Thanks Again!
Ward

[osirissail]

Because of the very high cost of paints like AwlGrip and their complicated chemistry it is advisable to NOT mix brands of paints during a project. So use AwlGrip's primer(s) and AwlGrip additives exclusively.

It is possible and likely that other brands of primers, etc. may work with AwlGrip. However, it could be an expensive mistake if they are not compatible as you would have to remove what you did and start all over again.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by waywardsuun

This is a great information. I really appreciate it! I plan to paint my boat with Awlcraft this summer. I was at a auction and bought some e-paint EP-PRIME 1000. On the can it says it's a two part high build epoxy primer in a haze gray color. Has any one used this? Do you think I could use it under Awlcraft as a primer? I plan to paint her a dark blue. I'm in Arkansas and most of the people here don't know the difference between Awlgrip and Imron, I just barely do but I'm learning.
Thanks Again!
Ward

I used epaint ePrime 1000 several years ago. It is a bottom barrier coat and I doubt it would be suitable for topsides prep as a base for Awlcraft. ePaint says it can be rolled or sprayed, but I rolled as per the directions and could not get it to lay down flat. The result was a very bad "orange peel" surface with small bumps. YMMV, but if you're going to use that stuff I strongly recommend spraying.

Spraying requires indoor application or tenting (you will be dealing with other people's lawyers if you get overspray on their boats) and some expertise/experience to get it right, so unless you've got spay painting experience I strongly suggest you hire this job out.

As for AwlCraft 2000, I just recently had my boat painted with that (using Awlgrip's recommended primers) and it came out beautifully. I had a pro do it. Color is "Navy Blue":

[waywardsuun]

The blue hull looks good ! Hope mine is that nice when I finish. I have had some limited painting experience with mixed results but so far I have not found anyone who has shot awlgrip products in this area. Looks like I will try it myself. I agree the e-paint probally won't work but you never know til you ask.Thanks for the replys.
Ward