Painting with Stewarts System

[Flybyjim]

Well 14ND it sounds like you did all as required, sorry I can not help, I know the frustration and feel for you.

Jim

[Rodney]

Agree that you have been more than meticulous. It really is a shame that a $400 per gallon paint is not working. With all the prep work you did and your set up, if it's operator error then we are all probably sunk.

FYI. This may not be of any value to you, but if it ever quits raining here in Oklahoma, I'm trying to get a 95 Dodge Pickup primed and painted.

In searching for paints, everything I was finding was in the $400/gallon range - especially for red colors. Then a friend recommended I look at Summit racing. They have a single stage Acrylic Urethane paint system, and the prices are very reasonable. For Gloss Black, you get a gallon of paint, activator and reducer in a kit for $118.00 And, it shoots very well; just like you would expect. Do NOT tell Summit that the paint goes on an airplane - if you do, I have been advised they won't sell you anything. Had a friend that was buying an oil pressure gage for his Corvair conversion and he told them it was going in an airplane and they would not sell the gage to him.

Really hope you get a paint that works and can get on with your project.
Painting is hard enough with having to deal with the problems you have encountered.

Regards
Rodney

[jmodguy]

Eastwood.com also has single stage urethanes. Don’t know how flexible they are but lot of colors!
For what its worth PPG Delta ( Delfleet?) is what some certified tube n fabric teams are using.

[bbs428]

I can completely empathize with your situation. I hope it turns out fantastic the second time around!

As a mechanic 1st and as a painter a distant third or fourth, I get a bit nervous every time I pick up the paint gun. I have been defeated numerous times by contamination, dust, humidity and my own stupidity! lol.

For me a single stage auto urethane with a flex agent works very well. Nice gloss, durable, huge choice of colors, easy to shoot and affordable.

A great resource is a friend who owns an auto paint store close by. Mine has educated me despite my lack of artistry. My painting projects are turning out a lot better.

All the best.

[Danzer1]

TCPGlobal has single stage acrylic urethane in quart and gallon kits. I believe this is where some of the other resellers get theirs. Can't beat their prices (generally). Go here:

YMMV, Greg

[N14ND]

It has been awhile since my last post. Been waiting for the temperature to get warmer. I don’t want to trash Stewart’s System as I really like their stuff. I just didn’t have much luck with the trim paint over the base EPP. I still think it’s a bad batch of paint. Quick recap:

1. Had millions of “solvent pops” in the SS EPP black (second color trim) paint. Shout out to Airtech Coatings as they sent me a quart of their urethane top coat and suggestions to fill the majority of holes. Any top coat system can be applied over the catalyzed Stewart’s System.
2. Sanded with 320 to expose holes (ugh)
3. Airtech urethane is pretty thin so I used my finger as a squeegee and filled as many as I could see.
4. Sanded again. Sprayed a layer of Airtech (thinned) over the top. It looked acceptable so I stopped the process trill spring.
5. An IA friend that uses SS for certified recovers said he uses SS up one coat of their cheapest top coat in white. Then paints the final color coats with Stits Aerorhane. So that’s what I did.
6. Applied their black over the repaired areas and new masked trim areas. It turned out great!

I used Aerothane as it was available locally and was 2/3rds the price of other urethanes for fabric. It was super easy to spray. Flowed nicely and has incredible gloss. I pulled the tapes off an hour after the last coat and checked it this morning, no pin holes!!! The only difficulty I had was getting used to the fresh air hood as it took awhile to get used to seeing my reflection on the inside of the visor.

[Delta Whisky]

Great to read that your solution worked!! I'm about 2 months from painting with SS so I really appreciate your follow-up.

[N14ND]

64485404-1E19-492E-AE33-BB2371EA8CFA.jpgB90B570E-1FCE-4E03-B66D-7D9B8BD30340.jpg

This is how it turned out.

[N14ND]

DCF95BA8-FB76-4777-ABA7-16DF1994A2BD.jpg99F705D7-70A2-47B9-839E-170AFD2CB63C.jpgThe first one is what a million solvent pops look like. The second is after sanding and finger squeegeeing in Airtech’s black urethane and another light sanding.

[Ronin]

DCF95BA8-FB76-4777-ABA7-16DF1994A2BD.jpg99F705D7-70A2-47B9-839E-170AFD2CB63C.jpgThe first one is what a million solvent pops look like. The second is after sanding and finger squeegeeing in Airtech’s black urethane and another light sanding.

Glad to hear it's working out better for you. That looks like really heavy coats of paint. That will cause flash off and solvent entrapment issues. Hard to say without seeing you spray really, but I would either, move faster, back the gun further away or turn the needle in on the gun a half to full turn. Maybe a combo of the three. Also don't shut the airflow off after you finish a coat, you have to keep fresh air flowing over the paint as it tacks up/dries. Even if you get some bugs or dirt in it.