Airbrush Technique Issue 21

Kicks Korner #21 The Finale Hi, I have a question about water based paints: I’m living in France and here since January the professionals must use water based paint, I’ve got a little bit of urethanes left, but for the future I must buy these. Can you use fine-line tape on water based, and paint more layers of different colors without clear-coating for every color? Somebody who had painted a bike told me this, but I find this method crazy!!!! Thank you, Florent K. Hello Florent, thanks for writing. The major paint companies like PPG, Dupont, and Sikkens have been working on their water based paints for years now knowing that the new laws were on the way and that to compete on the world markets they would have to come up with a product that was not only good for the environment, but a product that was easy to use and would stand up to the rigours of everyday use. You are going to find that they are very similar to the urethanes that you are using now. Fine-line tape will work the same on it, and most products can be taped after a 20 minute flash-off time at 75 degrees F. (24 C). You can shorten this time by increasing the temperature, especially in combination with some air flow. On a small job like a motorcycle tank, a hand held blow drier would work just fine. As for layering colours, this should be the same as well. Most of the companies suggest keeping within the 24 hour window for this, but they recommend the same for their urethanes and I’ve never had a problem. To be on the safe side you could use a coat of intercoat clear, and then give it a light sand before resuming painting, but it is definitely not necessary after each colour. Although waterborne basecoats are water-based and emit fewer solvents than a traditional solvent borne basecoat, they still contain dangerous chemicals that can be harmful if proper personal protection is not used when spraying or handling. I suggest treating waterborne basecoat with the same respect as you would solvent borne basecoat. Refer to the MSDS for whichever brand you decide to use. A couple of other things to remember, are that on humid days it’s going to take the base longer to flash off, and you must keep the paint stored above 32F degrees or it will turn to very expensive Jell-O. The two brands that I have tried, both sprayed like urethanes and in fact provided faster coverage and the metallics were easier to blend without any mottling. All in all I think that if you go into this with an open mind, you shouldn’t have much of a problem converting and in the long run you may be leaving the earth a little less polluted for our kids. Good Luck, and thanks again for the letter. Dear Kicks I want to paint some artwork on my Sea-doo (personal watercraft) and I’m wondering if there are special clears that are for use in the water? I enjoy the magazine gentlemen, keep up the good work. K.D. Hi K.D., as long as the surface is prepped properly, any of the automotive clear coats will work quite well. Proper cleaning and sanding is the key to success, and although probably not necessary, I would add a bit of flex agent to the clear as well. It certainly won’t hurt, and some of the fairings and parts on these water craft are pretty flexible. You never know when you could bounce off a dock, buoy, or even flex it pulling it up on the trailer. Better safe then sorry! Send a picture into the readers gallery when she’s done, and thanks for the letter. Well, I’ve enjoyed writing this column, but there just aren’t enough letters to keep it going. When I started painting I found a lot of information in the magazines that were around at the time, not only in the how-to section, but the letter section as well. It was basically the only place that you could ask a question and get a response from someone who knew what they were talking about. Fortunately for everyone, it’s much easier these days. When a person has a paint problem or needs to know a technique, they don’t want to have to wait 6 to 8 weeks for an answer, and with the excellent airbrush and custom websites and forums that are available these days, a person can have an answer in minutes, not weeks. I do want to thank Don for putting out a quality magazine, and for allowing me to be a part of it to give a little bit of the knowledge I’ve gained back. Hopefully I’ve helped a few people along the way. I still hope to submit how-tos for this or the online magazine, and I will still be a regular on the Airbrush Technique Forum where I would gladly answer your questions, or feel free to still write me at Kickskorner@sympatico.ca . The one thought that I will leave you with, is don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things, it’s what custom painting is all about. All these techniques that you’ve seen, originated with someone pushing the envelope just a little farther then everyone else, and not being afraid to fail. This isn’t brain surgery, no one dies, it’s just paint. Show us what you can do!! “Originality is the thing that unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of.” John Stuart Mill Adios!!

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Airbrush Technique Issue 21

Airbrush Technique Issue 21 Tom Banks John Phillips & Javier Soto Lorin Gipe Patrick Kelly Paul Shaw Easyrider V-Twin Show Airbrush Fitto Kicks Korner RIch Milo John Avila ABT Reader Meet and Greet

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