I've looked thru a lot of threads... I think I see that folks prefer brushing over spraying enamels, due in part to the longer drying times thinned enamel takes to dry. Planning to tape up all the castings and sheet metal, prepping and spray it with an airbrush, as I'd like to try this as an experiment, and I have the equipment available to me.
very close by is a Sherwin-Williams paint store that is trying to match an early 40's Craftsman dark machine grey, in their metal compatible series of enamels. Their recommended thinner for this paint is mineral spirits.
Yesterday after mixing, when it was wet on the sample swatch, it was too dark. A good color match I thought, but too dark. Today should be a good test, if it has dried.
One of the employees mentioned that there are 2 options:
1) they can try to lighten the paint with a white, but that risks changing the color
2) Using their technolgy driven paint matching system,they can ALSO make the paint lighter such that the shade is maintained, but can be lighter or darker, and adjust the formula accordingly, before mixing in the dyes/colorants.
so we have some options...
I've read that lacquers tend to dry quickly, and something like penetrol is needed to retard drying, so the spraying device (airbrush, spray guns etc.) doesn't get clogged with dry paint.
Also read that thinned enamels take forever to dry, so using something like Japan Drier or Linseed oil helps with the curing process (VOC evaporation and then polymerization).
So I guess the questions I'm hoping to get discussed/answered if possible are:
1) if the oil based enamel is thinned with mineral spirits (try 1:1 first), will that change the color, make it lighter, or just thin it?
2) do the drying agents above make sense with enamel? if so, do they bring drying/hardening times down to acceptable levels?
3) would a cool water bath a day after painting help with curing as well?
very close by is a Sherwin-Williams paint store that is trying to match an early 40's Craftsman dark machine grey, in their metal compatible series of enamels. Their recommended thinner for this paint is mineral spirits.
Yesterday after mixing, when it was wet on the sample swatch, it was too dark. A good color match I thought, but too dark. Today should be a good test, if it has dried.
One of the employees mentioned that there are 2 options:
1) they can try to lighten the paint with a white, but that risks changing the color
2) Using their technolgy driven paint matching system,they can ALSO make the paint lighter such that the shade is maintained, but can be lighter or darker, and adjust the formula accordingly, before mixing in the dyes/colorants.
so we have some options...
I've read that lacquers tend to dry quickly, and something like penetrol is needed to retard drying, so the spraying device (airbrush, spray guns etc.) doesn't get clogged with dry paint.
Also read that thinned enamels take forever to dry, so using something like Japan Drier or Linseed oil helps with the curing process (VOC evaporation and then polymerization).
So I guess the questions I'm hoping to get discussed/answered if possible are:
1) if the oil based enamel is thinned with mineral spirits (try 1:1 first), will that change the color, make it lighter, or just thin it?
2) do the drying agents above make sense with enamel? if so, do they bring drying/hardening times down to acceptable levels?
3) would a cool water bath a day after painting help with curing as well?