Switched to waterborne after fighting with single stage for years

I was dead set on staying with single stage because I thought waterborne was just hype. Then I borrowed a buddy's Iwata spray gun and did a fender on a 2018 Silverado - the metallic laid so flat I didn't even have to buff it. Has anyone else made the switch and regretted throwing out all that solvent?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunaw7220d ago

You really think that metallic flake lays down better than solvent for a factory match? I've seen guys chase tiger stripes for days with waterborne, but maybe it's the gun more than the paint. What kind of reducer ratio are you running on that Iwata, cause my DeVilbiss still gives me hell on silver metallics no matter what I do. Did you notice any difference in coverage on that Chevy gray metallic base?

jakegarcia7d ago

You're barking up the wrong tree on this one, @lunaw72. Waterborne lays that flake down way more even than solvent ever could if you slow your airflow and run a 1.5 tip at around 18 psi with a 1:1 reducer ratio, tiger stripes come from rushing the flash time not the paint itself.

the_kai7d ago

Man I feel like I'm arguing with myself in the mirror every time I touch a metallic. I've got the same DeVilbiss and silver metallics make me look like I'm painting with a broken sprinkler. You're not wrong about the gun being part of it, but I swear my technique is just as bad. I've been running a 1.3 tip at 20 psi with a 1.5:1 reducer ratio on that Iwata and it still takes me three coats to get a consistent flake. Have you ever tried a slower reducer like 2:1 to give the flake time to level out? That Chevy gray metallic base is a nightmare, I ended up just blending it