Auto Air paints?

[dannyual767]

Over on Jim's RC Boat Dock, someone mentioned Auto Air paints. Here's the website: Auto Air

I did a lot of reading on the different paints. They've got a lot of colors and they are compatible with all automotive urethane clears that we boaters like to use on out boats. The best part (to me anyway) is that I can mailorder these paints and get them in small quantities-like 4oz ! I can't seem to get anything smaller than 1pt (16oz) from my PPG dealer.

Does anyone have any experience using these paints? They've got a ton of fancy, exotic colors!

 

[Topfuel666]

I have used AutoAir colors on bikes. These must be clear coated when finished. I actually still have quite a bit left including some candys which are a pain to blend.

Bill

 

[dannyual767]

I have used AutoAir colors on bikes. These must be clear coated when finished. I actually still have quite a bit left including some candys which are a pain to blend.
Bill

Bill, I was real interested in trying some of the candies but I read all about them on the website and I'm scared :lol: ! They really do appear to be real finicky and touchy, hard-to-use paints!

What about the transparents? Reading about them, they don't appear to need the "special precautions" that must be taken with candies. Obviously these paints are different but do they kind of result in the same effect? I mean, if I shoot candy blue over a silver base, will it look any different than if I shot transparent blue over the same silver base h34r: ?

 

[Topfuel666]

I have used AutoAir colors on bikes. These must be clear coated when finished. I actually still have quite a bit left including some candys which are a pain to blend.
Bill

Bill, I was real interested in trying some of the candies but I read all about them on the website and I'm scared :lol: ! They really do appear to be real finicky and touchy, hard-to-use paints!

What about the transparents? Reading about them, they don't appear to need the "special precautions" that must be taken with candies. Obviously these paints are different but do they kind of result in the same effect? I mean, if I shoot candy blue over a silver base, will it look any different than if I shot transparent blue over the same silver base h34r: ?

While I have some of their candys, I have not really played much with them. Transparents should work fine, you just won't have the 'pop' of the candy colors which makes them unique. Urethane candys are tough in that you have to almost dust the first coat on (very light) and then increase to normal pattern. If you apply it heavy at first, you can end up with tiger striping and subsequents coats will not mellow it out.

The AutoAir stuff dries flat and makes the colors look muted. Once clear is applied, it really sharpens the detail. Do what I use for practice - get a small piece of sign metal and use that for test shoots. Cheap and you don't screw up the real work.

I did two candy shoots with HOK materials. Oriental blue and Brandywine red, both over a heavy metallic sealer and base coat which came out pretty decent. Remeber candys build up slowly in color so watch the desired tint you want. Both shoots had 6+ coats of candy.

Hope this helps.

Bill

 

[Rusty]

Over on Jim's RC Boat Dock, someone mentioned Auto Air paints. Here's the website: Auto Air
I did a lot of reading on the different paints. They've got a lot of colors and they are compatible with all automotive urethane clears that we boaters like to use on out boats. The best part (to me anyway) is that I can mailorder these paints and get them in small quantities-like 4oz ! I can't seem to get anything smaller than 1pt (16oz) from my PPG dealer.

Does anyone have any experience using these paints? They've got a ton of fancy, exotic colors!

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry I didn't care for them but that is only my opinion. PM me and I can give you a link to buy House of Kolor in small unreduced quantities.

Rusty

 

[jstew0903]

Can you post or pm me the link to buy the paints in small quantities. I am going to need some shortly.

Thanks

Jason

 

[Rusty]

Can you post or pm me the link to buy the paints in small quantities. I am going to need some shortly.
Thanks

Jason

www.coastairbrush.com they sell unreduced House of Kolor great to do business with. Some places sell it prereduced I would never under no circumstances buy this.

Rusty

 

[dannyual767]

Rusty, I went to the website that you posted. They did offer some of the HOK paints in small 4 oz quantities but the candies were a minimum of 1 quart ! I'd really like to play around with the candies just to see if I could do it. I don't want to be spending big coin on large quantities since I really don't know what I'm doing . I wish they would sell their Kandies in smaller quantities.

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry

So the Auto Air paints will take a long time to dry? How long? Is this the only reason that you didn't like them?

 

[Rusty]

Rusty, I went to the website that you posted. They did offer some of the HOK paints in small 4 oz quantities but the candies were a minimum of 1 quart ! I'd really like to play around with the candies just to see if I could do it. I don't want to be spending big coin on large quantities since I really don't know what I'm doing . I wish they would sell their Kandies in smaller quantities.

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry

So the Auto Air paints will take a long time to dry? How long? Is this the only reason that you didn't like them?

Buy some HOK SG100 and some Kandy concentrates and mix your own...this won't require a catylist. Plus these dry extra fast and are low build unlike true uro kndies. This is all I use for small graphics for overall coverage on larger objects like motorcyles I use true candies. This boat here is painted with Kandy concentrates I mixed.

 

[Topfuel666]

Rusty, I went to the website that you posted. They did offer some of the HOK paints in small 4 oz quantities but the candies were a minimum of 1 quart ! I'd really like to play around with the candies just to see if I could do it. I don't want to be spending big coin on large quantities since I really don't know what I'm doing . I wish they would sell their Kandies in smaller quantities.

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry

So the Auto Air paints will take a long time to dry? How long? Is this the only reason that you didn't like them?

Danny,

Since AutoAir paints are water based, they take time to dry. You can speed this up by using a hair drier on low setting and don't concentrate the heat in one area. You can also use this one on urethane candies which should flash in under 10 minutes. Be careful using SG100 (intercoat clear) as it is not hard but works really well.

Bill

 

[Rusty]

Rusty, I went to the website that you posted. They did offer some of the HOK paints in small 4 oz quantities but the candies were a minimum of 1 quart ! I'd really like to play around with the candies just to see if I could do it. I don't want to be spending big coin on large quantities since I really don't know what I'm doing . I wish they would sell their Kandies in smaller quantities.

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry

So the Auto Air paints will take a long time to dry? How long? Is this the only reason that you didn't like them?

Danny,

Since AutoAir paints are water based, they take time to dry. You can speed this up by using a hair drier on low setting and don't concentrate the heat in one area. You can also use this one on urethane candies which should flash in under 10 minutes. Be careful using SG100 (intercoat clear) as it is not hard but works really well.

Bill

One thing I took for granted that everyone knew but intercoat clear does have to be clear coated with uro...and don't go over for 4 coats thick if u are mixing it 2:1 in an airbrush I go 1:1 and you can double up on your coats if need be.

good luck

 

[Rusty]

Rusty, I went to the website that you posted. They did offer some of the HOK paints in small 4 oz quantities but the candies were a minimum of 1 quart ! I'd really like to play around with the candies just to see if I could do it. I don't want to be spending big coin on large quantities since I really don't know what I'm doing . I wish they would sell their Kandies in smaller quantities.

Water base paints work very well...as long as someone else has to use them. Seriously some people swear by them but just not for me. I have tried them some they are slow to dry

So the Auto Air paints will take a long time to dry? How long? Is this the only reason that you didn't like them?

Danny,

Since AutoAir paints are water based, they take time to dry. You can speed this up by using a hair drier on low setting and don't concentrate the heat in one area. You can also use this one on urethane candies which should flash in under 10 minutes. Be careful using SG100 (intercoat clear) as it is not hard but works really well.

Bill

One thing I took for granted that everyone knew but intercoat clear does have to be clear coated with uro...and don't go over for 4 coats thick if u are mixing it 2:1 in an airbrush I go 1:1 and you can double up on your coats if need be.

good luck

AS far as water base paints I personally didn't like the way they sprayed and I don't believe they bond as well as solvent based paints....but this is only my opinion.

 

[dannyual767]

What is really frustrating to me is that the more that I learn the more difficult it becomes for me to make up my mind. I've read your replies and I've spent plenty of time reading on the Auto Air website.

posted by Rusty,

AS far as water base paints I personally didn't like the way they sprayed and I don't believe they bond as well as solvent based paints....but this is only my opinion.

I do get the impression that the AA paints are "weird" to use in that they seem like they go on very thin, with very little covering ability per coat. Multiple coats must be used, right?

One thing I took for granted that everyone knew but intercoat clear does have to be clear coated with uro...and don't go over for 4 coats thick if u are mixing it 2:1 in an airbrush I go 1:1 and you can double up on your coats if need be.good luck

:unsure: I don't understand this :unsure: . Reading the AA website, it does talk about intercoats of clear over some of their paints, i.e. candies, before taping, etc. Is this what you are talking about? Can I just intercoat with my PPG Omni urethane clearcoat?

 

[Topfuel666]

What is really frustrating to me is that the more that I learn the more difficult it becomes for me to make up my mind. I've read your replies and I've spent plenty of time reading on the Auto Air website.

posted by Rusty,

AS far as water base paints I personally didn't like the way they sprayed and I don't believe they bond as well as solvent based paints....but this is only my opinion.

I do get the impression that the AA paints are "weird" to use in that they seem like they go on very thin, with very little covering ability per coat. Multiple coats must be used, right?

One thing I took for granted that everyone knew but intercoat clear does have to be clear coated with uro...and don't go over for 4 coats thick if u are mixing it 2:1 in an airbrush I go 1:1 and you can double up on your coats if need be.good luck

:unsure: I don't understand this :unsure: . Reading the AA website, it does talk about intercoats of clear over some of their paints, i.e. candies, before taping, etc. Is this what you are talking about? Can I just intercoat with my PPG Omni urethane clearcoat?

Danny,

Do you plan to lay artwork down after applying your Omni clear? Maybe I am wrong but I thought the intercoat clear is layed down to protect the base (color) coat or previous artwork when taping. Then you do whatever artwork or striping you want followed by the the final urethane clear. The trick here is make sure each succeeding layer has something to bond to. Paint fact sheets specify how long each component is active without sanding.

I also agree with Rusty that the AA colors spray differently. They are thin and generally require more coats for color intensity. The upside is they clean up easily. I have seen Mickey Harris shoot realistic flames with AA colors and they came out great but he has been doing this for 30 or so years.

 

[Rusty]

What is really frustrating to me is that the more that I learn the more difficult it becomes for me to make up my mind. I've read your replies and I've spent plenty of time reading on the Auto Air website.

posted by Rusty,

AS far as water base paints I personally didn't like the way they sprayed and I don't believe they bond as well as solvent based paints....but this is only my opinion.

I do get the impression that the AA paints are "weird" to use in that they seem like they go on very thin, with very little covering ability per coat. Multiple coats must be used, right?

One thing I took for granted that everyone knew but intercoat clear does have to be clear coated with uro...and don't go over for 4 coats thick if u are mixing it 2:1 in an airbrush I go 1:1 and you can double up on your coats if need be.good luck

:unsure: I don't understand this :unsure: . Reading the AA website, it does talk about intercoats of clear over some of their paints, i.e. candies, before taping, etc. Is this what you are talking about? Can I just intercoat with my PPG Omni urethane clearcoat?

Danny,

Do you plan to lay artwork down after applying your Omni clear? Maybe I am wrong but I thought the intercoat clear is layed down to protect the base (color) coat or previous artwork when taping. Then you do whatever artwork or striping you want followed by the the final urethane clear. The trick here is make sure each succeeding layer has something to bond to. Paint fact sheets specify how long each component is active without sanding.

I also agree with Rusty that the AA colors spray differently. They are thin and generally require more coats for color intensity. The upside is they clean up easily. I have seen Mickey Harris shoot realistic flames with AA colors and they came out great but he has been doing this for 30 or so years.

Just like Bill says u have a window to recoat or the surface has to be sanded this is where I think a solvent base paint has an advantage it bites into the previous coat and should bond better vs. water base paints not to mention the quicker drying time. The water base are less toxic but they still have to be coated with a uro which is the most toxic of all...so I personally can't find an advantage in water base paints. The intercoat is made to protect a base coat especially metallics from tape tracks..I use uro for this most of the time because you can wipe off your mistakes with alcohol or acetone. I mainly use the sg 100 for mixing candies.

But everybody has their own opinions and their own ways that work for them....it is mainly a trial and error thing to learn what you like to use.

 

[dannyual767]

Bill, I was planning on clearcoating before doing any taping as AA recommends this to eliminate tape marks, etc.

Paint fact sheets specify how long each component is active without sanding.

Just like Bill says u have a window to recoat or the surface has to be sanded this is where I think a solvent base paint has an advantage it bites into the previous coat and should bond better vs. water base paints not to mention the quicker drying time.

Guys, this is copied directly from the Auto Air website:

Auto Air Colors do not have time windows. They may be top-coated with a urethane clear at any time after they’ve cured no matter how long the time period between painting and clearing there is.

PPG specifies a maximum of 24 hours before clearcoating Omni AU basecoats.

I haven't even made up my mind what color I'm going to paint the 5 boats that I've got that are ready for color. Well, I've actually decided on one: my scratch-built Okoume wood mono has been covered with .75 oz cloth and epoxy resin. I'm planning on shooting 3 coats of Omni urethane clear, wet sanding with 800 grit and then shooting 3 more coats of clear. I'll do it a third time if need be. I'm hoping the shine looks a mile deep!

The other four hulls are still up in the air. The little rigger is my daughter's and she said she wants it purple. We haven't settled on stripes and other fanciness, yet. I know that I want one hull to be a lime green and another to be a yellow shade. As far as stripes and artwork, go.......yes, but my imagination and creativity for this sort of thing sucks.

 

[piper_chuck]

PPG specifies a maximum of 24 hours before clearcoating Omni AU basecoats.

Actually, the time depends on which basecoat you use. The 24 hour window is for MBC. If you use MAE/MH101 or MTK, the time is extended to 1 week. This is what they say in the MC161 clear information sheet.

 

[dannyual767]

Actually, the time depends on which basecoat you use. The 24 hour window is for MBC.

Correct. The MBC is what I've got.