couple of questions for the experts

[Mike - - Bristol]

Hi guys just a few quickies,

water based any good and is it easy to use ?
is water based ok to spray on top of 2k, (I know it usual to clear coat on top of water based with 2k so I'll guess yes)
would it be better to do all the colour with water based and then clear coat, or could I use 2k main colour then water based before clear.
any tips for masking for thin lines ?
Cheers,
Mike

[sean brady scooters]

others may disagree but I really dislike the waterbased paint system for a number of reasons .
firstly ,because usually a water based paint job will take you twice as long due to drying times between coats etc.
and secondly ,especially when masking and doing two or more colours ..the water based paint creeps under the normal tapes and can ruin the sharp lines ....but you can of course use plastic sheeting and plastic masking tapes .
thirdly ...its just crap .

[coaster]

I havn't used it personnaly but did read an article in Practicle Classics a couple of years back where they got a pro to do a bonnet using ametuer gear and in the semi-open air. As Sean says, it was slow to dry but the advantage to that was that there was no orange peel. They let it air dry as it was summer time but this time of year you'll need infra red heaters to get it to dry.

[soulsurfer]

My Gold "Leaf" bike was painted entirely with water-based paint in a car bodyshop where water based is used exclusively. It requires airflow to dry, but I guess it's what you get used to. The bodyshops I visited in the early days of water-based that didn't have experience with it, hated it , but now I never hear any of them complain, BUT they are using all using the specialist equipment needed to use the stuff 'cos they have to, I don't think it's really a DIY option.

[wack 63]

I'm pretty sure that most of Kas Racepaints are water based and you can't fault their work.Personally I would choose 2k anyday just for its ability to take a knock and trying to touch up water based is a ball ache.

[soulsurfer]

trying to touch up water based is a ball ache.

Too true

[WINTERMODEL150]

Water base was introduced because its safer to use and is better for the invironment and it does'nt have aggressive solvent chemicals in it ,however you do still need to use two pack clear coat laquer as a final coat to seal the base coat from UV light to give the shine.

Orange peal is down to the painters finish coat and you can get this with water base or solent paints its just down to the experience of the painter what type of finsh you get.

Personally i think if you're a DIY painter then use solvent paint for straight color or base coat and clear laquer for metalics.

Dean

[T5-190]

Water base was introduced because its safer to use and is better for the invironment and it does'nt have aggressive solvent chemicals in it ,however you do still need to use two pack clear coat laquer as a final coat to seal the base coat from UV light to give the shine.

Orange peal is down to the painters finish coat and you can get this with water base or solent paints its just down to the experience of the painter what type of finsh you get.

Personally i think if you're a DIY painter then use solvent paint for straight color or base coat and clear laquer for metalics.

Dean

Saw a demo of water based paints a while ago. I was quite impressed, our company like a lot of others has had to tighten its COSH regulations. They sprayed a panel and dried it with a heat gun, but this could be be done with a heat lamp. This only took seconds and he was onto the next coat with no bleed through. We had a few concerns about lifting paint edges when removing tape etc, but we could'nt get it to lift even straight after spraying. But the biggest plus for this paint was thinning and cleaning up, you just use water.

[GBCS]

The auto air range of custom paints are water bourne, and they have some fantastic stuff.

If you have ever seen any of the American Chopper episodes when Nub has been painting, you have seen AA in action.

They are available from Simon Murray in the UK: http://www.smdesigns.co.uk/

If you want to learn how to paint, Simon's are the best instructional DVD's I have ever seen.

[DRC86]

Ive been using waterbased paint on scooters since the late 90s.obviously its better used in nice warm booths .ive done multi colour race reps including dtcs etc and must say can be a pain with creeping under masking compared to solvent based basecoat.there is a product on the market now that makes waterbased perform more like solvent,faster drying etc.but dear at 120 quid for 5litres.if you are doing at home stick with the solvent,....while you still can.new laws ever changing in the paint game!!!