Which if the SPI Clears will be the "wettest"?

J

JayL

Hey All,

Quick question.

I hear the term "Wet Look" thrown around a lot and I would like to know which of the SPI clears would give me the deepest, wettest top coat.

I am painting guitars, not cars, if it makes a difference.

Thanks
Jay L
Tampa, FL
 
shine;38894 said:
wet look is the clarity of the finish .
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Excellent. Thank you.

Any suggestions on which of the three SPI clears I should look into using?

Also does putting on more layers of clear actually equate to a better/deeper shine?

I saw a posting of a guy that did 4 coats -> 320 sand -> 3 coats and it looked great. But I also saw 2 coats with Euro clear on a black panel that looked amazing as well.

Really do appreciate the input.

Jay
Tampa, FL
 
I'm curious myself if more layers always looks wetter/deeper, or if it's a diminishing return type of situation.
 
mitch_04;38901 said:
So is the purpose of 3 layers, sand, 3 layers just to improve clarity?(Perfect Paint Job)
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In my humble opinion the clarity comes from the quality of the clear itself. Multiple layers will give you added DEPTH, provided that you are using a good clearcoat
that was designed to be used that way. Clear coats designed for fast collision work will get milky and loose clarity if you pile on more than 2 or 3 coats. With SPI you are safe and can do the 3+3 layers.

And if you try the 3+3 layers method you will find that the last 3 layers will flow way way better than the first 3 because you're now spraying on a very
smooth clear coat substrate instead of base coat that has a bit of texture and that will potentially suck in solvent from the clear. Also by limiting the spraying to
3 coats you avoid the urethane wave that can happen with High Solids clears, so your final job will be easier to sand and polish to a flat-mirror finish.
 
ive used the universal,2020 euro and low voc euro and the universal is my #1 choice for final gloss and depth
 
Clarity of the clear and a perfect surface gives you that wet slick look. Let your basecoat flash off overnight-this does a lot to provide good clarity. Any solvents trapped in the base will eventually need to come out and this will have a negative affect on clarity and will also slow the rate to reach full cure.
 
According to Barry, doing the flow coat... Meaning spraying 3 coats for example, sanding with P400.,let sun in sun to draw out solvents and then re clearing before your cut and buff adds about 20% gloss on a gloss meter.. Its how I do all the show work ( flow coating that is )..
I agree with Bob also.. Let your base flash off over night.. Solvents are the enemey long term.. The more you get out in the begining, the better!!
 
Sorry to jump in on this thread but I like the suggestion about letting the base sit overnight. Just wondering though if there is anything to be aware of concerning possible problems with adhesion from waiting that long if using ProSpray?
 
I know that a few airbrushers have said their projects stay in base for up to and over a week without problems. I would ask Chad about ProSpray specifically though, he sells quite a bit to the users here.
 
mitch_04;39066 said:
I know that a few airbrushers have said their projects stay in base for up to and over a week without problems. I would ask Chad about ProSpray specifically though, he sells quite a bit to the users here.
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Thanks, I didn't know that but I will PM Chad to make sure.
 
I wait over night whenever possible.. And when doing a restoration.. I make sure to plan the time for it to sit.

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However.. as I understand it.. If anybody is using water base their is not purpose in doing this.. as it is does not have the solvents to evaporate, and from what I understand, a water base can actually absorb the moisture from the air which could cause all sorts of issue.. Just thought I would elaborate in case someone came across this and was going to be using waterbourne base.
 
universal is plenty wet. We had our issues with our last paint job, before deciding to go 100% into a new product (it helped start the bad situation) we bought a quart of universal clear, and sprayed it on a panel he was airbrushing flames on. The panel was a week or two old. The universal clear looked wet and the depth the flames showed was outstanding.

First time I called, I was told the product had not changes since the 90's. I was also told unless you are in an EPA restricted area that the only real choice is universal clear. I am not even gonna try the others. I was a little shocked at the 1:1 ratio, but it dries faster than the 4:1 show clears I have been using.

Just my observations.
 
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