I decided to paint the interior of my RV-8 with JetFlex WR but I'm really struggling with application and wondering what others have done. I'm using an el-cheapo Harbor Freight HVLP gun and applying it directly to the aluminum (no primer). I've cleaned and scuffed the aluminum and cleaned again before spraying.
It seems too thick to spray without reducing so I reduced it with about 20% water. The paint docs say you can reduce 10-25%. I thought I mixed it well but I had areas of water droplets on my part which of course didn't come out well. I tried again and mixed even more but had similar results and in some areas it didn't seem to adhere.
So, my questions for anyone who have used JetFlex WR are:
- Are you using a primer before spraying JetFlex?
- Did you reduce and if so, how much?
- Any other lessons learned? Paint gun setup etc?
Thanks
I am currently spraying JetFlex WR in my interior. A tough thing with paint and advice online is that we may have completely different levels of quality that we find acceptable. I actually wanted a little bit of texture which I think disguises flaws in a way that I'm good with but someone else may hate. My opinion is that things are coming out pretty dang good on my interior.
-I am using primer. Rustoleum Self-Etching in a rattle can. Light 400 dry sand.
-I am reducing to 2-1. I guess that's 30% water so a little outside the PDS but having considerable success with that so not changing anything. I sprayed a lot of test cards and this is what works for me. Distilled water for reduction.
-I have used two separate gun setups now. First was an Earlex 5500 HVLP with a turbine and the 1.8mm needle setup. I have switched over to a 3M Accuspray now, also using the 1.8mm nozzle. Both guns spray well but the 3M unit is a pleasure to use, clean up, and store pre-mixed paint. At 2:1 dilution and the gun operating exactly per 3M instructions the paint goes on a little better than what I was getting with the Earlex...probably because of having more adjustment.
Glad to offer a few other things I have learned after several sessions with the JetFlex WR.
-Cleanliness matters. I am fanatical about distilled water and ammonia cleanup. Distilled water rinse. A few times I think I have had some trace ammonia left behind and got some fisheyes. Most of them flatten as the paint cures but still something to avoid.
-Apply the first coat relatively heavy. 'Medium wet'. This isn't like other paints where you start light. You don't want runny puddles of course, but it takes a good wet coat. Jetflex really does self flatten as it cures.
-Per the PDS, spray a second coat 15-20 minutes after the first. Just leave the parts hanging and come back and spray them again. This second coat blends and flattens right into the first very nicely.
-If a part needs re-spray or your workflow means I can't do the second application at 15-20 minutes, then I wet sand at 600 then spray one more medium coat.
-Don't squeeze the last bits out of the paint cup. My experience has been that when running out the mist starts to dry and leaves a fairly persistent dusty texture. If you get this, the recoat is unlikely to smooth it over and you'll have some sanding to do.
I'm pre-finishing my interior before assembly so this has been what I learned over several sessions. I spent the last month of build time doing mostly parts prep and it's finally coming together. All of this is fairly fresh on my mind and I have enjoyed learning to paint with this stuff.