Spraying 2k paint at home?

[flanajb]

I built a home spray extractor for the garage and it is basically a large fan which sits behind 2 sets of proper spray filters. I have always sprayed water based paints, but would like to try 2k as I really want to try and get that super high gloss wet look finish. Acrylic paints only go up to 65% sheen and I don't think you can get them to look wet, even if you post polish.

Having done a little reading on 2k paint, I am now rather concerned about trying it as there are quite a few horror stories on the web about 2k paints and the highly toxic nature of them?

 

[the_g_ster]

Don't you need a special kind of mask?

It sounds high risk, and is the fan spark proof? Last thing you want is a the back of your garage blown out and you with no eyebrows, or worse...

 

[n0legs]

You need an air fed mask for painting with 2k paint, with activated charcoal filters that is supplied with clean dry filtered air also you need to get completely covered up, hands, head arms, the lot.
You will fall foul of your neighbours and many environmental rules.
The fan and filter you have built, and I don't wish to insult you, will not be effective enough. Having built and maintained a professional spray booth I can assure you they ain't just a box with a fan.
Volume, air flow, sealing,extraction rate, ratio of positive and negative air pressure, height of stack, the integrity of the booth in the event of explosion and fire are all important factors.
In my opinion these factors make spray painting 2k (and many of the other solvent based paints) at home a nonstarter.
I have posted in another thread about how I sprayed 2k at home and killed half the plants in the garden and ended up upsetting good neighbours.
It's up to you at the end of the day but it doesn't have "For Professional Use Only" written on it for nothing.

 

[Otto]

Have you considered over lacquering your your work with a water based lacquer? Becker Acroma have a w/b product in an ultra gloss sheen, called Lacroma Clear.
Don't know if it's as good as a wet look PU lacquer but might do the job without the fumes and associated hassle.

 

[flanajb]

Given what has been said about the dangers of spraying 2k, I have decided that I need to rethink my options.

 

[n0legs]

Given what has been said about the dangers of spraying 2k, I have decided that I need to rethink my options.

I get the fact that you want to do the job yourself, but if the hyper gloss look ( and some of the other benefits of a 2k finish ) is something you really want why not take the pieces you want painting to a local bodyshop. As long as your prep is really good I'm sure they'd sort you out. You would have a (hopefully) experienced painter, in the right environment doing the job. Get them to flat and polish it as well and you'll have a finish to die for.

These are of my bathroom cabinet. MRMDF, rebate and housing joints with PU glue, screw and filled.
The paint is Lesonal 420 2k in a custom white. 3 coats of 2k high build primer, flatted with 800 then 4 coats of the white.



The last 2 are before flatting and polishing. Now it's done it shows every bloody fingerprint :lol:

 

[flanajb]

As I make stuff for a hobby I like to try and do most things myself as it saves cost and I enjoy doing most things. I will most likely do as you suggest and enlist the services of a car body sprayer to do the work for me.

Just one last question. Have you ever had a problem with the MDF shrinking and making the filled screw holes show?

I suspect that using MRMDF and spraying with 2 pack paint means you don't get any shrinkage in the MDF and associated problems of the screw holes showing

I think in the past my problem has been that I have sprayed water based acrylics on just MDF and not MRMDF.

ps - I love the reflection in the last photo

 

[n0legs]

Just one last question. Have you ever had a problem with the MDF shrinking and making the filled screw holes show?


ps - I love the reflection in the last photo

What I've been doing for a while is to paint, with 2k clear lacquer, the edges and any routed decorations. I seal the screw holes the same before using car body filler to fill the holes. It does seem to work very well.
The edges after 2 coats of lacquer seal up great and because the lacquer dries so hard you can sand the edges a good bit without them furring up again. Prime the whole thing with a few coats, allow to cure sand and then on with the gloss.
I do most of my finishing at my brother in laws bodyshop so access to the materials is easy for me, I just pop in the mixing room, borrow a drop of lacquer and brush it on.
Best bet is to pop into a local bodyshop for a chat and get something sorted out with regards to their level of involvement with your projects finishing process. To be honest my brother in law loves it, it's another potential bit of business and it's clean work.

Thanks, that's straight from the gun and was left to fully harden for a week before polishing.
The car paints are baked at a metal temperature of 65-80 degrees, obviously we're not dealing with metal so I don't fully bake the pieces which adds a little time to them fully curing ( just being cautious as we've learned the hard way #-o )