I did some looking around and I find tons of info on all of the cool urethane candies and such, but does any body still make candy colors in a lacquer based paint? before I get tons of recomendations about how easy to use urethanes are to work with, I have some pretty bad allergic reactions too them and it isn't worth my time to lay in bed for days or weeks after their use. Any leads?
Traditional candy paint paint was clear nitrocellulose lacquer with toner. You could make that yourself. The down side is; that paint is very susceptible to UV damage. Some colors will noticeably fade is as little as 6 months of exposure. When using urethane you should be FULLY suited with a supplied air respirator/hood. Ideally even your feet/shoes will be protected. If you are properly outfitted you will not be exposed to the paint's fumes, vapors, or overspray. Anything less is asking for trouble. Some people develop sensitivity over time. Some people have serious reactions. People have died. Based on my own experience the effects are ***ulative, so best not to go down that road to start with.
Ha! That's exactly the answer I wanted to ask but didn't think to! Have you ever actually done this? I have been a helper when TCP Global's Kustom shop knock off of that product was used in mid coat urethane, any experience with that product used in this manner? Might just be woth a try. I used to paint in a production shop just as urethanes were coming into play. I found back then that no matter how I tried to protect myself I would have problems with my asthma. That was about 30 years ago. Fast forward to 2008 and I played helper monkey to my friend "THE LIBERACE" (Craig Smith) while painting his deuce of the same name and really had problems for a couple of months after from the urethane products. But I had a ball learning how to do Metalflake, fades, taping intricate designs, and stuff. Shot allot of lacquer over the years with no respatory problems and thought if it was good enough Watson and those guys... 'Sides, with the small stuff I'd be doing, I could probably get Craig or anather friend to clear it with urethane for me as a finish.
Yep, its just a dye, it dont know what your doing with it, you could put that stuff in anything solvent base, including oil paint.
Cool, Cool, Cool! I have a couple of triumph bike projects that I would really like to play with a bit some pretty involved painting techniques, but my stippulation is I can't work with urethane.
Candy concentrate is some strong stuff, meaning a little goes a long way. It will stain anything it gets on. The can it comes in is hard to pour small amounts, so I buy small plastic squeeze bottles from the paint supply, looks like a clear mustard bottle. I put the whole can of candy concentrate in these squeeze bottles, sure makes less of a mess.
It is not lacquer, they don't mix. You can mix the same basic type of candy paint with acrylic laquer as they used to do with nitrocellulose laquer. It won't look as deep, the new acrylic lacquer never did have the depth as the nitrocellulose but it can still be done with toners and clear. You can still buy acrylic lacquer. That is thwe avenue that I would take. And yes the old candy color would fade fast. The reds were the worse. With todays waxes with UV protection in them you may be able to overcome that.
Ever try water based paint? I've used water borne bases from my local art supply and cleared with both Urethane and Lacquer. With candy effects I have been putting a thin layer of tinted clear, followed by straight clear. My supplier sold me an additive to make the clear more glossy. I haven't tried the water borne clear yet. Lacquer paint gets a bum wrap. It is fine if the vehicle lives a protected life out of the elements the majority of the time. I still paint with it... great for the hobby car. The cars that saw 365 duty outside in all weather didn't hold up as well.
Thanks P&******, I know of the fade problems of the old candies, but this is going to be a very "showy" '53 Triumph motorcycle. Been collecting parts for this to be an accurate early sixties show bike (See the Watson photos, or Weesner's "Custom Sickles" poster) for many years, so this will probably be the only vehicle I ever own that will be an indoor, pampered kinda deal... Wonder how the girlfriend will deal with it in the living room? The last one made the last girlfriend scream and run away! Not entirely all bad, I might add. Cool! Been wondering this and will give it a try. Sure would be a great way to go about it. I have tried the water born stuff, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it to lay down nicely. It ended up looking a bit like stucco no matter what pressure, reduction, temprature I tried. Sure was nice not to get sick though... I too think lacquer gets a bad rap these days. I shot lots of it back in the eighties and always ended up with an acceptable finish... Sometimes after a bit of rub work though. As far as color hold out, My Falcon was painted in lacquer in '82 by a friend and myself, and it still in spots looks great if you rub it a bit ('course, that's between the primer spots...) and that thing would curl up and die if it ever saw the inside of a garage! The best part of the deal is I can still shoot it with just my basic old mask and no moon suit / air pack / rocket pack out side and not end up in bed for the next month. Very seriously considering lacquering my '29 roadster pickup this spring too. AMC big Bad Orange here we come! I could be very up for that! See, I'm Not really a painter! I mentioned painting in a production shop as a teen, but I got promoted from taper/helper to body man to painter as guys up the line just decided to quit with out notice. I just wasn't smart enough to not KNOW I couldn't paint! Turned out that I'm really not too bad at it after all. Did that for a year or so before the urethanes started kicking my *** healthwise. But to sum it up, there are probably guys on this board who have forgotten lots more about shooting lacquer that I have ever known. Love to pick their brains.
There really is no formula. I like to add as what looks best on an aluminum mixing stick. Mix it so it looks like the shade you want on your stick, thats what the end product will look like with three coats of candy....... I guess there is a formula. Also, if your doing any pin striping or art work over the candy coat, make sure you lock the candy down with some lacquer clear coat. I would put down two coats of clear before you do anything on top of the candy, let it dry real good...... like two days......that stuff likes to bleed real bad.
A home-based painter with decent skills that works carefully can pretty well be guaranteed a pretty damn good paint job in his yard shooting lacquer, cant say that with most other paints.
O.K., This goes a bit farther than I intended to make this thread go, but let me ask this. Any body ever use clear urethane over lacquer? I remember it being somewhat common back in the eighties, but what about this stuff now? Like I said earlier, I could probably talk a friend of mine into clearing this stuff for the bike for me, 'cause I do want to bury the striping and such. The guy at the paint supply store that I asked some of these questions at a couple of weeks ago (I'd guess about 24 or so) got super annoyed about the time I asked this last one...
I have, what I've been doing is wet sand whatever you've done with 600 or 1000 grit paper degrease it and sprayed a coat of Dupont's 222s adhesion promoter, then applied the clear urethane over it .............
Autozone and O'Reillys around here have a pre-mixed lacquer, and it has the candy base, clear, and topcoats in stock. It is 21.95 a quart. I think it is made by Dupli-Color, which I think is a Valspar company. I have not shot any of it, but it may be an alternative for some, such as yourself.
I also have used clear urethane over lacquer base, with good results. I usually let it sit 24 hrs. then scuff lightly.
Ok guys, Join "Lacquer Lovers Unite!" Its in its infancy, i am at work right now, so I havent done much, but later i will round up some kind of cool pic for a group icon and set up some sub-forums and so on. Honestly, I am probably the least experienced painter out of the whole bunch of you, but I was the dumb-*** who opened my big mouth, so I guess its up to me. Heres a link, hopefully this works, first time I have ever tried to set up a social group, so cross your fingers. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=741 And guys, feel free to pm me with ideas for the new social group.
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