Another reason to try spraying water base

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

A coworker mentioned something this week about reading something about pigmenting water based clear coats with latex paint.

For ha-ha's, I messed around with "thinning" latex with ML Campbell Ultrastar. I sprayed my small test boards with a Critter @ 45 PSI. I have no doubt this blend would spray very similar to the straight-up Ultrastar product in my HVLP rigs.

I found that ~ 30% Pratt & Lambert latex to 70% Ultrastar gives a fantastic result!

I'm essentially replacing Floetrol with water base lacquer. It dries HARD quickly, is rubbable, and takes the sheen of the chosen Ultrastar. I tried both Dull and Satin sheens, and they matched the product sprayed as clear coats. I'm confident Gloss Ultrastar would work as well.

Try it with whatever WB and latex you've got lying around on some test panels.

[Robatoy]

With 30 % pigment, what is the coverage like? Is there much translucence?

This sounds way too exciting.... like 10% black? 5%? Ultrastar is a sealer though...right? ..(as I Google....)

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

Much better looking than I expected. _Some_ translucence, but still opaque, as silly as that sounds.

The first panel was a cracked, curly birch plywood scrap, and the color was opaque, but the figure and cracks are clearly there. it's a very nice look.

Panel #2 is the smooth side of a hardboard scrap, simulating an MDF or paint grade part. Tomorrow, I'm going to try red oak with unfilled grain, just to see how it looks.

I sealed everything with ragged on and scuffed w/ 320 grit Seal Coat before spraying. (I gotta' plug the guys who bought me my jet! )

I think it's opaque enough to take more clear coats applied over a single color coat. If total opacity is in order, more color coats would do it.

More testing is in order, there's promise here...

[lenhow]

Barry, any chance you could post some pics of the results to ABPW ?

As they say, a picture's worth a thousand words. Thanks, Lenny

[Bonehenge (B A R R Y)]

No, but I will post something on the web.

I'm an awful photographer, so I'm trying to come up with something that looks like what I'm holding. It really worked out well. I did a birch ply panel, and hardboard panel, and a red oak scrap.

On the birch ply panel and the red oak scrap, the figure is visible though the color coat. The masonite panel has a smooth, classy, even sheen look. All were perfectly rubbable after drying, we all know you can't run out latex paint. All panels were sealed with ragged on Sealcoat, scuffed with 400 grit, to avoid raising grain.

It really looks like any store tinted pre-cat lacquer I've used, with the non-yellowing, and easy working properties of the WB carrier.

Will post a link when available...