i have just sprayed some 1 1/2 inch pierced copper disks with
plasti-kote hi-performance classic fast dry lacquer (no. 349) with
less than perfect results. the can says that air temperature at
application should be between 60 and 80 degrees fahrenheit. propane
is used as a pressurizing agent.
some of the disks have an orange peel texture, especially at the
bottom half of the disk.
i prepared the disks by burnishing them in steel shot for about 10
minutes, washing them with water and a little liquid dish washing
liquid, patting them dry and then shooting them with a hair dryer. i
applied the lacquer by hanging the disks from a cardboard “spray
booth” in the detached garage, giving the disks a couple of shots of
well-shaken lacquer from perhaps a little more than 12 inches away.
i was really conscious of getting far enough away and applying only a
small amount because my first try caused runs. i did this in the
garage that i had heated to a little above 60 degrees fahrenheit. it
looked as though all the disks started out with the orange peel,
spotty or dotty surface right after spraying and then the lacquer
spread out to make a smooth surface (sometimes).
what do you think caused the orange peel lacquer? i’m leaning
toward temperature, thinking that a higher temperature would allow
the lacquer to spread out a little more before it drys.
what has been your experience?
as always, thank you for your time, wisdom, and kindness, jean adkins
In a previous life, I painted various enamels and lacquers, and if
you are working from a spray can, 12 inches is too far away to have
proper “mixing” of the paint in the air before it hits the prepared
surface. I found that 8-10 inches away with most spray paint is
about as far away as can work effectively. Also with the solvents
present in the plasti-kote paints it will help if the actual object
is on the higher end of the temperature range. I once worked with an
epoxy type of paint that required 100 degrees to “tack” in ten
minutes, or at 65-70 degrees about 36 hours to the “tack” stage.
(tack is the stage where all of the active solvents are gone from the
surface, and the pigments are left to cure. Also with a lacquer, you
may be able to re-coat the discs with the paint and remove the orange
peel surface. also if hanging, it will allow the solvent loaded
paint to slide right off of the surface, building up on the lower
edge, so if you could paint flat, it would probably improve what you
are trying to do…
Frank A. Finley Tribal College Center for Environmental Research and
Education (TCCERE) Salish Kootenai College Environmental Laboratory
Lab Manager P.O. Box 117 Pablo, MT 59855 (406)275-4724 phone
(406)675-4801 fax
Jean, try a couple of drops of fisheye repellant in your paint.
You can get it at an auto paint supply.
what is fisheye repellant? does it change the viscosity? is it an
anti-floculent? is fisheye repellant an additive to the lacquer? i
am spraying from a pressurized can instead of an airbrush, so i
don’t have the ability to add anything to the lacquer. but i could
spray something on the pieces before spraying the lacquer.
i have just sprayed some 1 1/2 inch pierced copper disks with
plasti-kote hi-performance classic fast dry lacquer (no. 349) with
less than perfect results. ... some of the disks have an orange
peel texture, especially at the bottom half of the disk.
There should be a phone number on the label for the company
producing the lacquer. Give them a call and ask for the tech people
or customer assistance. Those folks should understand the best
techniques and parameters for your project.
what do you think caused the orange peel lacquer? i'm leaning
toward temperature, thinking that a higher temperature would allow
the lacquer to spread out a little more before it drys.
I would think a higher ambient air temperature would make the finish
dry more quickly. I’ve tried several spray lacquers, and have only
found one that I’d recommend: G.J. Nikolas and Co. #2105 Clear
Lacquer. It’s made for polished silver, so might not be suitable
for copper. You might try their company website for technical help.
Hope this helps,
Judy in Kansas
Judy M. Willingham, R.S.
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
237 Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan KS 66506
(785) 532-2936