Where to start with 2K (two pack paint)
Discussion
Guys,
As the title says, I am thinking about exploring the world of 2 pack (2K) paint and am wondering where to start. The project would be to refinish some alloy wheels and I want to achieve something that will last. Which leads on to a question as to whether plain 1K paint on alloy wheels will stand the test of time, or will it flake and crumble within a couple of years (which I am given to believe it will).
The wheels are pretty plain (Porsche D90's) and look generally a bit like this:
I have a compressor and a small spray gun and would be quite happy to get a good finish with 'regular' paint but have never tried using 2K. In short, where do I start? Questions include where to buy the stuff from, do I need breathing apparatus, how do I clean up ... and so on!
Thanks for all pointers offered.
As the title says, I am thinking about exploring the world of 2 pack (2K) paint and am wondering where to start. The project would be to refinish some alloy wheels and I want to achieve something that will last. Which leads on to a question as to whether plain 1K paint on alloy wheels will stand the test of time, or will it flake and crumble within a couple of years (which I am given to believe it will).
The wheels are pretty plain (Porsche D90's) and look generally a bit like this:
I have a compressor and a small spray gun and would be quite happy to get a good finish with 'regular' paint but have never tried using 2K. In short, where do I start? Questions include where to buy the stuff from, do I need breathing apparatus, how do I clean up ... and so on!
Thanks for all pointers offered.
2Btoo said:
Thanks boydy.
If that is the case then why can 2K be sold in aerosol cans (which I understand it can) to members of the general public?
The normal car paint sold everywhere in aerosol cans is a type of acrylic, sometimes described as 1K. It is air drying, and not the same as 2K which requires a separate hardener to be added before use. Difficult to see how you could do that with an aerosol. 1K is not as durable as 2K, but not as nasty either.If that is the case then why can 2K be sold in aerosol cans (which I understand it can) to members of the general public?
Hawkshaw said:
2Btoo said:
Thanks boydy.
If that is the case then why can 2K be sold in aerosol cans (which I understand it can) to members of the general public?
The normal car paint sold everywhere in aerosol cans is a type of acrylic, sometimes described as 1K. It is air drying, and not the same as 2K which requires a separate hardener to be added before use. Difficult to see how you could do that with an aerosol. 1K is not as durable as 2K, but not as nasty either.If that is the case then why can 2K be sold in aerosol cans (which I understand it can) to members of the general public?
I have an air-fed mask and my compressor is fed with fresh air from outside the building I'm spraying in.
If you don't do this you'll just poison yourself with what you're trying to avoid.
Hawkshaw said:
The normal car paint sold everywhere in aerosol cans is a type of acrylic, sometimes described as 1K. It is air drying, and not the same as 2K which requires a separate hardener to be added before use. Difficult to see how you could do that with an aerosol. 1K is not as durable as 2K, but not as nasty either.
That's indeed my understanding re. 1K vs. 2K. However you can get 2K in a can, as archie has just said. Therefore my question is whether 1K is sufficient for wheels or whether it would look rubbish after a couple of years.
archie456 said:
2k in aerosols contains a seperate hardener internally which is released by a button or similar on the can. Shake to mix them and then you have aerosol 2k.
I have an air-fed mask and my compressor is fed with fresh air from outside the building I'm spraying in.
If you don't do this you'll just poison yourself with what you're trying to avoid.
That's a helpful description of how the aerosols work, thanks archie. I have an air-fed mask and my compressor is fed with fresh air from outside the building I'm spraying in.
If you don't do this you'll just poison yourself with what you're trying to avoid.
Good idea to have the feed for the compressor coming from outside - I hadn't thought about that.
Given that I have a compressor which is by an outside wall I could rig that up pretty easily. And I'm sure I could get hold of an air-fed mask. How hard is it to use 2K in respects other than these? And should I buy online or from a local paint supplier?
Hi, I paint for a living.
Lots to unpick, in my view, get your wheels refurbished professionally, you will never get them clean enough for paint to adhere long term and the price they can do them is great value for money, I don't usually bother painting wheels as it would cost me more in time and labour and materials than just getting them done at a decent wheel refurb specialist.
If you wanted to do them yourself simply out of learning etc, then in relation to your questions, as already stated, 1k is basically air drying paint, its the base colour coat on a car and also the stuff you get in an aerosol, it has no durability, hence it is covered with a clear coat lacquer on a car.
In relation to 2k, that means it chemically reacts with an added hardener, and once you've added the hardner you have a set time to use it before you need to bin it. This makes DIY application less cost efficient as you need to buy both products and you will end up with a lot of waste.
There is 2k which is already coloured and can be applied and gives you the shiny finish and the colour in one go, then the most common 2k is clearcoat or lacquer, that's obviously transparent. It is a difficult product to lay down without some experience, you have to adhere to flash times between coats and if not set up correctly you will either get runs or it won't atomise and you will get a dusty overspray finish, but when used correctly it gives the perfect finish.
You can only get coloured 2k in solid colours, so not for example silver like your wheels, so you would have to spray the wheels using silver base coat then apply the 2k clear coat over the top.
In relation to safety, as pointed out, 2K is very dangerous to inhale. Professionally, you have to use an air fed mask, these are very expensive as you need to filter the air from your compressor to remove all the moisture and to filter it to something breathable, you cant just plug them into a garage compressor. If you are simply doing a DIY job in a well ventilated area as a one off you would get away with a decent normal respirator, just get out of the area once you've sprayed the first coat and don't go back until the flash time has passed.
There are a million points I could make, expand on your thoughts and what you want to know as you read the responses and figure out more about it.
In summary, have a play with painting, it's a great skill, but probably not value for money in relation to your wheels. The biggest thing you can do to get a finish that lasts is spend as much time as possible on prep, you will never get those wheels sanded back and clean enough without hours and hours of hard labour, and a wheel refurb shop have the tools and environment to knock them out to a perfect finish for a fraction of the cost you can do it DIY.
Lots to unpick, in my view, get your wheels refurbished professionally, you will never get them clean enough for paint to adhere long term and the price they can do them is great value for money, I don't usually bother painting wheels as it would cost me more in time and labour and materials than just getting them done at a decent wheel refurb specialist.
If you wanted to do them yourself simply out of learning etc, then in relation to your questions, as already stated, 1k is basically air drying paint, its the base colour coat on a car and also the stuff you get in an aerosol, it has no durability, hence it is covered with a clear coat lacquer on a car.
In relation to 2k, that means it chemically reacts with an added hardener, and once you've added the hardner you have a set time to use it before you need to bin it. This makes DIY application less cost efficient as you need to buy both products and you will end up with a lot of waste.
There is 2k which is already coloured and can be applied and gives you the shiny finish and the colour in one go, then the most common 2k is clearcoat or lacquer, that's obviously transparent. It is a difficult product to lay down without some experience, you have to adhere to flash times between coats and if not set up correctly you will either get runs or it won't atomise and you will get a dusty overspray finish, but when used correctly it gives the perfect finish.
You can only get coloured 2k in solid colours, so not for example silver like your wheels, so you would have to spray the wheels using silver base coat then apply the 2k clear coat over the top.
In relation to safety, as pointed out, 2K is very dangerous to inhale. Professionally, you have to use an air fed mask, these are very expensive as you need to filter the air from your compressor to remove all the moisture and to filter it to something breathable, you cant just plug them into a garage compressor. If you are simply doing a DIY job in a well ventilated area as a one off you would get away with a decent normal respirator, just get out of the area once you've sprayed the first coat and don't go back until the flash time has passed.
There are a million points I could make, expand on your thoughts and what you want to know as you read the responses and figure out more about it.
In summary, have a play with painting, it's a great skill, but probably not value for money in relation to your wheels. The biggest thing you can do to get a finish that lasts is spend as much time as possible on prep, you will never get those wheels sanded back and clean enough without hours and hours of hard labour, and a wheel refurb shop have the tools and environment to knock them out to a perfect finish for a fraction of the cost you can do it DIY.
DaveF-SkinnysAutos said:
If you are simply doing a DIY job in a well ventilated area as a one off you would get away with a decent normal respirator, just get out of the area once you've sprayed the first coat and don't go back until the flash time has passed.
So long as its a full face one.2Btoo said:
That's a helpful description of how the aerosols work, thanks archie.
Good idea to have the feed for the compressor coming from outside - I hadn't thought about that.
Given that I have a compressor which is by an outside wall I could rig that up pretty easily. And I'm sure I could get hold of an air-fed mask. How hard is it to use 2K in respects other than these? And should I buy online or from a local paint supplier?
I bought a 2nd hand good quality air-fed mask.Good idea to have the feed for the compressor coming from outside - I hadn't thought about that.
Given that I have a compressor which is by an outside wall I could rig that up pretty easily. And I'm sure I could get hold of an air-fed mask. How hard is it to use 2K in respects other than these? And should I buy online or from a local paint supplier?
All painting is dead easy if you watch someone else who is skilled in doing it
There's a lot to learn, generally by making mistakes. I'm an enthusiastic amateur and my list for success is:
Clean environment
Good surface preparation
Good quality gun
Correct viscosity of paint
Patience - too much at once leads to runs.
Clean everything thoroughly after.
2k seems to flow out better than 1k, but both are quite similar to use overall.
If you like to learn new skills then go for it, but like welding it will be a long while before you get anywhere near the results of a professional.
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