Thought for Today

[SteveW]

I am crestfallen that you doubt my explanation.

You lack cynicism, Ray. Well, on this one occasion!

[T1 Terry]

Unfortunately it is true. Sad but true.
But while we are talking about paint, how come automotive paint is ten to twenty times more expensive than household paint. It it all made from the same base stuff?

Can you imagine the house being as shiny as a vehicle painted in 2 pack paint? One the flip side, a vehicle painted with house paint never looks shiny and looks patchy fairly quickly if washed regularly.
One the higher quality automotive paints are expensive, enamel is still cheap, duco isn't all that expensive and poly urethane is a good compromise between shiny and tough long lasting shine. Cynoacrylic holds the flag for the toughest and longest lasting shine, but it also holds the flag for the most expensive and hardest to work with because it reacts with every other paint type. The cheapest shiny finish is enamel with enamel-aid added to harden the paint through a chemical reaction rather than the 7 yr drying time automotive enamel takes to dry. Once it's dry it flakes and powders, that is why enamel looks dull unless the top layer is regularly removed and this process continues until the paint wears through and the under coat shows.
Thus ends the lesson on automotive paint

T1 Terry

[Lance]

Going back a few years I painted my daughters Morris Minor.
Ordered the paint from a 'mate' in the industry.
Spent a month in prep.
Spent a day in finish coat.
Spent the next day shaking me head at the 'crazy paving' cracks that had opened up overnight.
'Mate' couldn't explain it 'cos a 'mate' of his mixed the paint...........

I held thoughts of that incident for a tad more than a day................

[supersparky]

Thanks for the lesson in paint technology Terry, I wasn't aware of any of that
The point I was trying to make was that how come good old base white household enamel only costs a fraction of what automotive spraying enamel or similar type paint costs.

[Greynomad]

I still reckon my ‘sticky’ story sounds better, even if untrue.
(Says he, poking out bottom lip & frowning.)

[T1 Terry]

Thanks for the lesson in paint technology Terry, I wasn't aware of any of that
The point I was trying to make was that how come good old base white household enamel only costs a fraction of what automotive spraying enamel or similar type paint costs.

Don't know where you buy your automotive spray enamel, but ltr for ltr, Dulux or similar top quality paint is often more expensive than spray enamel. Absolutely hate the stuff, a full coat on the vehicle results in a half coat on everything in the workshop including your hair, face around the mask, arms and even gets up inside the trouser legs. If you get a run and don't wipe it off immediately and redo the whole panel, it doesn't dry enough to anything with for mths. Value for money as a tough shiny finish, Wattyl PolyU400 is hard to beat, applies fairly easily by standard spray methods, high volume spray guns and even airless spraying, but make sure you use a good fresh air supply mask as it is an isocyanide material when the 2 parts are mixed and it will poison anyone breathing in excess vapours over an extended period, just drop dead type stuff.

T1 Terry

[Newcastle George]

Terry, which do you hate, the Dulux or the spray enamel?

George

[supersparky]

I hate painting ceilings with a roller, even when on a stick, more than anything.

[jon_d]

Dave,


have you tried using a ladder and not a stick?

[supersparky]

Jon, over the past twenty years Terrie and I have done a few renos. We have tried every method of doing ceiling. Even used an airless once. With a result similar to T1's example earlier of where paint can go. The worst part is the fine droplets of paint that come off a roller always fall down somewhere. At some point , your face is in the drop zone. Short of wearing a hood and a face mask, which is what I used to do when doing industrial painting years ago, you always get some in your eye or your mouth. Not forgetting the wear and tear on your shoulders.