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Awhile back, I was hoping to find a urethane lettering enamel by the quart, due to the size of the projects I do. So I went to an automotive paint store, where I learned that Dupont Imron comes in different formulas. The industrial formula is slower drying, so I had a quart of it made with 50% extra white pigment. The results can be seen HERE.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Maybe it's just me, but I would have masked and sprayed with a single stage catalized urethane.... quicker and even coverage. I did a static display F104 this way and it still looks good after about seven years out in the weather....
-------------------- Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain ! Jim Moser Design 13342 C Grass Valley Ave. Grass Valley, Ca. 95945 530-273-7615 jwmoser@att.net Posts: 488 | From: Grass Valley, Ca. | Registered: May 2006
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The trouble is all the hinges, latches and doors. The doors don't close flush with the rest of the body, they close on to it, there is a lip at the edge of many of them.These locomotives were made in or way before the 1970's, and the doors often don't even make contact with the body, there is a gap, which would let out lots of overspray. Trying to get a mask to retain its shape would be difficult, and that's if I cut out holes for the hinges.They then would have to be masked with tape. In the end, it would be more work than just drawing it on, and painting it. Besides, the real point is that I'm trying to come up with a replacement lettering paint for lots of projects, not just this one.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Interesting. NAPA or Martin Sebour made an Acrylic Urentane two part paint that I used 25 years ago. The hardening agent was not as thick as isocyanate hardener and you used more of it, as I recall. I think Ditzler also made a similar product and it was different from Imron by Dupont. Very dense pigment. I followed the directions of the mix exactly and thinned it to letter with. It was amazingly 'brushable' and covered better than any paint I ever used. Even better than old one shot. I had it left over from a car project and used it several times to paint some directional and info signs for my shop that lasted very well over the years. Still have one, in fact. No idea if they still make the stuff and it was expensive, but very good stuff.
I wonder what the military uses for rough use conditions? I bet there are some paints out there that are better and much less commercially available.
I also wonder how the House of Color paint with hardener works, as I never fooled with it, not being a striper. Joey might know?
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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Google Kustom Shop and check out their line of products...when faced w/similar circumstances,I always use them...
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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I never cared for lettering with Imron and I have tried it.
I would try HOK lettering and striping enamels which usually come in 4oz cans, but I have also been able to get a hold of 1/2 pint cans. On the bigger areas you can add Matthews brush and roll additive for slower drying.
I am also using DuPont's Hot Hues pinstripe EFX which can be hard to get. I registered with DuPont to find a distributor and now that I'm set up, it's easy to get a hold of and I've got a jobber to deliver it to the shop. I think I like it better than HOK -- it dries slower than HOK -- but much faster than 1 Shot. I like the coverage and gloss.
You might also try Matthews in which case you will need to use the brush and roll additive.
I recommend wearing exam gloves while lettering with catalyzed urethanes. It takes some getting used to, but after while it becomes second nature. It sure beats trying to remove the urethane paint from your skin, which can be an absolute rascal.
-------------------- Bill Diaz Diaz Sign Art Pontiac IL www.diazsignart.com Posts: 2107 | From: Pontiac, IL | Registered: Dec 2001
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Yes, fumes have their dangers, but no where near the danger of handling catalyst or inhaling it's fumes...the good products are out there, there's no need to use catalyst required products. Do some research, I mentioned Kustom Shop as one, they are one of a few companies that don't put your health at risk using their products...cute/trick sounding names don't a quality product make, read tech sheets and find out for yourself what's in the cans, I don't trust any of them to play fair, the worse it is for you, the smaller the type used to print their disclaimers...
And as far as wearing protection, humph....I spent entire life "training" my body to "feel" the work, learning how to twist and pull underhand/overhand while wearing a condom doesn't equate, nope, not doing it, seems un-natural somehow...
-------------------- Frank Magoo, Magoo's-Las Vegas; fmagoo@netzero.com "the only easy day was yesterday" Posts: 2365 | From: Las Vegas, Nv. | Registered: Jun 2003
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Bill, maybe the Imron you used wasn't the same type? The guy told me they have a number of versions, what I was using was the industrial type, which is slower drying than the other types. My guess is that color wise, the HOK products are easier to work with, but the projects I have to do can be big (not big as in what Tony Vickio does ) but big enough that I don't want to be buying 1/2 pint cans. Maybe it as just perfect conditions that day, but I was very pleased with the results. Then again, straight white on deep black is a challenge in itself. As far as fumes goes, in the article you'll see a yellow warning box, so yes, I did address that. It might be that the brush part could be done without respirator, but the roller, oh man, get back Jack. Of course, roller doesn't require a tremendous amount of skill, so that's worth considering. I definitely need to check out the product Magoo is talking about, I'll do that when I get back from an errand I have to run. But all in all, for me, I've turned a big corner here. I wish I could still be dealing with our old trade friend, and of course on some projects I probably always will. But I tried getting hold of OS by email, and telling them what I was up to, asking if they could experiment with this project, they never replied, so it went DIY. Worked on the first try.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Frank, I just read your last reply a second time, that's pretty cool, well said. It reminds me of a trick I do when handling isocyanide stuff: I tear a shop towel in strips about 2 inches wide. These are for cleaning the threads on the hardener can, then tossing away, They only get used once, that way I'm not grabbing a nice looking towel that has the stuff somewhere on it, my hand next.
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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) but big enough that I don't want to be buying 1/2 pint cans. Maybe it as just perfect conditions that day, but I was very pleased with the results. Then again, straight white on deep black is a challenge in itself.
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