yo canuk’ here is a reply i sent to someone else who was asking of my clearcoat process.
im sincerely sorry for just copy and pasting it onto you. so just disregard the irrelevant coments for louis…
hi louis, firstly may i say what a beautiful web site you have for addiction surfboards!! i was very impressed, i really liked your fish concept (model af-70)… i have a passion for non-conventional shapes, i would love to see more of your fish ideas ( 5’5"-5’8")
i thought because my mother, and half my family is canadian, that i more than owed you a reply!!
my old factory was at a time the biggest producer of surf boards in nz. it was a well oiled, if filthy!, machine!
chiefly i was the sprayer, but we were a small crew and i became very proficient in glassing, sanding, dings, and eventually shaping.
i will try to help you with the clearcoat process- im sure you can save hours of sanding.
as i mentioned in my post,orbital finish your board to 180 gt.
the main body of the clear is called “acrylic lacquer premium clear” ( thats what we call it here in nz anyway)
-thin the acrylic clear to 50 % with 2-way auto thinner ( more thinners depending on humidity)
i saw in your web site that you, or your sprayer looks very competant, so you guys already know about the finer details of thinning for temp etc… to avoid bloom…
-to your thinned mix of clear add “flatting additive” or “flatting base” ( 2 names we know it as). this is a substance used in auto and furniture applications mainly, to remove the gloss from a finish- it works wonders filling bad sanding marks too! i swear i could spray a board sanded with 40 gt and make it look showroom great!!! it looks and feels kinda like ‘vaseline’ petrolium jelly- same milky colour too.
add around 2 'golf ball size dollups for every litre or so of thinned mix ( increase this ratio when you get real good, to fill even rougher sanding) stir it in really well.
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now filter this all into your airbrush ( very important. flatting base loves to clot!)
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now spray! first coat to the top and bottom should go on wet and generously, because you have thinned it so much it should be dry within a minute( maybe with the help of a hair dryer)
-2nd coat top and bottom is a HEAVY ‘dust coat’. open up the brush to very high volume, large fan and low pressure ( just enough to expel the paint without stipple) hold the brush high above the board and let it rip!
almost try to fill the spray booth letting the paint settle onto the board on its own gravity. when this dries you should be left with a semi gritty finish- but with no scrathes visible
-a very quick lick with an old piece of 1200 wet/dry with loads of water onto the board and you have a great ‘pro finish’
NB. for a glossy finish do a super heavy dust coat, then 400, 800, then aggresive 1200 gt (all wet sanding still)- you’ll get the gig pretty quickly.
hopefully i was some assistance, i have tried to describe it all in fairly non professional lingo- i apologise if i have insulted your ability!!
let me know how you get on mate.
Brad.
oh- and listen to petec and kokua, they know what they’re on about