Paint Crystalization

Anytime I paint a board with a brush I get a few little areas of white. You only notice this when the color is dark underneath. What is causing this? Is it that the paint goes on too thick? I let it dry for almost 3 days so I don’t think that is the problem. Any ideas?

I’ve seen this for years and I’ve heard numerous theories about what causes it. To much water in the paint. Not enough paint on the board. Too much paint on the board. To humid a day. The paint didn’t dry sufficently. Etc. You know what, I don’t know BUT epoxy doesn’t do it. Ever. So I’m guessing that it’s something to do with the solvent (styrene) reacting with moisture on the blank.

Howzit Tom, Red and black are 2 colors that have a real tendency to crystallize. I try to lay down as little of these colors as to prevent crystallation. One major factor is let your paint dry completely, if there is any moisture trapped in the paint it is drawn to the surface when the resin kicks and produces heat in the process. Water and resin do not mix so the result is crystallation. Make sure the paint is throughly dry before next coat is applied. Try not to spray the paint to thick. You can try appling some clear acrylic over potental problem spots. I’ve pretty much eliminated crystallation by using these methods. Good Luck,Aloha, Kokua