Ultimate primer question

[jmurphy18]

Hey Folks
Have a question on the ultimate/badger primer. I have the sample pack & the spray using my H&S Ultra with a .4mm tip. What I am experiencing is some drying out in the tip between coats of primer. 1st layer goes down fine. I wait 5 min for flash between coats, hit The air for a test pass on a towel (always do this) and nothing or I get junk and poor flow. Now if I spray Mr Hobby with Mr Hobby thinner (1:1) no issues. The I can spray 4-5 coats. Not so with the ultimate. Just on spray #1, pause & boom I get a clog. I am spraying the Ultimate straight from the bottle, no thinner. I suspect I am having some help here from the temps. 92 feels like 98. Humidity 86% dew point 70 deg. Basically hot & humid, typical VA summer weather. When the brush clogs I find a skim in the cup & have to clean the tip with a q-tip. This has happened with both black & white primer. Has anyone else experienced this?
Second question? What do you guys clean after with? Ultimate thinner or air brush cleaner?

Thanks!

[digger303]

Not having used any of that primer yet although I do have some. I'm still working my way through my stock of Mr Hobby primer. It really is pretty bullet proof stuff.
However the Ulimate primer would seem to be drying too fast. Have you tried adding some retarder and a lid on the AB cup ?
A hair dryer to speed up the sprayed paint might be helpful as well.....low setting only.

[Twokidsnosleep]

There isn’t much need to wait long for flash off...it is water based.
The stuff is thick and needs air pressure push to get to the plastic. Double bad if it is hot out and letting it dry in the air before it hits
Make sure your airbrush internals are spotless
Boost your pressure 10 psi and try again.
It is hot and drying fast in your colour cup...so don’t have so much in there. Spray your first coat and dump excess back in bottle.
While you Wait your five minutes, blast out the excess and flush the a/b with cleaner.
Then add more primer ,test spray and do coat #2
In my mind that is damn hot temp for spraying

[digger303]

In my mind that is damn hot temp for spraying

Maybe you could stand in front of the open fridge and spray

[Twokidsnosleep]

In my mind that is damn hot temp for spraying

Maybe you could stand in front of the open fridge and spray

You are spraying upside down, so pipe down downunderer

[Paul]

So a couple of things. Yep that’s a hot temp to be spraying.

Clean the airbrush with ultimate cleaner

It’s not a clog in your airbrush it’s just drying on your needle

Harder and steenbecks are a pita for needle tip drying with a lot of paints.

As Scott said there’s no flashing off as it’s water based. Just use your airbrush blowing air to help dry it

Don’t use a q tip on your needle as you will damage it use a soft brush with some Ultimate cleaner on it


FYI this is the reason I stopped using harder and steenbeck airbrushes due to constant issues with tip drying

[digger303]

In my mind that is damn hot temp for spraying

Maybe you could stand in front of the open fridge and spray

You are spraying upside down, so pipe down downunderer

Wondered why it was dripping on my chin

[Twokidsnosleep]

Maybe you could stand in front of the open fridge and spray

You are spraying upside down, so pipe down downunderer

Wondered why it was dripping on my chin

[alextheblue]

Hey John, some pretty solid advice from everyone and there's not much more that I can add, but as a fellow H&S user, I thought I'd chip in. Primers, regardless of make can be more problematic than regular paint due to the pigmentation. I use Ultimate primer sprayed through my Evolution with a 0.4mm nozzle at 20-25 psi. I find that H&S brushes don't need quite as much pressure as say a Badger, but you still need a bit of force. A couple of mist coats should give a good base and you can then spray a heavier wetter third coat. I wouldn't recommend using a retarder in primer, but some needle lube would help prevent tip drying. For me, if I ever have problems with primer, it's usually because there's some gunk left in my AB. A quick wiggle of the needle and a blast through normally takes care of it without having to strip the brush down.

When it comes to cleaning, it's always Ultimate airbrush cleaner for me.

[Twokidsnosleep]

I can and often do spray all of the Ultimate primers with my little H/S Ultra and its tiny needle and tiny colour cup.
I keep my airbrushes surgically clean and my airpressure high at the compressor, like 40psi, and adjust air flow at the mac valve on the line. EDIT: Grex compressor gauge says 35psi
Yadda yadda mac valve doesn't alter air pressure, but it works to alter the air flow if I am painting delicate stuff and need control of the spray
Clean airbrush is the key and not allowing things to dry in cup or needle tip

[jmurphy18]

First and foremost thanks to everyone for the information and the tips.

#1. I am a bit anal retentive on cleaning just like on my weapons. I Strip mine between every use and clean. I hate a dirty AB. I actually found my Grex to be a PIA to clean hence the switch to the H&S Ultra that I prime with and now the Infinity (.2mm) I spray my final coats with. If I can sell off the Grex and compressor I will give the Apex a go.....

Scott, I am shooting at 25 PSI as I have found this works well with the H&S and with less issues

#2. I wish the temps were lower, LOL. Welcome to VA! Summer time I am in tank shirt, shirt and sandals all the time and the garage where I paint is a tad bit warm. I try to paint 1st thing in the morning before the heat of the day. 90's and high humidity is normal here through Sept

Digger, I would love to have an A/C unit in there but no windows in the garage and our old (26 yr) fridge died last winter & with our daughter gone we do not need 2 fridges . My garage is just a 20x20 box with an Aluminum door.
So if your spraying upside-down is that how you get those great camo paint jobs ??

Paul: Thank you so very much! That information helped a lot! I will get a brush and I need to order some more cleaner and thinner from that site in NH. I really do like your thinner!

Alex, thank You! You have been a big help in the past and again! 25 psi and .4mm on the Ultra. I use the .2mm on my infinity

Scott, thank you! I have not tried a .2mm on the Badger/Ultimate primer. I was using the .4mm and the big cup. I will give the .2mm and the small cup next time to see what happens.

I have to primer in the next few days as I have some engine parts coming up. Tomorrow- today depending I want to lay down some Splash P2K on the Camaro body

[Twokidsnosleep]

Just looked. My Grex compressor says 35 psi...whether that is 100% accurate I fully doubt.

[jmurphy18]

Thanks Scott!