Fullerplast help pls....

[Joey V.]

Hey all,

Well I tried Fullerplast for the first time last night and I was not impressed so I had to have done something wrong.  Can Someone Pretty Please    explain in detail the steps to getting a great finish with this stuff?  I am spraying it out of a gloss gun (Small Spray Gun) not an airbrush because the airbrush broke dag nabit!  The finish just doesn't look like glass it looks like frosted or rough.  I sprayed it from about 10 inches away and put on 3 medium coats 15 min apart without sanding between.  Should I have put on heavy coats? I mixed it 16 to 1 and thinned it with the stuff DunDee sold me 1/3.  Pls detail the steps if you can.

THANKS!!!!

[Andy Cooper]

Does it look like the finish on the Widows and Habus?

[GREG IN MALAD]

If it's rough and frosted then you don't have enough finish on the bow to level out. Also, 33% thinner seems a bit high. When I was using fullerplast I was using 10%-15% thinner.

[mater]

When I spray it, it is shiney until it dries. And then it is satin. I dont think you sprayed it wet enough. I dont remember thinnig it at all. It only takes one good coat for me. This stuff is thick. Its been awile since Ive used it, so I could be mistaken on my thinning.

[Joey V.]

Andy,

Yes it looks like the Widows but only in some areas...  I think I just didn't go heavy enough????  

Also if I want to really build up a thick finish should I sand between coats of just let the stuff setup for 15 - 20 Min. and then hit it again with anouther coat?

[Apex Predator]

How much pressure are you spraying?  I normally only use around 45 psi.  I spray over an area until it's wetted out completely for the first few coats.  For the last frosted coat, I'll often turn the pressure up some and set the tip to spray more volume.  I'll then hold the tip further from the work so that it starts to dry before contacting the surface.

[mater]

There was a post on another site years ago about this stuff peeling. It seems like it was being put on to thick was the problem. Are you thinning yours apex?

[Randy Morin]

If its frosty it is either catalyzing before it hits the piece (move gun closer,  try on scrap piece of wood or cardboard) or you are just applying a dusting.  You then can either turn up flow or slow down your stroke speed.  Try messing with this stuff on cardboard until you figure the speed, fluid volume, distance you need to get a nice wet layer.

[droptine59]

I have been using it for 25 years. When I first started out I did not understand it ...chemically speaking. Are you using Gloss or semi-gloss?

 http://www.van-dee.com/index.html

1) Spray guns are like footwear. You get what you pay for... Ex: Walmart shoes wear out in 3 weeks and the vinyl craks in heat, Florsheim shoes last nearly forever.
Devillbis, Thayer & Chandler are the best money can buy, the ones at Walmart, Home depot, Lowes... "Cambell Hausfield" are crap. Middle of the road guns can be found online, Google... "Paint, HVLP spray gun, body shop supply".

2)I usually spray 6-8 bows at one time so my Fullerplast is mixed 16-1.. I use 24 oz. pickle jars to measure the mix. 16 oz. of fullerplast and 1 oz. of part B catalyst.
If I have a small batch say..2-3 bows 8oZ Fuller to 1/2 oz. of catalyst as far as  thinner, use medium drying laquer thinner and pour perhaps a dixie cup of thinner in the mix or half that. the mix should be perfect when you stir it, dip a CLEAN screw driver in it and when you draw the screwdriver outr the clear should flow nicley off it like thick water.

3) PSI is 35-40 lbs. make sure you have clean air lines.

4) spray EVEN coats at 12" distance to the bow...back and forth, left to right or up and down taking your finger off the trigger at each end.

5) 3 coats first, wet sand, then 3 more wet sand..etc. etc...treat the bow like it is a 1963 Corvette. decide what you want it to look like and set your expectations at that point.

[droptine59]

If your mix is off by a "hair" it will be crap in the end. The mix is THE MOST crucial aspect of applying Fuller. It wil either dry too fast on application or never really dry and remain gooey. Once you get that right, life is grand!

[purple heart]

Good insight here --  How about over the top of the Exotic's?  Does it stick ok to the oily stuff like Cocobolo?  Or does a guy have to give those woods a seal before you spray the Fuller on?

[Apex Predator]

Works fine on the oily woods.  I thin mine close to 1/3 thinner.

[rkmnt2]

The amount of thinning will definitely produce a different result. Thicker mix will be glossier than a thin one....and I'm not talking about a lot of difference either. 3:1 is what I start with and thin a bit more for the final satin coats.