Are you using an Air Brush to apply WOWA sealants? Excellent! Please post your method

SuperBee364

SuperBee364

New member
Hey Gents,



Ever since Anthony Orosco posted about using an air brush to apply Opti-seal years ago, I've been interested in giving it a shot myself. Especially since Opti-coat hit the market. If you have any experience applying a WOWA sealant with an air brush, would you mind posting your thoughts/experience with the process?



I know that it uses a *ton* more product to do it this way, but honestly, that doesn't concern me in the least; it takes however much it takes.



Some pointers for buying a cheap air brush that does a decent job of this would be great, too.



WOWA sealants have always been an enigma for me; on the rare occasion that I've been able to apply them well, the results have been stunning. Unfortunately, it is truly a rare occasion that I get them applied perfectly.



Kinda off topic (hope I don't sidetrack my own thread by posting this, but....), I find it very interesting that Optimum does not recommend using Opti-coat on windshields, stating that it may interfere with glass's optical properties (or words similar to that effect). That pretty much summarizes my experiences with WOWA sealants on both paint and glass: I'm just not able to get an optically perfect surface.



Optimum's statement of not using it on glass makes me think that that's also the case on paint....if you can't get perfect optical results using it on glass, can you really expect anything different on the paint itself? Probably not. That's where the interest in *spraying* it on comes in. IMO, it would be far easier to get a smoother, closer to optically perfect finish by spraying on WOWA sealants rather than wiping them on. Kinda like painting... if you want the smoothest result, you spray a paint on a surface rather than wiping it on with some sort of media.



I certainly don't mean to start a flame fest with the above statements. I know that there's a ton of very talented people out there that are getting *great* results without an air brush, and that's great! Unfortunately, I simply am not talented enough with WOWA application to be one of you. For us ham-fisted WOWA'ers, the alternative of spraying the stuff on sounds like it just might work. I wish I could find the thread where Anthony showed pictures of the air brush Opti-Seal application, and the absolutely jaw dropping results. Think of spraying a layer of extremely glossy clear coat on your car. Yeah, it was just like that.



I kinda like the thought of that.... spraying a layer of even glossier clear coat (opti-coat) over the top of your already sprayed on clear coat... ;)



Thanks in advance for any pointers/help.



--Supe
 
They do state that it *may* reduce the clarity on windshields, but OC is one of those products that is picky about it's application. If you've ever missed a high spot with OC you can imagine how troubling it would look on your windshield. It's sort of a CYA clause they put in after it was done being tested (and as reported by a member on here that did a 50/50 on a ford fusion, the OC protection wore off where the wipers ran across, making it a waste of product on your windshield anyway).



Back to the topic, I have yet to try to air brush on any LSPs.
 
I could see spraying Opticoat but I don't see it for Optiseal. Optiseal is just so easy to use, almost fool proof for me. I spray it directly onto a panel then I spread it around with a MF pad. I can do a whole car in five minutes, getting an airbrush ready would take about half that time.



It would be nice for Opticoat from a uniformity of application standpoint, but then there would be overspray issues.
 
I would imagine the "not recommendation" would hopefully be some of the CYA intuition as well. I think David Fermani did a little thing on glass and stated it basically performed as it did on the paint until the wipers abraded it off.



One thing I notice about opti-seal is that the applicator, which is stored in a sealed ziplock gets better and better with time.. and once it reaches that "good" state, less and less is needed.
 
not sure how well spraying would work, but its definitely a different idea. are you talking a about a air brush or hvlp? i would think the air brush would be to small a spray pattern (size) for something as large as a car. you would probably use less product with a air brush than a hvlp gun. for air brushes harbor freight usually carries a half way descent one. with the right adapter you could use your standard air compress as long as you could adjust the pressure down to what the air brush needs or you could buy a compress design for air brushes they usually range from about $70 to over a $100 depend on air brush your using. you most likely don't need a top of line air brush for this like a paasche or iwata, but then again there are comprises to be made. air brushes follow the same principles you would for hvlp gun shopping. for this type of application i would look for a gravity feed system as opposed to the pressure feed.
 
Hey Sup,



As long as you've evened it out it should be no issue on glass, I've applied it to the glass on my car and just about all of my client jobs too without issue.



As far as the airbrush application I've messed around with it a little, but did not have great results. I've talked with Anthony a little about the different guns and air brushes but I wanted to stay on the cheaper end and went with about a $100 airbrush. I'm confident the problem is just a matter of dialing in my gun at a certain psi, but I can't seem to get it to spray the way I'd like. I may have my old man come over and mess around with it since he's a painter. I'd like to find a liquid that's inexpensive, yet the same consistency for adjusting the gun, which I think is my problem right now.



Anyway, I was getting way too much product coming out and I'd really like a wider pattern.



Here is the brush I bought....actually I got the kit with two airbrushes

Master Hi-Flow Series Airbrushes





Rasky
 
Is Anthony using an airbrush, or a mini detail gun? I thought at one point I'd seen pictures of him holding a detail gun filled with OptiSeal, but I could be mistaken....
 
If we're talking OC too, as opposed to only OS,I'm not a pro and I don't have lines of clients lined up to get their cars OCed, and I have yet to own OC, so in my individual DIY case, I'd apply it just like in the following video. ( If I even get it, I personally am only going to use it for certain areas of the car any way)



 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Is Anthony using an airbrush, or a mini detail gun? I thought at one point I'd seen pictures of him holding a detail gun filled with OptiSeal, but I could be mistaken....
Click to expand...



He's used both. Hopefully Anthony doesn't mind me sharing the PM he sent me here, but he was very helpful when I had question for him on the application via airbrush or mini gun, and since others are asking I'm sure it won't hurt to share it.





Hello,



I use various guns, mainly mini-guns along the lines of the SATA mini-jet and Iwata 101's. Airbrushes are great to use and can be used for both Opti-Seal and Opti-Coat.



I airbrushed some Porsche interior pieces today so they are very versatile.



If I am using a mini-gun I will use around 20 psi, with the fan open to spray a nice wet application the first go. When spraying Opti-Coat or Opti-Seal it's not like laying down base coat/clear coat where you want a nice wet coat then let it tack up before a second coat. I usually spray one wet coat over, say a fender, then move on to the door, etc.



Now an advantage the double action airbrush has over a mini HVLP gun is you can blow just air over the area you just sprayed your opti-coat aiding in setting and curing. I spray my airbrush around 40 psi.



Also when I say "wet" coat I don't mean to the point where it runs or puddles but to where a nice even wet sheen is layed down and then begins to evaporate away in quick manner. Now as for the new public version I have not sprayed that so I am not sure of the reaction time. Experiment a bit on your own.



I may get 2 cars out of one syringe, depends on the size of the vehicles though. Lets say 2 Porsche 911's.



I do try to mask off areas I do not want the coating on, such as glass.



When spraying you're getting all the actives to the paint which in turn gives you greater, in theory, adhesion and protection. The look, you may notice, shall be different also. You may also notice that you won't need to "knock down" as many high spots versus hand application.



Some people may claim that the spray version is more complicated which may be true but I just like being a bit different





I will, if I get the time, film and post up a video of my methods both by hand and spray gun.



Anthony
Click to expand...
 
Appreciate all the great info, guys. Think I'll order up an airbrush, and some opti-seal to practice with.



I'm curious as to what Anthony runs through his guns to clean them after spraying opti-coat.
 
SuperBee364 said:
Appreciate all the great info, guys. Think I'll order up an airbrush, and some opti-seal to practice with.



I'm curious as to what Anthony runs through his guns to clean them after spraying opti-coat.
Click to expand...



I was just thinking the same thing RE: gun cleaning... that's also probably a question Dr. G could answer in terms of what would be an effective cleaner.



RaskyR1 said:
He's used both. Hopefully Anthony doesn't mind me sharing the PM he sent me here, but he was very helpful when I had question for him on the application via airbrush or mini gun, and since others are asking I'm sure it won't hurt to share it.
Click to expand...



Thanks for posting that Chad, very helpful information. I think this is something I'm going to play around with as well.
 
RaskyR1 said:
Hey Sup,



As long as you've evened it out it should be no issue on glass, I've applied it to the glass on my car and just about all of my client jobs too without issue.



As far as the airbrush application I've messed around with it a little, but did not have great results. I've talked with Anthony a little about the different guns and air brushes but I wanted to stay on the cheaper end and went with about a $100 airbrush. I'm confident the problem is just a matter of dialing in my gun at a certain psi, but I can't seem to get it to spray the way I'd like. I may have my old man come over and mess around with it since he's a painter. I'd like to find a liquid that's inexpensive, yet the same consistency for adjusting the gun, which I think is my problem right now.



Anyway, I was getting way too much product coming out and I'd really like a wider pattern.



Here is the brush I bought....actually I got the kit with two airbrushes

Master Hi-Flow Series Airbrushes





Rasky
Click to expand...



Wonder how OC's viscosity compares to OS's? If OS is similar, it might be good stuff to practice with.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
I was just thinking the same thing RE: gun cleaning... that's also probably a question Dr. G could answer in terms of what would be an effective cleaner.







Thanks for posting that Chad, very helpful information. I think this is something I'm going to play around with as well.
Click to expand...



I'll try and get in touch with either Anthony Orosco or Dr. G to find out what should be run through the gun after spraying OC.
 
Bee - I am like you I think when it comes to putting down LSP. So I use a pc to get an even coat. But after using Opti Coat, I can tell you that it is very easy to apply by hand. I wouldn't spend the $$$ on an airbrush. M2C



Try it.
 
Hi Bee,



I was also inspired by Anthony’s experiences with this unique way of applying OS. One day I figured I would try it since I already had an airbrush, compressor and OS in my cabinet. Once I got the pressure dialed and the brush adjusted properly, I was quite amazed at how well the process worked. As long as I didn’t lay the product on “too” thick, it dried quite evenly and application was fairly quick. ….I could see where the product was being applied on the panel and simply laid it down in rows (on a wide spray pattern). On occasion I will still apply OS in this manner. ….especially trim, wheels, complex contours, etc. I’ve done this on my own black cars (my WRX and Challenger) as well as a friend’s Mini I did some quick correction to as a favor.



I use a Badger Anthem 155 which feeds from the bottom. I use the glass jar it came with and it siphons from that. The spray pattern on its widest setting is ~ 3” so I would say the coverage is similar to that of a standard foam applicator. IIRC, I initially started at 40 PSI based on Anthony’s own experiences and typically keep it around that pressure when spraying. As far as clean up, I simply run a little IPA through the gun, put it back in its box and call it a day. ….I store the OS in the glass jar if any is left (it comes with a lid).



A couple of months back, I applied OC to most of my wife’s Forester. I will confess that even though I had experience with OS (which I admittedly still get occasional streaks with when using a foam pad), I found OC quite intimidating. Add to that the difficulty I always seem to have with her paint in regard to adequate lighting (her car is a light gold), and that added more to the overall tension when trying to avoid high spots. ….using my airbrush was definitely in the back of my mind during this process (considering my own experiences using it with OS).
 
I think the key to remember is to use less product. If you can do that you will avoid high spots. It is very easy to apply but also easy to use use too much OC. Follow the Zaino recommendation.
 
Kean said:
Hi Bee,



I was also inspired by Anthony’s experiences with this unique way of applying OS. One day I figured I would try it since I already had an airbrush, compressor and OS in my cabinet. Once I got the pressure dialed and the brush adjusted properly, I was quite amazed at how well the process worked. As long as I didn’t lay the product on “too” thick, it dried quite evenly and application was fairly quick. ….I could see where the product was being applied on the panel and simply laid it down in rows (on a wide spray pattern). On occasion I will still apply OS in this manner. ….especially trim, wheels, complex contours, etc. I’ve done this on my own black cars (my WRX and Challenger) as well as a friend’s Mini I did some quick correction to as a favor.



I use a Badger Anthem 155 which feeds from the bottom. I use the glass jar it came with and it siphons from that. The spray pattern on its widest setting is ~ 3” so I would say the coverage is similar to that of a standard foam applicator. IIRC, I initially started at 40 PSI based on Anthony’s own experiences and typically keep it around that pressure when spraying. As far as clean up, I simply run a little IPA through the gun, put it back in its box and call it a day. ….I store the OS in the glass jar if any is left (it comes with a lid).



A couple of months back, I applied OC to most of my wife’s Forester. I will confess that even though I had experience with OS (which I admittedly still get occasional streaks with when using a foam pad), I found OC quite intimidating. Add to that the difficulty I always seem to have with her paint in regard to adequate lighting (her car is a light gold), and that added more to the overall tension when trying to avoid high spots. ….using my airbrush was definitely in the back of my mind during this process (considering my own experiences using it with OS).
Click to expand...



No I want to try it again! I do have some OS so maybe I'll dial the gun in with that. ;)



Like you said, this method would definitely be great for wheels and front grills that are very intricate!
 
RaskyR1 said:
No I want to try it again! I do have some OS so maybe I'll dial the gun in with that. ;)



Like you said, this method would definitely be great for wheels and front grills that are very intricate!
Click to expand...
....call me silly but I also think it's sort of fun applying OS this way. ;)



btw, I didn't mention it earlier but I will say that I do use a respirator when applying OS in this manner. There is obviously a fine mist of product that will be floating through the air and being bounced back in your direction. I have no idea what affect (if any) is of breathing this stuff in, but these days I tend to choose the "better safe than sorry" route.
 
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