Interesting thread. I agree with Dave cheaper product just seems that you use more.

Even with things like dry pearls, I was playing with some from a no name web site, did NOT give the same effect and took lots more.

As for the reducers, it's funny how many will say they are all the same but paint supplies say don't mix different brands. I never did, wasn't worth the time and money to find out.

reducers are most definitely not all the same. for example Shopline reducers will work in both Shopline as well as DBC but DT reducers will not work in Shopline basecoats in fact it turns it instantly into a fine oatmeal looking mush. . . . ask me how I found that one out while running low on reducers during a weekend paint job lol

In the automotive paint business the solids by volume is less important and color and ease of use more important. But if a technical data sheet is availible and you are looking for value, look for solids by volume. This is extremely important when using/ purchasing large volumes of materials. A (one) gallon container if filled with solid gold then smashed flat with a steam roller will cover 1,604 sq/ft per gallon per mil thickness. This is over simplified but the math is easy, a standard gallon of industrial aliphatic ployurethane will be 50% solids, that is half of the can is a solvent that will evaporate as part of the cure process and what is left are the solids. If the paint specification calls for 3 mils of dry film thickness then 1,604 sq/ft divided by 2 because 50% solids x 3 mils thickness = 267.33 sq/ft per gallon coverage. When someone says this "cheap paint" does not cover well , you may only have 15 - 20% solids by volume and not only will it take twice as much but it could require 3 or 4 times as much paint and labor to achieve the same finish.

ALL thinners are different, most thinners are a blend of solvents and all are important based on temperature and type of paint used. It is a supper hot day and the only thinner you have is MEK, the solvent will flash before the paint flows and you have a dry paint, and the MEK may break the back on the paint because this solvent is too strong. It is a cold day and you add Xylene, the paint may skin over and trap the slow solvent before it can escape, the next hot day you have blisters in the paint because of trapped solvent. Do paint companies charge too much for thinner ? Yes of course. And how much too much ? $ 10.00 - 20.00 per gallon and many times people will not purchase for this reason. But that same boater has no problem putting in 100 gals of gas @ $ 3.00 per gallon and burning it a rate of 90 gph.

Do not vary the catalyst ratio, do not use non specified thinners, no not over thin the paint for a pretty paint job and buy the expensive stuff.

Lol
To funny, that why I haven't tried it! And I have both right now.

Now I just got to think of something to try my new trippin flake on.

great stuff and info that you cannot get from a local sales rep. My reps are all pretty good but lack real deep tech info much of the time. You know another thing i have learned in my thirty years of painting is buying quality and more expensive paint is usually the cheapest route :cool:

I dont stray very often from ratios or between brands anymore but early on i did a bit. Years ago (like in the 90's) i use to have a bad habit of tossing in a bit of reducer in a 2:1 clear i was using to help flow out. They sprayed easier but i had some die back issues. I upgraded my guns to accommodate the newer clears (at that time) and was able to shoot "as packaged" and never had the die back issue again. Lessons learned along the way . . . .

yeah i was using some Shopline colors for accent colors on a 39 Ocean Express i was doing for a friend in the late 90's and tossed some DT in a small cup of Omni red. I literally mixed, tossed in gun a plugged in airline and didnt even get my first test pattern sprayed. Popped lid and it looked like a fine mush of red oatmeal lol. Once in a while for small stripe accents or really minor stuff i will use a fast lacquer thinner to speed things up but its rare, also never on customer stuff i keep the experimental attempts on my own tubs lol.

help up here in Ontario Canada we have the most god awefull paint suppliers , can not mix or match to save their skins / one is ideal surprise or " supply " / others independent ppg say only ppg no others allowed / 5 star extreme is good nice , no custom colors tints or match / ppg essentials is a hoax dam pricey sovlent an u get a whole 50 % of the can /

Considering it's the OP's 1st post I'd like to know what he's implying by "things."

We did a complete deck top to keel gelcoat removal ,rebuild, reglass , and paint of my buddies 45 foot sailboat a few years ago.

Another buddy of ours was the team leader and owned the paint and glass shop in the boat yard we were working in.

Sprayed Alexseal, as this was his choice. The finish came out incredible for spraying in a open barn and spraying such a large area at a time.

The finish was much nicer than the Awgrip jobs I have worked on before.

He said he had sprayed at least a hundred boats with it and it outperformed Awgrip in finish and durability .

He believed it was one of the better values in a marine application .

I know Alexseal doesn't carry the metallics or colors that many on here prefer these days, but for a solid color it could be the way to go for durability.

just a guess . . . but . . . . i would imagine boats . . .