Noticed a big difference after I switched to waterborne primer

Sprayed two quarter panels last month one with old solvent primer and one with waterborne. The waterborne stuff laid down way smoother with less orange peel right out of the gun. Anyone else make that switch and see the same thing?

4 comments

4 Comments

thomas_martinez2mo ago

Waterborne primer does spray differently but it's not really smoother out of the gun. What you're probably seeing is the low VOC solvents evaporate slower so the material stays wet longer and levels out better before it sets up. Solvent primer flashes off fast which can cause that orange peel if you don't have your gun settings dialed in perfect. The real difference is you gotta watch your film build more careful with waterborne because it's easier to apply too heavy and get runs. Make sure you're using the right reducer for your temperature too, that makes a big difference with how it lays down.

kelly3851mo ago

My first time shooting waterborne primer I laid it on like I was painting a house and ended up with runs that looked like a Jackson Pollock painting, so yeah, I feel your pain on that one. @terry_jones I think you're on the right track about the equipment though, I spent years blaming my shaky hands before I realized my gun was just set up wrong for solvent. I switched to a 1.4 tip and backed off the fluid knob a bit and it made a world of difference with the orange peel, even with old school stuff. Waterborne definitely stays wet longer but I still think the real trick is matching your reducer to the temp, I messed up a whole job last summer because I was using a slow reducer in 90 degree weather. Maybe it's just me but I've had better luck with solvent when I take my time and do lighter coats, waterborne just feels more forgiving if you're like me and tend to get impatient.

evaallen2mo ago

The 2k waterborne primer I started using, Wanda 2.1, definitely levels out flatter than my old solvent stuff. It stays wet just long enough to flow out nice but I still get runs if I'm not careful with my coats. You really need to check your reducer and temperature like Thomas said or it can go south quick.

terry_jones1mo ago

Wait wait wait, "sprays differently but not smoother"? That can't be right, I thought waterborne was supposed to be this magic bullet for flat finishes. Are you telling me that old solvent primer can actually lay down just as smooth if you got your gun tuned up right? I've been fighting with orange peel for years and I always figured it was just my technique, but maybe my equipment is the real problem here. So with waterborne you're saying it's more about how long it stays wet, not how it comes out of the nozzle? Do you find yourself having to change your spray pattern setup when switching between the two?