Saw a huge difference after switching to waterborne paint

I been spraying solvent for about 10 years now. Finally made the switch to waterborne at my shop in Denver about 3 months ago. The color matching is way better and I dont have to mess with hardener and reducer ratios all day. First job I did was a 2018 Honda Accord in that dark blue metallic. It blended perfect on the first try and my painter buddy was shocked. But I still cant get used to how fast it dries in this dry air. Feels like I gotta move twice as fast. Anyone else have tips for keeping waterborne wet longer in low humidity?

2 comments

2 Comments

dakotawood10h ago

Have you tried bumping up your air pressure a bit to atomize heavier? That plus @claire_ramirez recommendation on the 3M 8101 helped me buy an extra 30 seconds on my blends in Phoenix.

claire_ramirez11h ago

3M's 8101 retarder is a game changer for dry climates. I add like 5-10% to my mix and it buys me enough time to feather edges. Denver air is brutal but that stuff keeps the wet edge way longer.