Question about Dupli-Color

[El Roberto]

I decided to try Dupli-Color perfect match and am having some problems.

I primed the test piece with Mr Color 1000 surface primer and when I apply the paint it goes on beautifully glossy, but when dry it's glossy in some spots, dull in others. 

Sprayed 3 coats and the same result.  The dull areas don't show up in the same place each time. 

Any ideas?  

[Ace-Garageguy]

What's the humidity? Duplicolor will sometimes "blush" if the humidity is high.

See it the dull spots will polish up.

[CabDriver]

Question; is it a metallic color, or solid?

[El Roberto]

I didn't think of the humidity factor.  Yeah It's been raining on and off today.  I'll polish till it shines (I hope).  I live in New Mexico and it's usually very dry so I don't have much experience painting when it's really humid 

Thanks for the advice. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

Duplicolor paints have the tendency to fog or blush regardless of humidity, but it's easily rubbed out as a rule.

Either that or a clear coat will generally eliminate the blushing.

 

 

Steve

Edited September 21, 2022 by StevenGuthmiller

[gman]

How wet did you spray the color on the test piece? Was the test piece styrene, or something more resistant to lacquer solvents? The reason for the questions, just wondering if the solvent in the Duplicolor was activating solvents in the primer coat.

Lacquers are a beautiful thing- they adhere by melting into previous coats (be they primer, lighter coats of color etc.) and can smooth out texture in previous coats when color is built up slowly with adequate time for each layer to "gas out.". If the color coats are sprayed too wet on our models, those solvents can make their way down and affect the primer, and even the styrene under that primer. The trick is to build up thin coats slowly rather than flooding the paint on to minimize how those solvents affect previous coats and substrate. 

If some polishing compound eliminates the problem, it is likely blushing as mentioned in other posts. If there appears to be texture in the paint in certain parts of the piece rather than blushing that smooths out with simple polishing, it may be solvents reacting in the paint and primer, or even solvents that have softened the styrene base material in portions.

[Chariots of Fire]

Most likely humidity.  No problem, really.  Wait until it sets up good and then polish the dullness away.  It will be fine.

[Fat Brian]

Yep, happens to me almost every time. I typically hit it with a type of clear less susceptible to blushing.

[Dave G.]

My experience with Duplicolor is it could use a slower thinner in it so blushes extra easy. But I'm not a fan of hot lacquers anyway so pretty much never use the stuff, or at least rarely.

[DiscoRover007]

Duplicolor is incredibly sensitive to humidity. If you can let the paint flash in the sun or by a near by lamp that can help alleviate the problem. Though you risk getting dust in the paint.

[Dave Van]

I always plan on a final coat of good clear. 

[Oldcarfan27]

You should always apply clear coats before polishing out metallic colors regardless. Polishing straight metallics will cut down into the aluminum flakes, exposing them to the surface and causing a splotchy effect as well as color change due to the aluminum flakes tarnishing over time.

Clear coat gives extra layers to polish and avoid damaging paint underneath. 

[Bills72sj]

I am in the too high of humidity camp too.

[MeatMan]

I've gotten that with the last three cans of dark color DC I've sprayed. I've done it in both summer & winter and always in the basement where the humidity is low.

I've used it for years before and had no probs. I personally think they've changed something.

[Raoul Ross]

On 9/21/2022 at 2:17 AM, gman said:

How wet did you spray the color on the test piece? Was the test piece styrene, or something more resistant to lacquer solvents? The reason for the questions, just wondering if the solvent in the Duplicolor was activating solvents in the primer coat.

Lacquers are a beautiful thing- they adhere by melting into previous coats (be they primer, lighter coats of color etc.) and can smooth out texture in previous coats when color is built up slowly with adequate time for each layer to "gas out.". If the color coats are sprayed too wet on our models, those solvents can make their way down and affect the primer, and even the styrene under that primer. The trick is to build up thin coats slowly rather than flooding the paint on to minimize how those solvents affect previous coats and substrate. 

If some polishing compound eliminates the problem, it is likely blushing as mentioned in other posts. If there appears to be texture in the paint in certain parts of the piece rather than blushing that smooths out with simple polishing, it may be solvents reacting in the paint and primer, or even solvents that have softened the styrene base material in portions.

This! Read all the words! 👍

Edited September 23, 2022 by Raoul Ross

[El Roberto]

I polished it out and the problem was solved.

Thanks for all the input. 

[MeatMan]

On 9/23/2022 at 2:57 PM, El Roberto said:

I polished it out and the problem was solved.

Thanks for all the input. 

Good to know, I've got some black and dark blue I need to use but have been afraid to.

[Jordan White]

On 9/21/2022 at 5:55 PM, Dave Van said:

I always plan on a final coat of good clear. 

x2, I always clearcoat mine too since if there is any hazing, it eliminates it.

 

On a slightly separate note, with how high the prices are getting on the Duplicolor paint nowadays, it is now getting more cost effective to get the larger cans from a site like automotivetouchup.com, especially since their paint lays on perfectly every time for me and it doesn't get as much, or any, hazing compared to Duplicolor.

[El Roberto]

On 9/25/2022 at 8:26 AM, Jordan White said:

x2, I always clearcoat mine too since if there is any hazing, it eliminates it.

 

On a slightly separate note, with how high the prices are getting on the Duplicolor paint nowadays, it is now getting more cost effective to get the larger cans from a site like automotivetouchup.com, especially since their paint lays on perfectly every time for me and it doesn't get as much, or any, hazing compared to Duplicolor.

Yeah, the can was pretty pricey. I used a dark red pearl and it polished out very nicely. I haven't decided if the extra cost was worth the result though.