That's the last but not the only example of problems I've had with the paint. Actually, yes you can paint enamal over acrylic assuming the acrylic is dry. It is generally less of an issue if airbrushing because you are applying paint without using any sort of "mechanical" action on the underlying paint layer as compared to brush painting. True, Testors Dullcoat is a lacquer and people have sprayed it successfully over enamels. All products can be bought online at http://www.polyvine.com Things that can cause the new paint to fail include using latex paint that is not 100 percent acrylic and not preparing the wall properly. Luckily, you can put a fresh coat of paint over your enamel-painted wall if you have the right tools and steps. Hey Manny! If your car needs a new coat of paint you will have to have the car prepped. I'm pretty sure that is enamel over acyclic. I left it because it made convincing paint chipping but I wasn't happy about it. Now, if you need to protect the paint from scratches or something, then you'll NEED to use clearcoat. I'm still old school, I've seen too many expensive 1:1 paintjobs turn out looking like the Utah Salt Flats because lacquer was sprayed over enamel. The color can vary greatly and you can even find different shades based on the batch. All I do is color sand and rub out before waxing. You can paint acrylic over oil paint pretty easily actually. That’s because the … It was an automotive product intended for lacquer over metal. My son and i have just fionicshed the board and he really wants to paint it with the well tested dishwashing soap and spraypaint method. People spray it over enamels all the time and have been for years. Weather, dirt and other damaging elements never touch the actual paint … He abliged and I sprayed some scrap styrene I had, some with the paint and some with the lacquer. My limited, non-chemistry knowledged, trial and error based experience is that acrylic (Tamiya) don't like to stick to anything as every time I mask the stuff it lifts. Isn't Testors Dullcoat a lacquer? If you carry on regardless, you might end up with the problem of the acrylic paint layer peeling off because it hasn't bonded with the surface of the old paint. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Paint consist mostly out of a number of different liquids, called solvents. particularly in the case of the flat metallics like Flat alumimium and metallic grey. You can paint acrylic paint over enamel paint, but only with proper surface preparation. Painting a car makes it look new again. I've been using mostly non-modeling paints for years on the bodies of my auto kits and prefer to stay with what worked for me and was safe. Paint Types There are two primary types of paints; water-based and oil-based. 5 Acrylic Car Paint Techniques for a Professional Coat. Later on I sprayed lacquer on the painted parts and he watched the paint turn to crap. If it's mineral spirits you'll be fine...lacquer thinner however may soften the acrylic if the concentration is too high. Yes, Tamiya's metallics can be a bit problematic to mask over. Acrylic clearcoat won't work on enamel… We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. Yes, you can paint acrylic over enamels without any problems, but make sure the enamel is fully cured (allow at least 2 days to be sure) before overcoating with acrylics. I can't say concerning thinned with alcohol/thinner for airbrush. Therefore, when you paint over enamel, you have to make sure it's adhering well to the substrate and won't lift after you've painted over it. Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials. In reverse, some acrylics may be reactive to enamel thinners. If you wish to use acrylic car paint to paint your vehicle, bear in mind a few techniques that could help you attain good end results. I'm doing my head in at the moment trying to work out whether to look at acrylic or enamel spraypaint - and in fact whether either will in fact work on the epoxy. F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town! The big question is, can you paint over polyurethane? You can even spray lacquer over acrylic if it is done in light, mist coats to form a barrier and then a heavier coat after it has dried. All you have to do is add it to a spray-can and apply it to your vehicle. You should also look for an enamel car paint with a hardener in it. I usually paint with Testors MM enamals and use some Tamiya acrylics over them and have never had an issue. I understand why you mention a couple of light mist coats first. I didn't mean to pick on you Mike, was just joking. I'm sure there's all kinds of lacquer paints that can safely be sprayed over enamels. Is it ok to paint acrylic over dried enamel? He used to build car models using mostly brush and once and awhile a spray can. Oil and Water don't mix without a bonder/primer between the two surfaces. Ashley gasps in shock. to be wise. He asked me how I got them looking so good because he never could. I explained to him my steps, even wrote them down for him. Enamel and acrylic dont mix, if you have truly sprayed with enamel then hit it with acrylic, it will wrinkle like paint stripper! boy that looks great!! the paint will peel off. He followed my steps of sanding and rubbing. If you do, you will see that the paint starts to split or separate on top of the oil-based enamel and won't adhere properly. You didn't specifically say it, but it's implied... -- Jim -- "Put the pedal down & shake the ground!". Unless you are spraying acrylic enamel from a can, you will need an air spray gun and a compressor to apply it -- it is not a job for an airless sprayer. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. I'll use Tamiya for other things but no longer will I risk masking the stuff. You can generally paint acrylics over (well cured) enamels without any issues at all. He picked up a kit, some bottle enamel paints, a spray can, cement, a few brushes, etc... A few weeks later he comes back in carrying a brown paper bag. He realized it was the lacquer and not the paint. Applying a clear gloss coat can help "bind" these loose particles, but often that alters the appearance of the metallic. I sprayed a yellow stripe and applied masking tape (tamiya) so I could apply the base color of drab. View our, Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials. When a car is painted with acrylic enamel, a clear coat is applied over the paint. Most wooden furniture has a polyurethane finish. Or will there be some problems. The clear coat of urethane supplies the acrylic enamel paint with a buffer between the paint and the elements. While you can apply oil-based enamel directly on top of acrylic paint - you can't apply water-based paint on top of oil-based enamel paint. Tamiya acrylics are not usually affected, Gunze acrylics are. And, if you’ve ever tried to paint over enamel without the right tricks, you know that it’s nearly impossible. Over time, an enamel-painted wall will grow worn and old-looking. Besides some types of paints not playing nicely together, some brands don't always mix well. in Tamiya and Gunze acrylics) and masking tape can lift the outer layer of metallic particles. Generally speaking, you don't want to apply LACQUERS over ENAMELS. Oop's, there I go again, thinking outside the modeling products. From: Biding my time, watching your lines. Tamiya acrylics are not usually affected, Gunze acrylics are. Acrylic enamel paints are fast drying. I have to ask, what are you thinning your paint with? Hey! Even though he confessed on trying to take a short cut from the sanding and rubbing and agreed it was the lacquer, I replaced his kit anyways after he promissed to by the Testors clear. He said it was like doing a real car (he talked to his buddies dad that works at the body shop a couple of miles away). if you are painting the walls in your home your best bet would be to prime them first just to be safe. Charles Spurgeon. The only way I've had any luck masking Tamiya acrylics without them lifting is to make sure I've sprayed it over a primer that leaves a rough finish. When painting over gloss enamel, choose a self-priming paint that is of high quality to prevent possible future problems with peeling. Enamel can be metal, acrylic, oil, alkyd, lacquer, and maybe even some other stuff. Vice-Versa? Enamel is a term for the type of finish, not a type of paint. (Kenny Roberts). Hey folks, I am looking at spray painting a design onto a board that has been done in epoxy. Acrylic and enamel play safe with each other.Anything over lacquer is safe.Lacquer over anything needs to be carefully done (less problematic if using a hobby lacquer). It is a good idea to check with the manufacturer of the enamel car paint you plan to use to make sure it can accept clear coat. Also it depends on how you intend to apply the overcoat. Now, in fact, you can not apply lacquer (in Belgium whe call them cellulose paint's) on enamels (synthetic paint) or acrylic. Having said that, however, there do appear to be some modern "acrylics" that are robust enough to stand up to the application of enamels over them. This is because the solvents used in lacquers are MUCH "hotter" (stronger, faster evaporating) than enamel solvents, and the lacquer solvents can 'dissolve' the enamel paint underneath them, leading to "alligatoring" or cracking or other things that TOTALLY ruin the paint finish. Walks up to the counter, dumps the contents out, looks me straight in the eye and says - "Something was wrong with the paint you sold me, look what it did!" Base coat was Tamiya flat aluminum. I can't tell you which ones, because I shy away from "acrylics." I have a question, that's probably been asked a thousand times: Will acrylic paint stick to something painted with enamels? The thinners used for acrylics are "softer" and don't usually affect enamels. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. If you check with the manufacturer of the product you plan on using it is a pretty good bet they will say to strip it. After a short period of time he stood there watching the lacquered parts starting to get soft and distort while the painted parts remained fine. I think it is just a matter of going light on the coverage. Even enamel paintjobs that were 5+ years old. Con: Cost It are these solvents that caused some times problems with other paint's when applying them on top of paint from a different sort. Some other parts also looked shiny and melted. I've never had significant problems with Tamiya acrylic not sticking, and I don't often use a primer. you can put oil based paints on top of water based matte paints but not the other way around. You can generally paint acrylics over (well cured) enamels without any issues at all. For best results enamel paint should be allowed to dry for three to seven days before applying the finish. Just about any paint can be sprayed over another if done properly. It can be done and you know it. But to know Acrylic paint will cover enamel but will not "stick". If you just apply a coat of water-based paint, it won’t adhere properly on the surface and the colour will fade quickly. Cha ching. Can you paint acrylic over enamel paint? vice-versa?Anything I should be warned about before doing? The answer is yes. I knew right away but I had to ask - "What did you do to make the parts shiny?" Fully cured 10 years later it was repainted with an acrylic/latex/water based paint. He's already making the AB setup list. It should stick with no problems. You can paint over acrylics with oil based paint. how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " My cautious answer would be that if the acrylic is fully cured (that may take days) and the enamel is applied in light coats, it should be fine. I only intended to add a word of caution. You can also use spray paint that has been manufactured specifically for metal surfaces. I've learned that if I expect to mask something that I use only enamels for that color. If you just apply a coat of water-based paint, it won't adhere properly on the surface and the colour will fade quickly.