And now he wants to help and teach you so you can customize, fix or restore any type of project you desire with professional auto body instruction and materials. Tony, You are the best, thanks for sharing. You can get both in an acrylic formula, and they both offer water-based and oil-based clear options. I haven't tried enamel as I have heard that the paint is very difficult to clean and must be done right after you paint with thinner. If no color comes off, no matter how hard you rub, chances are it is a urethane-based enamel. Enamel paints take two to three hours to dry and another twenty-four to forty-eight hours to cure. If you cannot determine the specific paint codes or information relating to the type of paint used on your car, you yourself will have to test a hidden spot on the vehicle using lacquer thinner, you could even possibly test an area already allocated for a repaint. Lacquer paint has actually been outlawed in certain parts of the country. If you do not want to bother with all of the hard work involved with painting your car, then enamel car paint with acrylic lacquer in … Another popular solvent based paint is enamel paint. While enamel paint has been around for donkey’s years, a tried and true tool for model makers everywhere, the more modern acrylic has fast become the paint of choice for many. Acrylic enamel vs lacquer job what is better • How to Paint Your Own Car, Auto Body Discussion Forum & Videos • … If you buy something through a link in our posts, we may get a small share of the sale. Take a clean white cloth, wet it with lacquer thinner and rub a spot of paint to test the reaction. This isn’t confined to simply enamel, lacquer or urethane paints either. The lacquer will "eat" the oil in enamel. If your vehicle has been repainted since it left the factory, you will need to obtain the paint code numbers from the paint can used during the repaint. Lacquer is ideal for giving your woodcraft projects a high glossy look. thank you so much for your expertise and your time. Also, there’s a latex enamel. For these reasons, lacquer is a good undercoat for any other paint product. This is very important to the success of any paint project. If nothing wipes off onto the cloth, the paint is probably urethane based. By 15 he had painted his first car, and by 19 he ran his own successful auto body and paint shop. Acrylic enamel paints being quick and easy to work with, generally covered in one or two coats and didn’t require any clear coat or rubbing out. "Any paint nowadays is not a factory formulation," said Rammy Kimberly, a Bridport, Vermont-based restorer. Hey Mike! Many people prefer glossy, shiny types of looks for their furniture and vehicles, which leads them to finishes that produce this appeal. Water-based acrylic polyurethane enamel paint is currently the most widely used paint for reasons including reducing paint's environmental impact.. Modern automobile paint is applied in several layers, with a total thickness of around 100 µm(0.1mm). Enamel creates a clear, shiny finish on wood and metal, making it a piece of suitable furniture and automobile paint product. Completely redone from the inside out, and restored to its original form, the home is a featured design by renowned Southern California Architect Cliff May, considered to be the father of the California Ranch Home. You need to think about the type of look you are aiming for and what is … • Lacquer paints were very popular in between 1920 and 1960 when they were used to cover automobile bodies. There are 3 basic types of car paint; Lacquer, Enamel and Urethane. However, what paint belongs in what category, and even the definitions themselves are actually fairly blurred due to the massive variety in compounds and applications these days. This finish binds with surfaces when dry to create a flat layer that provides a challenging, glossy protective coating that’s durable enough to withstand stretching and damage. You can get lacquer that offers high-gloss, matte, or satin finishes. However, applying acrylic lacquer auto paint over acrylic enamel paint will almost always result in wrinkling or other severe surface blemishes. About the only exception to this rule is when a totally new paint system has to be taken into consideration after bringing the vehicle body down to its base metal. The individual products were not designed as parts of a single compatible paint system and as a result, the color, adhesion and surface flow of that combination may well be adversely affected. Acrylic paint is widely used by artists for pictures. • Enamel paints are cheaper than lacquer paints. Every product in an entire paint system must be compatible with the surface material to which it will be applied, as well as with every other product in the system. Subscribe to stay in touch and come back often. But as that’s actually a big part of the scale model experience, we’re hoping you’ll bear with us. It’s easier to apply, but it does take a longer time to dry. If you’re new to finishing furniture, you’d want to choose a finish that’s easy to apply. It is also very toxic as the binding agent evaporates into the air as the paint is drying. or acrylic? The curing creates a more rigid surface that’s more durable. Because of this, lacquer is only recommended for … Pro: Acrylic Lacquer. Enamel paints take two to three hours to dry and another twenty-four to forty-eight hours to cure. There are quite a few differences between enamel paints and a lacquer finish to point out. It is only important, that the Enamel Paint is applied in thin and even layers in order to create a strong and even bond with the underlying Lacquer layer. Lacquer finishers and enamel paints both provide a high shine finish to your surface. Enamel paints have a more straightforward application process. While painting Lacquer over Enamel Paint can be quite complicated painting Enamel over Lacquer is surprisingly easy. Up until the mid-1960s, enamel paints (followed by polyurethane) weren’t being heavily used in the automotive industry. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. However, it’s very difficult to reply here as I’m not much of a typist. Auto Body Discussion Forum, Paint your own car! Curing means a chemical reaction occurs to make the solvents inside the enamel harden, creating a thin gloss layer that’s durable and long-lasting. Lacquer … But they also have some differences that set them apart. Hey, don’t forget to grab your FREE manual if you still haven’t: https://learnautobodyandpaint.com/free-autobody-manual, great job of explaining paint differences and how to determine paint types. Lacquer finish dries faster, in less than 30 minutes. Enamel paints take two to three hours to dry. Another difference is your experience level. Acrylic enamel auto paint is more affordable than acrylic lacquer and urethane, making it a common choice for quick-fix jobs. But if you’re inexperienced, you can end up with a surface that bubbles and cracks. Lacquer paint is more difficult to apply if you are not a professional, versus the enamel, and the enamel will dry to a harder finish. Tony grew up painting cars and bikes. Lacquer finishes give your furniture piece a sleek, glossy look. Automotive paint is paint used on automobiles for both protection and decoration purposes. And it leaves behind a noticeable layer of varnish over the top of your surface. Applications of the two products are a significant difference. Before high-tech polyurethane paint products were introduced, cars were painted using either acrylic enamel paint or acrylic lacquer auto paint. I even have used Enamels for my car body's and they come out really wel. His first experience came in completely restoring an antique home. Lacquer finish dries faster, in less than 30 minutes. Lacquer isn’t as strong since there’s no curing. I do not want to have to take the vehicle back to bare metal if I do not have to, Hey Steve, it’s quite difficult to give my advice here especially since I haven’t seen the car! However, you can use petroleum-based enamel on top a coat of lacquer. • Lacquer paints develop bubbles if not applied by professionals. This product is frequently chosen as a finish for wood surfaces, such as furniture, to create a reliable protective layer. Use lacquer for spray finishing a large piece, such as furniture. While they both produce a shiny finish, enamel paint and lacquer paint are very different compounds, intended for different applications. Here are some of the main benefits to choosing lacquer over enamel paint when it comes to refinishing your kitchen or bathroom cabinets. Lacquer and Enamel Top Coats Enamel has more versatile use than lacquer. Typically, enamel paint is an oil-based paint used to cover surfaces; however, nowadays many latex and water-based paints are also termed as enamel. When comparing lacquer finish vs enamel paint, these two finishes have a few similarities. The most significant factors to consider when deciding between lacquer and enamel paints are your experience level and the type of final look you want to have. If this is not possible, contact the person who performed the repaint to attain the required information from them. He's helped tens of thousands of people just like you from all parts of the world. Check out the LABAP VIP course that will help turn you into an auto body and paint pro, from home! Auto body and paint expert, Author and Instructor. Product compatibility is just as important today. Lacquer can be over-coated with other lacquer, paints, or enamels and acrylics. Primers should be the same as the finish you’re using – a lacquer water-based primer for a water-based lacquer and vice versa. In addition, you will also be able to determine the exact type of paint and color from the vehicle identification number (VIN) on older vehicles or from a separate paint and options tag on newer vehicles. Now in his 30's Tony pours his everyday passion into LABAP VIP to help teach this amazing skill to anybody who want's to learn auto body and paint. But if the color wipes off onto the white cloth only after vigorous rubbing, it is a sign of lacquer paint. Lacquer, plain and simple, is the type of paint that was used decades ago. 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