Using Fade Out Thinner

[JonnyBoy]

Hi Folks,

How exactly is one supposed to use fade out thinner?

I am thinking that I basically paint and lacquer my spot repair and
then go over the top of this to "melt" the edge of the lacquer where
new meets old to blend together...

But do I do this immediately after applying new lacquer... after it is
dry like a day or two later?

Many thanks if you can help.

Jon

[Stephen Hull]

Post by JonnyBoy
Hi Folks,
How exactly is one supposed to use fade out thinner?

You're supposed to use "fade out" thinner on solid colours, sometimes
basecoats (not lacquer) when an area is to be painted as a repair
section. The colour or basecoat is gradually thinned with either it's
own thinner or a blending thinner and is sprayed several times in an
outward direction to weaken or lose the colour across a panel.

Post by JonnyBoy
I am thinking that I basically paint and lacquer my spot repair and
then go over the top of this to "melt" the edge of the lacquer where
new meets old to blend together...

You can use a blending thinner across the whole panel or up to the
nearest natural body line but a blending thinner is not necessary if the
colour happens to be a spot on colour match.

Post by JonnyBoy
But do I do this immediately after applying new lacquer... after it is
dry like a day or two later?

Lacquer does NOT need a fading out thinner because it is a clear coating
and should be left as so, You only need to fade colours across panels
particularly if it is a slight mismatch and you want to blend the colour
so as to hide the colour difference.

Post by JonnyBoy
Many thanks if you can help.
Jon

Steve.

[sQuick]

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[JonnyBoy]

Thanks sQuick, that'll be an "experience"

Steve, thanks for the replies, but I am still a bit unsure, not
questioning you, but I am just confused due to conflicting info I have
been given.

I have been told that I do need to use a fade out thinner on lacquer if
it is a patch within the middle of a panel...ie the clear coat on the
patch is not reaching natural break lines of panels, so the fade out
thinner is to "melt" the new thinner into the old, otherwise you will
always see where the new meets the old...even when attempting to blend
using paste or very fine wet n dry and polish etc...

Maybe you could suggest how you would blend a patch fix in the middle
of a panel without the use of fade out? I hear so many theories and
methods its all a bit confusing as I am relatively new to this, but it
fasinates me.

Thanks for your help.

[Stephen Hull]

Post by JonnyBoy
Thanks sQuick, that'll be an "experience"
Steve, thanks for the replies, but I am still a bit unsure, not
questioning you, but I am just confused due to conflicting info I have
been given.
I have been told that I do need to use a fade out thinner on lacquer if
it is a patch within the middle of a panel...ie the clear coat on the
patch is not reaching natural break lines of panels, so the fade out
thinner is to "melt" the new thinner into the old, otherwise you will
always see where the new meets the old...even when attempting to blend
using paste or very fine wet n dry and polish etc...

You may use blending thinner on lacquer if it's single pack but it's not
really going to achieve anything.
If you use blending clear on twin-pack lacquers it will only dilute the
lacquer which will destroy durability, cause premature dullness and
remain soft.

Like I have previously explained, lacquer should be applied to the whole
panel or nearest bodyline without thinning, There is no advantage in
adding a clear blending thinner to an already clear lacquer in order to
blend it in because it is already transparent and does not therefore
need fading out or blending in.

Post by JonnyBoy
Maybe you could suggest how you would blend a patch fix in the middle
of a panel without the use of fade out? I hear so many theories and
methods its all a bit confusing as I am relatively new to this, but it
fasinates me.

It is customary to paint a whole panel in lacquer even if there is a
tiny repair in the centre but with colour you may need to use blending
clear to weaken the colour away from the centre of a repair. You'll get
no paint ridges by blending colour across a panel and neither will you
with lacquer as this is applied to the whole panel leaving no lacquer
ridge.

Only colours need blending in, not clear lacquers.

However there may be the odd occasion were blending a lacquer may be
preferable as opposed to lacquering a complete panel but it should be
avoided.

Post by JonnyBoy
Thanks for your help.