I'm in the middle of a rebuild on a 50's Thermador water cooler for the Mistress and after doing my minor fix I chemical stripped the body of the beast and sanded what was left with 220 grit wet or dry. When I applied an acid etching primer it immediately started to pop out with what looks like fish eye. I stopped before I made to much of a mess but I need to some how remove this contamination any ideas?

The contamination may have come from the use of Mcguires gold car wash as a rinse (it may have silicone in it) to remove the stripper but that is just a guess on my part, what ever it has to get cleaned up so I can color match the cooler to my car and have it show quality. Help needed.......Tedd

 

Good old fashioned dish soap and a scuff pad then dry quickly with a clean towel and compressed air. Should solve your problem.

 

It has been a long time but whenever I finished stripping something, I went over it with a steel wool pad soaked in lacquer thinner. Then I took a rag soaked in lacquer thinner and wiped it down before I primed it. I never had any fisheye.

 

No laquer thinner it will make todays paint soft. Use wax and grease remover and wipe down with a non lint shop towel like the scotts brand. Of course you will have to sand it which I would use 400 wet then finish with 600 wet. Then rinse with water dry then use wax and grease remover then one pass with a dry shop towel.

 

I do like most mentioned, but after all prep, I use a finish wipe with naphtha [lighter fluid]. It is a non residual cleaner and not very reactive with most finishes.
Tim

 

Hey Copper:

The lacquer thinner is after all the paint has been stripped. Lacquer thinner will remove most paint. Agreed the wax and grease remover will remove most anything and prevent fisheye.

 

Yes but if he has primer and itsnot fisheyed no sense in removing all the paint imo. just sand th paint off clean scuff clean then wax and grease remover. Then dry towel

 

I didn't prime much, stopped as soon as the fish eye appeared. I've stripped sanded and washed,now letting it dry, Ill shoot it again tonight or tomorrow as time will allow..... Thanks all I will get back with the results....Tedd

 

Oh if it's primer sand I back down then and use laquer thinner to clean off. I thought you where talking about paint. I assume you are using etch over metal ? I have had etch primer over paint do what are describing

Edit : Sorry guys I blanked on the etch primer part I though he was applying primer over an existing paint. Like spot priming.

 

Clean it with good old dish soap first and then use a Prepsolve (paint stores sell it under many different names) type product to get rid of and waxes or oils left on the surface, works every time.

 

I would use some gray scotch brute and some grease and wax remover

 

I have used the Eastwood PRE and never had contaminate issues with a variety of paints and primers. It is a strong solvent and is probably similar to thinner or naptha.

 

It's just a regular wax&grease remover.

Now, the DupliColor stuff in an aerosol? I think that's just acetone.

 

I was going to say acetone works great as a pre cleaner. It dries fast and cleans and degreases. I have used it in the past with no issues.

 

Re primed the unit last night and it came out perfect, not one bubble or blister. Thanks all who gave advice, now to fire up my touch up gun for the final coat, first time with this gun and compressor, fingers crossed. If I don't make a mess of this I may put a tutorial on how to repair/restore a 50's auto water cooler, if you don't here from me for a while it's because I'm sanding out runs.....Tedd

 

Most automotive paint companies also sell fisheye eliminator, usually approx a cap ful per quart.

 

I belive that's only for clear if I'm not mistaken.

 

Well it came out like CRAP,I could have done better with a rattle spray can. Seems my touch up gun is to small for the job or my solvent to hot or maybe to high of pressure because the paint was getting dry as it hit the surface, couldn't get it to flow at all .Used up all my paint trying different adjustments. Back to the drawing board....Tedd

 

That's the crummy part about painting - you learn from mistakes, and you will make a lot of them before you become a good painter.

 

Actually they say if you use fisheye eliminator you should use it from the primer up to the final clear. Primer, color, and clear. I have used it just in color and clear and had good results. I think all paint companies sell there own fisheye, but some will work in many brands. Ask your guy at the automotive paint store.

 

Two words Tedd:

Powder coating

One word Tedd:

Expensive

Good luck on this deal. Walk away for a day or two and then come back.

 

Well I've started stripping again (bad habit at age 65), this is starting to get expensive in itself. If I wasn't so particular on it matching my car I could have just left it alone, it was in very good shape. I still don't know if I can adapt it to the convertible top yet so this maybe all for someone else., Time will tell......Tedd

 

Ive painted for over ten years and fish eyes are hard to control. Im a ppg fan and I use fish eye eliminator in the clear coat. Also use a moisture catch on your spray gun. Any questions call anytime 5173663825 steve

 

I had a similar problem one time and it turned out I was using clean red shop rags with laquer thinner for final wipe down and would just turn into a mess. Turns out they wash shop rags with degreaser and the thinner would reactivate it. Sounds stupid and simple but it took a while for me to figure out.

 

Use new, clean paper towels or paper shop towels for pre-paint panel wipe downs. I use lacquer thinner for small components in bare metal, and Prepsol on primered surfaces. Followed by compressed air and clean tack rags for dust.
I worked in a body shop where cloth rags of any kind were not all allowed in the shop.
Do not use lacquer thinner on plastic parts that are going to be painted. It will soak in and cause all sorts of issues. It may even melt it.