What to Thin Dr Color Chip Paint with?

[MarkD51]

Hi Mike and all,
Thought that you would be one quite familiar with this System to know the answer?

I did at first search through the Forum but struck out finding the answer to this question.
Thanks!

 

[hammer7151]

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83526

 

[MarkD51]

Sorry, this didn't help answer my question.

 

[Dave.0]

You can thin any paint with Lacquer thinner. Just use a tiny bit first because you can always add more later. You can never remove it if you add too much.

Try testing in small cups with a small paint samples first.

 

[Mike Honcho]

You can thin Dr. Color Chip up to 10% with solvent-based mineral spirits. I don't think lacquer thinner is compatible with DCC paints.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

 

[MarkD51]

Hi folks,
Reckon one way to find out is contact the Dr C Chip folks, and I shot them this question earlier.
Hopefully they can inform me, because this particular paint proved difficult to get a proper match.

Seems there's two different Summit Whites, one that's very white in hue, and another which is more greyish.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hi Mike and all,
Thought that you would be one quite familiar with this System to know the answer?

I did at first search through the Forum but struck out finding the answer to this question.
Thanks!

Question: Why do you want to thin the Dr. Color Chip paint?


Input...


The Dr. Color Chip paints or resins are proprietary. While some normal solvents probably will thin or dilute them this may have a negative effect on the resulting dried paint.

For the cost of the Dr. Color Chip paint system I don't know if I would start pouring other solvents into the factory bottles of Dr. Color Chip paints just in case something goes wrong.

Off hand I don't know what the "official" company answer is on this topic but since I'm friends with the guys at Dr. Color Chip I'll shoot them an e-mail, cite this thread and then get their input.


My guess would be their Sealact solvent, which is also proprietary, will act as a thinner. That's just a guess though.

Will that work?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Hi folks,
Reckon one way to find out is contact the Dr C Chip folks, and I shot them this question earlier.
Hopefully they can inform me, because this particular paint proved difficult to get a proper match.

Seems there's two different Summit Whites, one that's very white in hue, and another which is more greyish.

You posted this seconds before my reply.

Since you've already sent them an e-mail I not send them a duplicate e-mail. Did you send them the link to this thread? (I would have in my e-mail)



Please let us know what they say so others will benefit from the answer and this thread into the future.


Thank you.

 

[Mike Honcho]

You can thin Dr. Color Chip up to 10% with solvent-based mineral spirits. I don't think lacquer thinner is compatible with DCC paints.


Sent from my iPhone using Autogeekonline mobile app

I misspoke. You can dilute the Sealact solution up to 10% with solvent-based mineral spirits, not the actual paint itself. My bad. Sorry about that. (I couldn't go back and edit the original post as the allotted editing time had expired.)

 

[MarkD51]

Question: Why do you want to thin the Dr. Color Chip paint?


Input...


The Dr. Color Chip paints or resins are proprietary. While some normal solvents probably will thin or dilute them this may have a negative effect on the resulting dried paint.

For the cost of the Dr. Color Chip paint system I don't know if I would start pouring other solvents into the factory bottles of Dr. Color Chip paints just in case something goes wrong.

Off hand I don't know what the "official" company answer is on this topic but since I'm friends with the guys at Dr. Color Chip I'll shoot them an e-mail, cite this thread and then get their input.


My guess would be their Sealact solvent, which is also proprietary, will act as a thinner. That's just a guess though.

Will that work?

Hello Mike,
Thanks for your reply.

So far, I have not gotten a response from the Dr Color Chip Folks on this.

This is the 1 oz glass bottle of Summit White Paint, which was way off on the match and the only way back then I could get a close match was sending them a tube of Duplicolor Factory Summit White Paint which was a correct match. They then came close enough for me to use it

It has always been tightly capped and stored in the house since I bought it.

What I have found, is that regular Lighter Fluid (Naptha) does work for cleaning the brushes and removing any of the paint from hands.

But I'd hate taking the chance of ruining this entire bottle. I'm not fancying the idea again going around for another bottle which again won't probably match first time out. (But I guess I always could send again initially a factory type touch up paint that does match as reference for them?)

If I get no answer from these folks, then it looks like I'm on my own with this bottle, and will have to experiment with a small amount of the paint, and try cutting it with either Naptha, or Mineral Spirits

 

[MarkD51]

I have an update, as the Dr. Color Chip Folks responded to me this morning.

They said that a little Acetone can be used to thin the paint.

In regards to Acetone, I am well aware that such is a very toxic chemical. And am aware what Acetone can do to certain Paints and Plastics, literally melt such.

Since this system is used on multiple tens of thousands of different paint types that could be found on vehicles, I'm not so sure that I'd be that gung ho about playing mad scientist.

Not sure anymore if small quantities of the old type Nail Polish Remover can still be acquired from a beauty supply shop? I've found such a chemical to even have vanished off many home supply store's shelves, and probably due to the high toxicity-danger.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

They said that a little Acetone can be used to thin the paint.

Since this system is used on multiple tens of thousands of different paint types that could be found on vehicles, I'm not so sure that I'd be that gung ho about playing mad scientist.

It would be my presumption that if they advised you to add acetone, then it already has acetone, or xylene, or toluene, in it...and you're not making it any more dangerous or aggressive by adding acetone.

Not sure anymore if small quantities of the old type Nail Polish Remover can still be acquired from a beauty supply shop? I've found such a chemical to even have vanished off many home supply store's shelves, and probably due to the high toxicity-danger.

My local Home Depot has acetone in quarts and gallons. I'm sure a (house) paint store will have various solvents, and that an auto paint shop will have anything you want.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

In one of the videos we made with Dr. Color Chip, I believe we mentioned that acetone could be used to remove other companies touch up paint as it will dissolve "some" paints but should not affect FACTORY CLEARCOATS.


Now this is from memory so someone will have to watch the videos to find out...

If you do find, tell us which video and the time mark.

If you don't find then my memory is wrong.

 

[2black1s]

I have an update, as the Dr. Color Chip Folks responded to me this morning.


They said that a little Acetone can be used to thin the paint.


In regards to Acetone, I am well aware that such is a very toxic chemical. And am aware what Acetone can do to certain Paints and Plastics, literally melt such.


Since this system is used on multiple tens of thousands of different paint types that could be found on vehicles, I'm not so sure that I'd be that gung ho about playing mad scientist.


Not sure anymore if small quantities of the old type Nail Polish Remover can still be acquired from a beauty supply shop? I've found such a chemical to even have vanished off many home supply store's shelves, and probably due to the high toxicity-danger.

I'd use lacquer thinner in lieu of acetone. Either will work but acetone evaporates so quickly that it will reduce your working time by making the paint dry too quickly. Lacquer thinner also evaporates fairly quickly but not as fast as acetone, thereby increasing your working time slightly.

As for the nail polish remover question... It's essentially acetone.

As far as toxicity goes, I wouldn't be drinking the stuff but I also wouldn't be too worried about occasional usage. I use acetone to clean my hands of paints and various adhesives quite regularly. It may dry out your skin a bit but it would take some pretty regular and extended exposure before any serious health concerns become an issue.

That's my experience... But I'm no doctor lol. In a nutshell, just use a little common sense as you should do with any chemical.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

As far as toxicity goes, I wouldn't be drinking the stuff but I also wouldn't be too worried about occasional usage. I use acetone to clean my hands of paints and various adhesives quite regularly. It may dry out your skin a bit but it would take some pretty regular and extended exposure before any serious health concerns become an issue.

Well...as is mentioned in the parallel thread about sound pressure levels, many of us have regrets about our exposure to various side effects of our work or pleasure...and although I largely agree with you--today I'd go by Renny Doyle's advice of "if it's on you, it's in you" and would prefer to wear some nitrile gloves to prevent getting those paints and adhesives on my hands in the first place, therefore obviating the need to clean my hands with acetone or other solvents.

 

[MarkD51]

Hi all,
Well I thought I'd add some follow up conclusions and thoughts about the use of Acetone to thin these Paints.

At wally world this morning to shop, here they had qts on hand, was $4.75 so I grabbed a Can.

Just earlier, and donning a pair of Nitrile Gloves I decided to see what would happen.

I started first by seeing how the acetone would work as a dilution agent on both the Plastic Cap's Threads, and also the Threads on the Glass Paint Bottle. (Oddly, it appears there is no type of "Rattler" in this 1oz Glass Bottle, but it appears-sounds like there is one in a smaller 1/2 oz Plastic Bottle for my Kia's Paint)

Seemed to work well at cleaning these areas, so I went ahead.

I had a small stainless steel shot glass that I figured would serve the purpose of pouring some of the Acetone into it from the Qt. Container. I then relegated a cheap wooden disposable Chopstick as my little Stirring Stick.

I slowly added some Acetone, stirred, and the paint did appear to begin to thin to a more usable-likable consistency. (It was pretty "Gluey" before.)

With just a couple more very small additions, it appears that I have the Paint back to being very close to its original consistency-viscosity, and that it will again be usable.

I will of course experiment on some hidden out of the way area next time I decide to use it.

In regards to 2BlackS1's comments, it could very well be possible that this was one of the reasons that this paint seemed to thicken in such a short time, and I think I even read mention on Dr. C-Chip's Site somewhere, that Shelf Life of their Paints is about a year. In other words, evaporation of such Chemicals in the Paint is what causes it to thicken relatively quickly?

That, and it may very well be the addition of Acetone to their Paints that make them so fast to dry, to then be able to apply them, and then only mere minutes later, one can begin leveling-smoothing with their Sealact Solution?

As a reference, I would say my Summit White Paint is about 2-1/2 years old, when I ordered it here at AG, and it was then drop shipped direct from the Dr. ColorChip Folks.

Back then, I addressed literal multiple dozens of small paint chips on the lower rocker panels of the Tahoe, caused by stones being flung up from aggressive tire's treads. I did not get every last single one, so this will be an area I will again experiment upon to see how the paint again works.

Thank you folks very much for your time, and suggestions!
Mark

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Well, this is a little off-topic, but I always find that touchup paint thickens up to the point of being unusable after some years, and I wind up thinning it down with some lacquer thinner. Being that my lacquer thinner is from when me and my friend painted a car back when that's what you painted cars with (lacquer), I thought last time I ordered some touchup paint I'd buy a little bottle of thinner/reducer to go with it, in case things have changed.

Well, everything came in plastic bottles, and I haven't even gotten around to using any of it (bought 2 colors for 2 cars) and the thinner bottle is half empty--I guess the plastic is semi-permeable to the solvent...meh.

 

[BryanH]

When my DCC thouch-up got older and thicker, what worked best for me was to put it next to the grille of a space heater for 5 minutes, and then I had about 5 minutes of working time before the touch up paint cooled and started to thicken again.

It was a long process as I still had dozens of chips to do at the time, but it did work.