Definition- Flow - The characteristic of a coating which allows it to level into a smooth film of uniform thickness.
- Orange Peel - A appearance in a dried film that resembles an orange peel, due to the inability of a coating to flow properly. Surface is uneven to the eye, although it feels smooth.
Causes of Improper Flow/Orange Peel- Drying to fast, caused by materials or environment being too warm, using a solvent that dries too fast, or using a product that is not best suited for your environment.
- Viscosity too high.
- Application of too thin or too thick a coat of product.
- Dry spray application (over spray).
- Telegraphed substrate/sealer/previous coating failure.
 - Contamination on substrate or in coating.
Prevention of Improper Flow/Orange Peel- Have a product that dries in the appropriate time.
Room temperature material and environment, slower
solvents, and a product that suits your environment. - Use thinner to adjust the viscosity.
- Apply more product.
- Clean the contaminated wood or previous coats.
Possible Fixes for Improper Flow/Orange Peel- Strip and refinish
- Sand and recoat
Questions to Ask- Has the product been altered in any way?
Thinners, retarders, colorants, additives, any other additional adds to the product? - Were there any products (water based, oil based, glazes, stains)used that may have left residual material behind?
- What are the environmental conditions, both during application and cure?
- Have things changed, including equipment and personnel?
- Are the products being used compatible?
- Are the products being used from the same manufacturer?
- Was there any preliminary testing of this system before it was used on a larger scale?
- When in the finish process did you notice the problem?
- Has this problem happened before?
If so, what were the conditions at that time, especially compared to the current conditions? - If this is a recoat job, were any polishes, wax, or other treatments used prior to refinishing?
If so, was the piece sanded before being recoated? - How much coating is being applied per coat?
|
