I'm really perplexed. Two years ago, I bought a quart of Dupont Centari single stage acrylic enamel. Last week, I took the old custom mixed can with label to the same paint vendor for another quart - same paint, Dupont Centari. The old label said to reduce 1 part to 2 parts paint (50%). The new label says 8 parts paint to 2 parts reducer (25%). Has something changed in paint formulation that would require such a drastic difference in the amount of reducer used? What would you pros recommend?

 

I've used a lot of Centari, but not recently, and haven't seen the 8 to 2 directions. They've probably changed it some way. You said you took the old can - I assume it was empty, and you weren't planning on mixing the old and new paint. I'd follow the latest directions.

I guess I'm just an old cynic, but it seems like Centari lost it's shine just after the new urethanes came out in the late 80's. I think paint compainies play marketing games just like any other business. From the time it was introduced untill the mid eighties, an amatuer could make a Centari job look like a piece of wet candy. After a couple of so-so jobs in the late 80's, I quit using it, unless I found a use for some leftover on the shelf, then I would clear it with a budget clear.

 

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I just painted with some AE (not Centuri) the other day. The ratios were 8:1:2 (paint:hardener:reducer).

I don't know how critical reducer is. The urethane basecoat I use is mixed at 2:1 or 1:1.

 

Those ratio changes would seem to cut the VOC's
in half which is what maybe they were trying to do
for VOC sensitive market areas. Just a guess!

 

Just back from vacation, sorry for the delay. Thanks to all for the replies. I mixed it 8:1:2, same as Aekisu's AE. It went on okay, but there seemed to be far more orange peeling than I had with the older version.

 

Went through all this with Centari myself- even the orange peel.

When I asked what the problem was at the paint shop, he asked how much reducer I used and I told him that I followed the directions.

He then told me that people that work with Centari usually use twice the reducer than is reccommended.

I guess they are trying to reduce the VOCs like is mentioned above and it is really the same paint it's always been.

 

Thanks Jeff for the affirmation of the more noticeable orange peel and the comments regarding the increased reducer. I would have to agree, doubling the amount would give a better flow and finish.