ohiofarmer 3,265 #1 Posted August 3, 2016 I was at a Rural King today and noticed a big sale at 66% off a gallon of Majic tractor enamel. Final cost 9.99 for the oil based Majic is also promoting a new water based paint that they claim is as good as oil based and when you figure in that no hardener additive is needed, the final cost is about the same. I cannot decide whether or not to buy the oil based or water based product [29.99] Spraying with urethane hardeners is dangerous and it is recommended that you use a supplied air respirator. Because someone has to be the pioneer, I am leaning to the water based product. For no other reason that it dries very fast and my hood that someone rattle canned makes me hang my head in shame. I am aware that the Majic brand is not loved as well as ValSpar, but just wanted to put the info out there about the store sale plus the manufacturer rebate. I might check TSC as well to see what deal they have. I plan to call the factory rep [the store literature gives his contact info] with some paint questions tomorrow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3PUY 1,031 #2 Posted August 3, 2016 With water base there are some changes you'll need to make ...... Do not use mixing cans that can rust, do not use paint guns that have metals that can rust. The paint dries thru evaporation ... you'll need very good air flow. If the paint needs thinned you'll need special water, not tap water. And there's many more changes. There's probably something on-line that can tell you all about water base automotive paint. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 54,840 #3 Posted August 3, 2016 7 hours ago, ohiofarmer said: Because someone has to be the pioneer, I am leaning to the water based product. I have been curious about that too. Have seen it at TS and know that the automotive industry has been headed in that direction because of VOC regulations. Please let us know more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,381 #4 Posted August 3, 2016 Considering how bad the Majic oil-based paint is, I can't imagine their water-based being any better. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,265 #5 Posted August 3, 2016 Here is a discussion of Majic vs.Valspar and a lot of other good stuff on buying paint from companies that your local consumer company store knows little about. In other words, the pro stores handle the better quality paints that are not idiot proof to the general public. Anyway, here is the link. http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/machine-paint-choices-majic-vs-valspar-263053/ In any case, it appears that tighter VOC regulations are coming, and the paint you buy now may be very different than you bought in the past. Part of the problem with using Magic paint is using their VOC compliant reducer which reduces hardness and increases drying time. I have never used majic , but have had very good results with Rustoleum with hardener added. Anyway, i think what i will do is buy a can of the new stuff, paint a test stripe sample for evaluation and return the can in perfect condition if the test stripe does not warrant purchase of the product. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,381 #6 Posted August 3, 2016 What really baffles me about the EPA, is they are making all body shops switch over to water-borne base coat, but the top coat is still solvent based. Go figure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
N3PUY 1,031 #7 Posted August 3, 2016 9 hours ago, rmaynard said: What really baffles me about the EPA, is they are making all body shops switch over to water-borne base coat, but the top coat is still solvent based. Go figure. The top coat (clearcoat) is not solvent based. The clearcoat is (1) clear and (2) activator. It does not dry by solvent release. It hardens by the activator. That is why it can be used over urethane and over waterborne basecoats and still achieve the VOC requirements. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,381 #8 Posted August 3, 2016 51 minutes ago, N3PUY said: The top coat (clearcoat) is not solvent based. The clearcoat is (1) clear and (2) activator. It does not dry by solvent release. It hardens by the activator. That is why it can be used over urethane and over waterborne basecoats and still achieve the VOC requirements. Semantics... maybe not solvent, but since the activator/hardener is an isocyanate, it is still extremely dangerous when breathed, low VOC's or not. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,265 #9 Posted August 4, 2016 (edited) WELL. i tested the water based Majic paint. HORRIBLE.... I brushed it on a prepared section of non-faded paint on the underside of the foot rest and the color was too orange, it did not lay down at all [brush strokes] and it had no more gloss than semi-gloss wall paint. Also there were nibs in the finish. Perhaps little chunks of soybeans? I like to test paint out by putting on a coat with a foam brush. If there are good results then it is good stuff to use in the spray gun You know you have the good stuff when it "lays down" meaning the brush strokes almost disappear. Even though the oil based paint is 9.99 a gallon after rebate, I am just gonna say no. Edited August 4, 2016 by ohiofarmer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DennisThornton 4,769 #10 Posted August 4, 2016 16 hours ago, 953 nut said: I have been curious about that too. Have seen it at TS and know that the automotive industry has been headed in that direction because of VOC regulations. Please let us know more. Richard, I think you know that I operated an autobody shop for 15 years back in the 70s and 80s. Waterbased primers had been used by at least GM then, (electrolytic whole car dip tanks!) and had come to the repair shops as well. I never tried it but since then there has been a move to waterbased color coats in repair shops as well. In fact, the best known quality repair shop in this area completely converted to waterbase colorcoats several years back and had not regretted it years after or the last time we spoke. As a side note, my home was stained in a major brand name oil-base and I re-stained it several years ago in the same brand oil-base. Then I needed some more for an addition and was told that it was now waterbased only! I asked my trusted hardware dealer how good it was and I got, "Dennis! It's waterbased! What do you expect?" I bought it. He was right! Junk! Absolute junk! Now hopefully other brands have made the transition with more success, but I won't bother with this anymore! My now decade or longer original oil based stain is fine and my much more recent water based is, well, an embarrassment! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RubyCon1 63 #11 Posted August 4, 2016 (edited) NEVER confuse VOC ratings as a "danger scale" to human health. EPA rates the product's VOC level with its ability to react photo chemically with the earth's atmosphere, not your lungs. Isocyanates have virtually no VOC rating but chemically react with moisture to harden and therefore is extremely dangerous to human health. Breathing the vapor into your lungs will react with the moisture in your lungs and super glue your lung tissue. Acetone is routinely used to lower VOC's of paint products to legal levels. Once again, NEVER confuse VOC ratings as a "danger scale" to human health. Low VOC does not mean "safe". None of the chemicals we use routinely are completely "safe". Edited August 4, 2016 by RubyCon1 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,265 #12 Posted August 5, 2016 So now the paint i will probably use is Rustoleum. i know the product and know how to get good results with it. What i do not know is which color is the closest match to Wheelhorse red. Or as an alternative, which color of Valspar to use. One thing i can say about the rustoleum is that it is about the best stuff ever as far as an anti-fisheye paint. I slapped some on an old Snapper RE mower and even if it encountered grease, the grease would darken the paint the first coat and then cover over on the next with no fisheye. I am not proud of making the mistake of missing the grease, but just mention it as an attribute to the Rustoleum paint. So if anybody has any color match info. I am all ears Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
illinilefttackle 399 #13 Posted August 5, 2016 International Red is good or for something just bit brighter= Sunrise Red. Both have worked for me!- Good Luck- Al Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RedRanger 1,468 #14 Posted August 10, 2016 On 8/3/2016 at 10:05 PM, DennisThornton said: Richard, I think you know that I operated an autobody shop for 15 years back in the 70s and 80s. Waterbased primers had been used by at least GM then, (electrolytic whole car dip tanks!) and had come to the repair shops as well. I never tried it but since then there has been a move to waterbased color coats in repair shops as well. In fact, the best known quality repair shop in this area completely converted to waterbase colorcoats several years back and had not regretted it years after or the last time we spoke. As a side note, my home was stained in a major brand name oil-base and I re-stained it several years ago in the same brand oil-base. Then I needed some more for an addition and was told that it was now waterbased only! I asked my trusted hardware dealer how good it was and I got, "Dennis! It's waterbased! What do you expect?" I bought it. He was right! Junk! Absolute junk! Now hopefully other brands have made the transition with more success, but I won't bother with this anymore! My now decade or longer original oil based stain is fine and my much more recent water based is, well, an embarrassment! Same here. Had to use a water based stain on our deck last year. Oil base usually lasted about 4-5 years. Water base was peeling, fading, scratching off in less than 10 months. Total Junk! And yes, the wood was prepped and sanded before being applied. No reason results were so bad except junk! Why anyone would even try Majic after all the discussion on the web about it I'll never understand. New or old version. Regal Red Rustoleum matches well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ohiofarmer 3,265 #15 Posted August 17, 2016 there were areas on the underside of the floor boards that had like new paint. The leaking hyd. fluid kept the paint young. And yes, i agree that the Regal Red Rustoleum is a good match, appearing just a half-shade darker than the original Share this post Link to post Share on other sites