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One shot questions? Reducing one shot

streator scott

New Member
I am touching up some work trailers. I was wondering for brushed letters if one-shot spreads easier if its reduced. Im new to hand lettering. I know I can do the touch ups but I can't seem to do long strokes without running out of paint on my brush.
 

SignosaurusRex

Active Member
Definitely reduce. I prefer regular Turpentine. Regular paint thinner will work fine. Your ratio will depend on temperatures. Only reduce enough for good flow.
 

OldPaint

New Member
well, them there "art store" brushes............aint good fer 1 shot.........ya gota have them "special sign painter brushes" that hold a gallon a paint each time ya fill em up!!!!!! hehehehehehehehheehehe.
SORRY devil made me do that)))))
sound to me like the brush you have is not the brush you need. are you using a TRUCK FLAT, or a QUILL???
as for thinning one shot, DO NOT OVER THIN!!! then the paint wont last.
1. get a plastic 3 section picnic plate.
2. in one of the small sections put the 1 shot...
3. in other small section put the (turps, minerial spirits, gas, automotive enamel paint reducer), you only need a TEASPOON at most.
4. get a clean #8 gray quill, just touch it to the reducer, then dip it in the paint.
5. in the big section take quill and flatten it and pull a little, then flip it over and do the same on the other side,
6.keep adding paint to it.....and touching the reducer, til it feels like its soft butter on fresh bread.
NOW YOU GOT IT...........take it to object to paint
 

kstompaint

New Member
Depending on the project and the temperature, I'll use mineral spirits, automotive reducer or wax & grease remover. I do a lot of striping at car lots and I've found that no matter what measures I take, they get touched and smeared. This is when I use the wax & grease remover because it dries fast. Mineral spirits will make the 1-shot flow better but takes FOREVER to dry. It's a feel thing, the more you use it the more you'll get it.
 

Jillbeans

New Member
I personally ONLY thin with turpentine. Mineral spirits can dull the gloss.
I only use a few drops, mostly I like the paint straight from the can (if it's a new can)
I put the paint into a paper cup (two layers) then put in a few drops of turp.
1-Shot does make both a hi and lo temp reducer, ask your supplier about it.
As for brushes, you can go here:
http://www.mackbrush.com/
and also some real goodies here:
Wright's of Lymm
Love....Jill
 

Jackpine

New Member
I use One Shot low temp or high temp reducer.Smith's cream will give the paint a nice smooth feel and will smooth the brush strokes. I also use fisheye additive if needed. For a killer gloss and to toughen up the finish add a few drops of Frog Juice.
I am touching up some work trailers. I was wondering for brushed letters if one-shot spreads easier if its reduced. Im new to hand lettering. I know I can do the touch ups but I can't seem to do long strokes without running out of paint on my brush.
 

DrCAS

New Member
Since they messed with the original formula and took the lead out, I have found that traditional methods of reducing paint no longer works well.

I have found that the reducers and hardener made for One Shot work best.

Gasoline for reducer? C'mon... That ranks right up there with peeing in the paint buckets...

:ROFLMAO:


.
 

Craig Sjoquist

New Member
what Jackpine said.. also thin NOT in can but as you paint
or if large areas seperate can for rolling or big brushes
thinning comes with the feel ..too thin it run and will fade faster to thick brush drags does not cover 100% .. so theres a balance you got work with
heat, sun, will trick you so be in shade if possiable as you learn.. if hot and sunny on ya back ...lindseen oil or penitral added helps also
 

dclet

New Member
I have found that the reducers and hardener made for One Shot work best. /QUOTE]

absolutely...all around 1shot is pretty crappy to work with now..anyway.

I get a bit of relief with Ronan stuff but..it has it's own issues
 

Jillbeans

New Member
In my limited experience (24 years now)
Penetrol, Smith's Creme, and linseed oil (boiled?) are all extenders for painting on a hot sunny day and can make the paint take forever to dry.

Chromatic makes that stuff (Edge?) flow enhancer that makes paint real nice and slick but you have to buy a butt-load, they won't just sell you a can.
I used to use Smoothy until someone told me it contained silicone.

I also try to mainly use Ronan now. 1 Shot just ain't what it used to be.
I would think gas or any of the real hot stuff would instantly dissolve a plastic plate.
 

Cross Signs

We Make Them Hot and Fresh Everyday
(I personally ONLY thin with turpentine. Mineral spirits can dull the gloss.
I only use a few drops, mostly I like the paint straight from the can )

+1
 

Custom Bob

New Member
I had to redo a couple stripe jobs because they faded out within a year.
So I have been adding automotive hardner to my OneShot since they took the lead out and made it like anything else in this Country. "Junk!"
I thin with Turps. If I'm doing a job that I'm going to clear over I use PPG or DuPont Automotive Reducer.
When I paint with One Shot I use a good glossy magazine and a cup with the thinner in and I use little Paper ( not wax coated) Dixie cups to put my One Shot in. Then I mix as I go. When your done rip the page off and you have a clean palette. This method has worked well for me for 35 years.

Another tip I'll pass on. I put a Screw in the top of the lid to pour the paint out of. This keeps it from drying up because of the lid being taken on or off all the time.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Providing you’re not doing these in the sun outside, I would thin as I go and like the Doc said, most additives are plain crap in the paint these days. If you thin in a container before hand and don’t use it all…. that paint is basically ruined. You can’t pour it back in your can so throw it away…. legally. Also remember this…. as you start putting all of these additives in your paint, you are cutting down the hiding and lasting power of the paint in its natural state.

If the paint is peeling or blistering…. you’re probably wasting your time. If it has started peeling in various places, your paint overtop will only accelerate the paint under what you painting to peel even more. Your paint, in order to bite in will actually try to soften up the layer under it thus permitting your paint to peel faster from the original coat peeling. A second coat of paint, years later, does nothing to make the original coat last longer. Why do you think all paint companies tell you to sand and get down to the original substrate and get rid of all peeling and scaly paint before painting ??

If the paint is chalking off... with no signs of peeling, you need to wash it well with solvents and prime it and then apply new paint. Incidentally sanding this down would be preferable, but probably not in your budget.

If the old paint job is showing old brush strokes and the original surface is beginning to show through… follow the steps for the above procedure.

Simply painting overtop of old paint without proper prepping is just like filling your mouth up with Novocain and not drilling out and filling the cavity properly… you’re just putting off the inevitable.
 

DrCAS

New Member
I use medicine cups for paint and a stainless steel cup for my reducer. I use Readers Digest for my palettes.

With the "real" One Shot, I can see using turps and such but the new stuff really needs to have the reducers and hardeners made for use with the new formulas. frank Manning , when he was still with One Shot, told me about this.


.
 

Ken Sankey

New Member
The job you're touching up, I presume they were done in paint? Do you mean re-paint or small areas? You have a bunch of great direction to go, I really like the Edge paint reducer myself, like others have mentioned if your color has to be mixed to match, do this first. I have a couple of cheap plastic squirt bottles to dispense the Edge with, sometimes working out of a cup I add as needed. Since your new to this I would suggest a pallette method would allow you to get used to the workability of the paint. Make it nice and creamy so as not to lose coverage. Touching up something for a first job can seem simple, yet create a # of headaches. As OP mentioned and others a good brush, (Quill or Flat) depending on size of letters to be done. Best of luck to ya. QH&F(quill hair & ferrule) would be a great place to start not only for brushes, but Peter would offer more invaluable advice. Best of luck.:thumb:
 

SignPainter

New Member
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth use to stripe cars on the road at gas stations and used gas.
Turps works good.
Me and Alton "eyes" Gillespie for years use to go to Big Daddy's Rat Fink Party and all the painters there would use whatever they could get there hands on.
I use to mix automotive reducer & hardener in a little stainless cup and dipped my brush in the one shot and then in the reducer & hardener and mixed the two together on a pallet. There is a "feel" from the brush on the pallet that lets me know when the right amount of thinner is used. That "feel" comes from experience that takes some time to get to know. If it feels like cake icing and the brush is dragging add thinner. The one shot lasted longer before fading with the hardener mix. I only did this on race cars and motorcycles, not signs or wall jobs. I have not hand lettered in a long time and did not know they took the lead out, so my info may be no good for the new formula. Guess I will have to use house of color next time I do a car or cycle...8\
Like Bob, I use a screw in the top of the lid. Alton taught me that one 30 years ago.
For small letters French Master quill's are nice...8)
Medium size letters I use flats. For large letters I use 11/2" fitch to 2" cutters.
 
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streator scott

New Member
Thank you everyone. I forgot about this thread. I googled reducing one shot tonight and my thread appeared. How cool. I wish I would have read it lastnight because I painted today. It went well but I didnt reduce as I painted. I reduced it in jars.

The paint kept changing on me and it was cold in the shop. The owner was happy with the touch up but after 4 hours I was tired of not getting the flow I wanted.

It was dripping because the paint was too thick in spot so that became a pain. Caught the runs and thankfully the trailers are pretty beat up.

I will reduce as a paint tomorrow and I will let ya'll know. I enjoy it but the learning curve is tough. At least its a touch up and not fresh paint job. I dont have the skills yet for that.
 
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