KICK ASS ADVICE
by Todd Malcolmson - Kickasscustoms
Reducers - Fast, Medium, Slow
I was asked to explain how fast, medium, slow re- a rule of thumb it would only be used to spray paint
ducers work and also what they are used for. At first with a spray gun. Using fast reducer while airbrush-
I thought this was easy question as the names are ing causes the paint to frequently dry ( tip dry) on
self explanatory, or so I thought, as most of us af- the airbrush needle causing splattering.
ter years of airbrushing just know what reducer will
work best. The deciding factor in which reducer to RU311 Medium reducer: this is the most common re-
use is temperature. I have done some research on ducer used to airbrush/spray-paint. It is designed to
reducers so I can now explain to you what reducer’s be used in temperatures 75-85 F. In these tempera-
are and what the difference between the three. All tures you want the paint to be drying more slowly,
paint companies have their own brands of reducers this will prevent the paint from drying on the air-
for their products; some only have fast and slow. It is brush needle too often and also will allow the paint
always wise to use the reducers that the paint com- to still be wet when it hits the surface.
pany recommends for their products. In this article
I will explain House of Kolor reducers as this is the RU312 Slow reducer: this reducer is used with tem-
brand that we use to do most of our kustom work. peratures above 85 F, when the temperature is this
hot you need to slow the drying down to prevent tip
The main purposes of reducer’s are to adjust the cur- dry and to allow the paint to flow.
ing properties and viscosity (thickness) of the paint.
Reducer is volatile and does not become part of the So that is pretty much what and how reducers work.
paint film; it controls flow and application proper- The temperatures are only a guide but it gives you
ties of the paint and affects the stability of the paint a good starting point. When using other brands it is
while in a liquid state. Its main function is a carrier a good idea to ask at the shop for a tech data sheet,
for the non volatile components. Once the reducer this will also give you the right mixing ratios, some
has evaporated or disintegrated, the remaining paint are two to one, some are one to one, what I’ve found
is fixed to the surface. is it is best to mix paints one to one when airbrush-
ing, you can adjust the mixture from there which
Remember that all reducers are harmful to you and best suits the conditions, all these reducers can be
you must always wear the appropriate safety equip- intermixed if one on its own doesn’t suit your shop
ment. conditions.
RU 310 Fast reducer: as the name suggests it evap- Well I hope that this has shed some light on what re-
orates fast. The reason for using this reducer is if ducers do, always read the tech data sheets before
the surrounding temperature is between 65-75 F. As
you use a new product.
tank custom painted bu Todd Malcolmson
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