Lena Rivera
Fish eyes, also known as craters, are an unsightly paint defect characterised by small, crater-like openings that appear during or shortly after painting. They are typically caused by contaminants on the surface, such as oil, wax, silicone, grease, or even handprints and sweat. To prevent and address this issue, it is crucial to ensure proper surface preparation and cleaning before painting. This includes thorough cleaning with detergent and hot water, followed by a solvent cleaner, and wiping the surface dry. If fish eyes persist, additional measures such as sanding, using specific products like fish-eye destroyers or sealers, and adjusting application techniques may be necessary.
Characteristics and Values
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cause | Dirt, wax, oil, grease, silicone, or sweat contaminating the surface |
| Appearance | Small, circular, crater-like openings or spots |
| Prevention | Thoroughly clean the surface with detergent, hot water, and a solvent cleaner; wipe dry |
| Use pre-paint wipe or paint prep wipe | |
| Add silicone to the finish to reduce surface tension | |
| Seal the silicone with a coat of shellac | |
| Use a sealing product after sanding and cleaning | |
| Install an air filtering system to remove and prevent oil and moisture contamination | |
| Repair | Sand the surface to a smooth finish and refinish |
| Remove the paint, clean the surface, and re-coat |
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What You'll Learn
- Identify the cause of fish eye stains: surface contamination, such as oil, wax, grease, or silicone
- Prepare the surface properly: clean with detergent and water, then a solvent cleaner, and wipe dry
- Use the right painting technique: avoid over-wetting the surface and causing craters
- Fix fish eyes by sanding: sand down the affected area and refinish, or use wet sandpaper
- Prevent fish eyes with additives: use silicone or a shellac sealer to prevent craters
Identify the cause of fish eye stains: surface contamination, such as oil, wax, grease, or silicone
Fish eyes are small circular, crater-like openings that appear during or shortly after painting. They are generally caused by painting over surfaces contaminated with oil, wax, silicone, grease, or other similar substances.
To identify the cause of fish eyes, you should first suspect surface contamination. This could be due to various substances, including oil, wax, grease, or silicone. Oil contamination can occur through various sources, such as oily food products handled by workers, lubricants used in the workshop, or even from an oil-based compressor. Grease is another common contaminant, often left over from previous repairs or maintenance. Silicone is a well-known culprit, often introduced through the use of certain products like "Son Of a Gun" or even through the use of deodorant. Wax can also cause fish eyes, as paint may be repelled by wax left on surfaces.
It is important to thoroughly investigate the sources of contamination and take preventive measures. This may include ensuring workers wash their hands after eating oily foods, eliminating the use of certain lubricants or products that can leave behind wax or silicone, and properly preparing surfaces by cleaning with detergent, hot water, and solvent cleaners before painting.
Identifying the specific contaminant causing fish eyes can be challenging, but by systematically eliminating potential sources, you can prevent future occurrences and ensure a smooth finish for your painting projects.
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Prepare the surface properly: clean with detergent and water, then a solvent cleaner, and wipe dry
To prevent fisheye stains from coming through paint, it is important to prepare the surface properly. Fisheyes are caused by contamination of the surface you are spraying, with water, oil, grease, wax, and silicone being the most common contaminants.
First, clean the surface with a detergent and hot water. This will help to remove any dirt, grease, or oil that may be present. Next, use a solvent cleaner to remove any remaining contaminants, such as wax or silicone. It is important to note that if you are using alcohol to degrease, it should be denatured alcohol. Once the surface is clean, wipe it dry with clean rags or microfiber cloths.
In addition to properly cleaning and preparing the surface, it is also important to take steps to prevent contamination from other sources. For example, make sure to wear gloves to avoid transferring skin oil onto the surface. Power tools should also be regularly maintained to ensure they do not leak fluids onto the fresh paint. If you are using a compressor, it may be a good idea to flush your lines and clean your tank, and to use an air oil separator.
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Use the right painting technique: avoid over-wetting the surface and causing craters
Fish eyes, also known as craters, are small circular, crater-like openings that appear during or shortly after painting. They are caused by contamination of the surface being painted. Water, oil, grease, and silicone are common contaminants. Even skin oil from the technician's hands can cause fish eyes.
To avoid fish eyes, it is crucial to use the right painting technique and avoid over-wetting the surface. When applying a lacquer finish, it is essential to build up a thickness of lacquer without wetting the surface. The first coat should be dry enough that it does not dissolve the dust coats, but wet enough to combine them. This technique requires practice to perfect.
Adding silicone to the finish is another effective method for preventing fish eyes. Silicone lowers the surface tension of the finish, allowing it to flow out evenly. However, it is important to note that adding silicone will contaminate your spray gun, requiring thorough cleaning to remove the oil. Seal the silicone with a coat of shellac, but avoid using a very wet coat of lacquer as it may dissolve the shellac.
If you are using a solvent lacquer, you can add silicone directly to it and stir. However, if you are using varnish or polyurethane, you will need to thin the silicone with mineral spirits first. Adding an eyedropper or two of silicone per quart of finish will give it a slicker feel and may slightly increase the gloss.
In addition to using the right painting technique and choosing the appropriate finish, it is essential to prepare the surface properly before painting. The surface should be thoroughly cleaned with detergent and hot water, followed by a solvent cleaner, and wiped dry to remove any contaminants that may cause fish eyes.
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Fix fish eyes by sanding: sand down the affected area and refinish, or use wet sandpaper
Fish eyes are caused by a contaminant with low surface tension, often silicone oil found in furniture polish. To fix fish eyes by sanding, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, identify the cause of the fish eyes. In most cases, it is due to silicone contamination, but it can also be caused by other contaminants such as oil, wax, grease, or previous repairs containing "fish eye eliminator" additive. If you suspect silicone contamination, you can confirm this by applying a wet coat of stain or mineral spirits; if the surface fish eyes or crawls, then silicone is likely the culprit.
Next, you'll want to prepare the surface for sanding. If the paint is still wet, remove the paint film with a solvent, clean the surface, and refinish. If the contaminant is silicone or a similar substance, thoroughly clean the surface with a strong detergent, such as trisodium phosphate (TSP), and water. This will help break down and remove the oil from the wood. You can also use a citrus-based dish soap, such as Lemon Joy, to wash the surface before sanding.
Now, it's time to start sanding. If the fish eyes are in the paint, sand down the affected area until the clear coat or paint is removed. Use fine-grit sandpaper, such as 120-150 grit, to sand the surface evenly and smoothly. Be careful not to cut through the stain or epoxy. If you are working with epoxy, allow it to cure hard before sanding. You can then apply another seal coat of epoxy using a foam roller to fill in any craters.
After sanding, you may need to refinish the surface. Apply a fresh coat of paint or finish, being sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper application. If desired, you can add a product like Smoothie to your finish to help reduce the appearance of fish eyes. This product lowers the surface tension of the finish, preventing the formation of fish eyes.
In some cases, you may need to repeat the sanding and refinishing process multiple times, especially if the fish eyes are deep or numerous. Additionally, consider installing an air filtering system to remove and prevent oil and moisture contamination in your work environment.
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Prevent fish eyes with additives: use silicone or a shellac sealer to prevent craters
Fish eyes, or paint bubbles, are small circular craters that appear during or shortly after painting. They are generally caused by contamination from oil, wax, silicone, grease, etc. To prevent this, you can use additives such as silicone or a shellac sealer.
Silicone is a synthetic material made from silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. It can be a liquid, gel, resin, or hard plastic. The liquid version of silicone is a synthetic oil that is noticeably slicker than mineral oil. It is often found in furniture polishes, hand lotions, cosmetics, and even deck stains. When used as a finish, silicone can cause fish eyes because the finish pulls away from it rather than flowing over it. To prevent this, you can add silicone to the finish. This is usually the best method for preventing fish eyes because it is the most predictably effective.
However, if silicone is already present in the wood, you can seal it with a coat of shellac. Shellac is a natural resin that is commonly available and easy to apply. It is not as durable as lacquer or varnish and is not very resistant to heat or alcohol. When using shellac to seal silicone, avoid using a very wet coat of lacquer as it could dissolve the shellac. Instead, use a thinner coat of lacquer to finish.
In addition to silicone and shellac, there are other sealers available to prevent fish eyes, including oil-based fast-dry sanding sealers, primer for paint, lacquer-based vinyl sealers, and water-based sealers. It is important to choose a sealer that is compatible with your finish. You can check with the finish manufacturer to determine the appropriate sealer for your project.
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Frequently asked questions
Fish eyes are caused by contamination of the surface you are spraying. Water, oil, grease, lubricants, skin oil, and silicone are the most common contaminants. To avoid this, thoroughly clean the surface with detergent and hot water, followed by a solvent cleaner. Wipe dry with clean microfiber rags before painting.
Apart from the contaminants mentioned above, fish eyes can also be caused by handprints, droplets of sweat, and improper spraying technique.
If the paint is still wet, remove the paint film with a solvent, clean the surface, and refinish. If the paint has dried, sand to a smooth finish below the fisheye cratering and refinish.
To prevent fish eyes, you can add silicone to your finish, which lowers the surface tension and makes the finish slicker. You can also seal the silicone in the wood with a sprayed coat of shellac.
Fish eyes, also known as craters or paint bubbling, are small circular, crater-like openings that appear during or shortly after painting. They cause spots or bubbles in the paint job, resembling a "fisheye".
