2 pack polyurethane

mrshankly

Does anyone know where I can get smaller quantities of 2 pack polyurethane mixed in solid colours?
only seem to get minimum 5 litres 

Deadman

Any good?

http://www.kentpaint.co.uk/acatalog/Polyurethane.html

Not sure from looking at their store which activator you need though. Probably best to call them. 

Gassage

Two Pack?

Respect.

Corvus

Be very careful of the activator - ask the shop, but also check out the product code and look up the MSDS. Some of those contain isocyanates - you don't want to mess around with those.

mrshankly

Problem with car paint is it needs to be slightly flexible so tends to dry slightly soft. Anybody know of poly for wood?

Deadman

We use a company called PPG Aerospace and they do a flexible polyurethane, not sure if it's available to private customers but there are definitely products out there. I've painted lots of guitars in normal poly however and never had a problem.

Corvus

The word poly is misleading. There's single pack polyurethane which is basically furniture paint, and catalysed polyurethane, general purpose stuff.

Car paint is a different thing and is actually what's on most guitars - called two-pack or 2k here, also acrylic urethane, catalysed urethane or just urethane in the States often. Decent quality 2k sets well, feels good and crisp. Cheaper stuff can feel plasticky.
Sometimes they're painted in a solid colour. Sometimes they're 'base & clear' - the colour layer is 1k acrylic (solvent based), with a two-pack clearcoat.

Technically 2k could also be called polyurethane I believe but usually isn't, to avoid confusing two pack with the gen purpose stuff.

The problem with the activator/catalysts is if they contain isocyanates; they can cause sensitisation, industrial asthma, total respiratory failure. One mate woke up in A&E on a ventilator after his wife found him passed out. Some are more sensitive than others. I have pressure-fed breathing kit. A mate gets by so far with an open shed, good organic vapour mask, and getting out of it asap but it's still rolling the dice somewhat.
Please 'scuse me if you know this, but if you don't, read up on iso's and 2k activators. Here's one thread

You can brush 2k to avoid the risk but it doesn't do that well and it's a motherload of sanding.