Fish Eyes

09/23/2014


From original questioner:

Still getting fish eyes in my lacquer finish. I started using smoothie for a kitchen we sprayed and it worked fine. I am now spraying a wall unit and I am using the smoothie per specs on bottle and I am getting fish eyes here and there some are worse than others. It seems to be on the last place I spray but this might not be the case. I am also just spraying the primer now not the topcoat After a light scuffing I vacuum all the pieces before spraying and then lightly blow them off.The bottle of smoothie is old does it go bad. Any Ideas?

Pat

From contributor Pa


Pat,

Smoothie doesn't go bad. Sounds like you need just a little more to overcome the surface tension.


From contributor ri


Have you changed deodorant? I've heard stories about hand lotion, deodorant, and even hand soap causing problems. Did you refinish a piece or antique furniture? Maybe your sanding table is now contaminated. Here is some interesting reading.

From contributor ar


If you're using compressed air to blow off the surface, you might be getting oil from the compressor. This would make an ideal source for fisheye contamination that would defeat any amount of smoothie. Be aware that smoothie, which is silicone, will render the lacquer permanently soft..

From contributor pa


Thanks Paul. Rich I am pretty careful about all that stuff. We had this problem in a shop I worked in and found out it was the guy bringing the pieces into the spray room was eating a bag of chips! Aurthur I started using the smoothie because we were spraying an old kitchen and it had years of stuff on it who knows what and the smoothie was the only thing that worked with the fish eyes. I don't think it is the compressor I do have a filter on it also. Do you think the smoothie will affect the durability of the finish that much? My spray room is part of the shop so I am sure the silicone is every where any suggestions?

From contributor ar


It's a matter of degree. How much smoothie you use is critical. Stay within the suggestion on the bottle and you're probably okay. Go beyond it, and you're taking a chance.

From contributor Da


I think that there are better brands of fish eye eliminator. By "better" I mean more effective. Mohawk Finishing and Kwick Kleen Industrial Solvents address two brands that I like. Mohawks Wax Wash is top rate.