Re: [VAL] Re: Zolatone

["Colin Hyde" <chyde@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Uwe,
The information I conveyed yesterday came to me directly from the Regional
Sales Manager of Zolatone Automotive, Industrial and Marine, along with
several years of experience applying it to the interior of vintage
Airstream's and other prototype vehicles. I'm not exactly sure when this
particular division came into being, although they have been the ones
supplying us since we started using it. After looking through the "Polymix
Traditional"  literature on the website listed above and comparing it to the
"20 Series " information we have here & on the website www.zolatoneaim.com ,
it appears that they may be one in the same product and sold through
different divisions under different names. They do offer an acrylic (latex)
version of the Polymix which is probably what my contact was originally
referring to.
 I'm not really sure what you're referring to when you mentioned "not as
tough as truck bedliner" as Zolatone AIM offers a product called "Tuff
Rider" which is designed as a bedliner, however it is a completely different
product than what is used inside Airstream's. Zolatone 20 Series paints come
in 24 different colors, and as you said do not match any of the vintage
colors very well. At the direction of our contact at ZolatoneAIM,  along
with our "on staff" painter with over 30 years of automotive paint
experience and our "on staff" Interior Designer we have blended some of the
20 Series paints to suit Airstream period colors offered during the 50's &
60's and the clients decor. The equipment required to spray this type of
paint is commonly available & not particularly expensive. The website
mentions that you require a "pressure pot" type system or an HVLP type
system. They are correct if the pattern required has larger globule sizes.
If a finer looking pattern is what you are looking for, (which is also what
was used in many of the Airstream's originally) it is possible to use a
"siphon type" gun or a "gravity feed" type gun. In order for the
siphon/gravity feed guns to pick up the globules of paint, a smaller nozzle
is required which is why the pattern ends up much finer. The pressure pot
system is really the best low cost system to use as it allows you a much
greater flexibility in nozzle size & pattern variation. Keep in mind that
all of the systems mentioned above require an air compressor and are not
what is commonly referred to as an "Airless" paint system.
Hopefully this clears up some of the misconceptions of my earlier posting.
Colin Hyde
GSM Vehicles Inc.
www.theVAP.com