Looking for a Martin-Senour paint help.....

volspeed1970 · #1 05-13-2010, 05:30 PM

Does anyone on here sell, use, or rep for Martin-Senour automotive paint? A good friend of mine is having some curing issues with their paints, and his local paint rep is not very helpful as to how to fix the problem. Anybody that can help let me know and I will put him in touch with you. I know nothing about restoration work and saw that there are some really good shops listed on here that might have some answers.

JT

**SuperNovaSS** · #2 05-13-2010, 05:36 PM

What is the problem? I use it quite a bit. I had trouble with some of their paint lately too.

Jason

volspeed1970 · #3 05-13-2010, 06:03 PM

Jason he says it will not fully cure and that the base is staying soft under the clear. Here is what he sent to me by email last night: "Since last January we have painted a customers car three times, each time we have the same issue with the paint staying soft. The first time we thought it was something to do with the weather, and we consulted the local paint salesman as to what to do. He said add hardener to the base then clear the car after 4+ hours. Seemed to be the fix until we buffed the car and the paint wadded up under the clear! The local sales rep said there is an issue with the clear and he said to repaint it using the top of the line stuff that they just came out with. Painted the car again in September, still got the same results. Now it is May and the paint is still so soft that it imprints with a thumbnail. We are going to paint the car using Dupont next time, but we feel that there is a major issue with Martin Senout paints. We know that a recall was issued for the Mixing clear (their basecoat fixer) sometime in September, then again in November. We have heard of others with similar issues that started last year around February or March. We are not getting anywhere with the local rep, and he says the regional rep is standing behind him in this decision that it is painter error. Though we have other painters do test panels and got the same results......" He goes onto to say that he is going to have a sample tested by a lab up there in Michigan to see what is going on. He has sprayed other brands of paint and they have cured out hard as a brick, and this is the first time in 20+ years that he has had any issues with Martin-Senour paints. He feels Martin-Senour has some issues and doesn't want to stand behind what they sell and he wants to find others that have been having the same issues to help substantiate his story. What problems have you been having and I will relay them to him or put you in touch with him?

JT

**SuperNovaSS** · #4 05-14-2010, 02:47 AM

Intersting. I had mt 68 GTO painted black and got mirco bubbles under the base from improper adhesion. I worked at NAPA in Hawaii and sold this paint. Never had a problem with it there but I may go back to Dupont or PPG as well.

Jason

bluel78 · #5 05-14-2010, 04:45 AM

Did he add hardner to the base? What clear did he use?

**SuperNovaSS** · #6 05-14-2010, 05:14 AM

The guy who painted the GTO mixed as the sheets said. The clear was the martin senour.

Jason

**firstgenaddict** · #7 05-14-2010, 05:50 AM

I have used Dupont products for ever, Lucite and Centari when I began 30 years ago, now I really like the Chroma system.

Enoch · #8 05-14-2010, 03:55 PM

JT,

I wish your friend the best in trying to get even anything from SW. I had a problem with Dupont Lucite 18 years ago. 2 paint jobs went south, both cracked before the left the shop. 2 reps came out after much prodding by me. One was the NJ rep and the other the North East rep, they told me to my face that it was thier problem with a bad tint BUT they did not warentee Lucite PERIOD!! I wound up blocking the paint off the cars and using another brand paint...18 years later they still look like the day they were finished.

Rich

volspeed1970 · #9 05-14-2010, 10:33 PM

I talked with my friend today and he said that a lab in NJ told him that this is not the first time in the past year that MS or SW paints have been sent to them for testing. Most of the other cases have been in litigation and sent by an attorney. He used hardener in the base one time and it seemed to make it worse than without using it. Oh well maybe time will tell, but I believe they are going to have their hands full with the paint company and litigation will be their only avenue.

JT

volspeed1970 · #10 05-21-2010, 03:09 AM

An update on this and Martin Senour has found that the problem is in their product and not a painters issue. I guess it won't have to come to litigation. Thank you from my buddy for eveyone's help.

JT

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