Createx AutoBorne Sealer Grey 6003

AutoBorne Sealer
Water-Based, Acrylic Resin Primer
VOC 63.54 g/L

Edited November 1, 2022 – This tech sheet supersedes any other inconsistent information, including the label.

Description

AutoBorne Sealer (“Sealer”) is sealer-primer intended for use as the starting ground coat when painting hard, non-porous surfaces.  Sealer has excellent adhesion and dries to a hard coating over which Createx paints cover quickly, dry fast and level for a flat finish without texture.

Sealer is compatible with all Createx paints, as well as other paint types, and is recommended for all applications except when painting fabric, paper and canvas.

Although not required for adhesion before applying Createx paints, Sealer can be lightly dry sanded to remove any texture, if needed, before applying paint. Sealer sands well, shaving into fine particulates when dry sanded with 600 – 1000 grit sandpaper.

Thinning, Spray-Gun & Airbrush Settings

Thin with 4011 Reducer. Allow reduced Sealer 10+ minutes to acclimate for best flow and leveling.

Spray-Gun: 1.3mm – 1.4mm tip

• Spray at manufacturer’s recommended inlet psi.
  
• Thin 5% - 10% per volume.

Mini-Gun: 1.2mm tip

• Spray at manufacturer’s recommended inlet psi.
  
• Thin ~ 10% per volume.
  

Airbrush: 0.5mm tip size or larger.

• Thin 10% - 25% per volume.
  
• Spray ~ 25 – 30+ psi.

⇒ Thinning (reduction) amounts are guidelines. Avoid excessive reduction so as not to affect adhesion.

⇒ Keep Sealer capped air-tight unless pouring paint from bottle. Only add reducer to Sealer intended for use within a 48-hour period.

⇒ For airbrush tip-sizes smaller than 0.5mm, use 6000 Transparent Sealer as other Sealers will not spray well through small airbrush tip-sizes.

Preparation

Scuff substrate or primer 220 – 800 grit sandpaper.
Clean surface with a solvent-based degreaser or isopropyl alcohol.  Excessive cleaning is not required, often a simple wipe with a lint free tack-cloth is enough.

Sealer requires 48-hours air drying for it to fully cure, after which adhesion is optimum. If applying Sealer to an un-scuffed substrate such as polished aluminum, allow a full 48-hours air drying for applying paint.
Sanding Sealer is not required prior to applying paint.

Application

Refer to Hard-Surface & Automotive Application Guide for complete application information.

Sealer works best when applied as a medium-wet coat. Avoid dry-spraying by applying at too high a psi setting or too small a tip-size, especially when applying by airbrush.

Apply initial coat, and all coats, as a medium-wet coat.
Do not dry-spray or apply an acclimation coat as initial coat.

Apply Sealer with a 50/50 overlapping fan pattern.

Drying Times & Humidity

Estimated drying times are set at 70⁰F / 21⁰C and 50% relative humidity (RH).  Allow for extended drying times in colder or humid conditions. Painting in temperatures under 55⁰F / 12⁰C is not recommended.

Allow Sealer to dry tack-free before applying next coat of Sealer or paint. Re-coat time is ~ 10 minutes in between coats.

Drying time before applying Createx paint is ~ 20 – 30 minutes. Allow Sealer enough time to dry tack -free and form a hard surface so colors flow over Sealer resulting in a smoother finish. The longer Sealer is allowed to dry and form a hard coating, the flatter colors lay down over it, as well as the better tape stays down without lifting along tight graphic lines.

Use air flow from a fan blowing air across the painted surface (not direct at surface) to assist drying.

There are no time windows.  Createx paints may be applied over Sealer anytime without scuffing required for adhesion.

Substrates / Surfaces

Apply Sealers direct to any substrate except silicone.

AutoBorne 6000 Transparent Sealer has the best adhesion and is recommended as the initial coating to difficult-to-paint substrates such as hard plastics.

Apply Sealer direct to substrate for:

• Aluminum
• Plastic
• Fiberglass
• Wood
• 3D Print Material: PLA, ABS & Nylon
• Urethane Resin Case
• Ceramic
• Polycarbonate
• Urethane & Epoxy Casting Resin
• Foam
• Most any substrate

Plastic – Clean the plastic thoroughly, ensuring all oils are removed from the surface. A final wipe of isopropyl alcohol with a lint-free rag works well. For harder plastics, use 6000 Transparent Sealer as the initial, adhesion coating.

Metal – A catalyzed (2k) direct-to-metal primer is recommended as the initial primer direct to metal, especially when painting a metal panel edge-to-edge. While yes, due to drying-agents, Sealer can be applied direct to metal without risk of corrosion, it is not the same as applying a primer which etches into the metal insofar as truly protecting the paintjob.  

Silicone – Sealer does not adhere to silicone, and silicone-like plastics. Always test first before using a new paint and substrate together.

Sanding

Sealer does not have to be scuffed or sanded prior to applying any Createx Colors paint or other paint type.

Sealers can be dry sanded, with material easily shaving off using 600 – 1000 grit sandpaper. If Sealers appear to “roll” in paper, allow for more drying time so it shaves finely.

Wet sanding is not recommended. Dry sand only.

Coverage

AutoBorne Sealer cover opaque in 2 – 3 coats.

1-Gallon of Sealer covers 350 - 400 square feet.

Color-key Sealer with color of Createx paint to increase coverage and reduce texture, especially when painting with pearls. For example, apply 5308 Airbrush Pearl Blue over 6009 Sealer Process Blue.

6000 Transparent Sealer

Transparent Sealer has the best adhesion of all Sealers and is recommended as the adhesion coating when panting difficult-to-paint substrates such as polished aluminum and hard-plastics such as styrene.

Transparent Sealer is a clear, excellent for use as a protective inter-coat clear applied over base and metallic colors before applying graphic tape and colors. To prevent graphic-colors from leaching under (crawling) under tape-lines, apply a little 6000 Transparent Sealer along the tape’s edge to the cover any small pores and openings, so graphic colors have clean looking lines against tape edges.

6000 Transparent Sealer can also be used as a pearl-flake carrier, although it does not have much build as 4050 UVLS Gloss clear , which is a better carrier for metal-flake and larger pearl-flakes such as Wicked Hot Rod Sparkle.

6013 Silver Sealer

6013 Silver Sealer is a metallic silver which is also a starting ground coat with excellent adhesion direct to substrate.

Silver Sealer is the standard base metallic for candy2o.
Apply candy2o over Silver Sealer for a candied, metallic color.

Silver Sealer is, itself, an excellent silver, made with medium & large sized flakes of aluminum for a brilliant silver that is well-orientated and covers well.

Fluorescent Paintjobs

Color-key fluorescent colors with a Sealer color for the base, so when the fluorescent color eventually begins to fade, the color loss is not as noticeable compared to applying the fluorescent color over a white base.

For a long-lasting fluorescent paintjob which best survives direct light exposure, not only can fluorescent colors be applied over a color-keyed Sealer, but the Sealer can be directly mixed (1:1) with the fluorescent color and this mix is applied over the Sealer. Then, the fluorescent color is applied next, over the Sealer-fluorescent mix.
For example, when using Createx 5405 Fluorescent Yellow for an outdoor sign, first apply a base of 6004 Sealer Yellow.
Then, mix Fluorescent Yellow 1:1 Sealer Yellow and apply this mix over the Sealer Yellow. After the Sealer - Fluorescent mix has dried tack-free, apply Fluorescent Yellow over the mix.
There is now a good barrier of standard yellow pigment to help offset and hide the eventual loss of the Fluorescent Yellow dye.

Cleaning AutoBorne Sealers

Sealers can be cleaned with a solvent-based degreaser. Cleaning is not usually required prior to top-coating with Createx paint.
Allow Sealer 30-minutes or more prior to cleaning.

Cleaning Equipment

Use warm water and 4011 Reducer to clean and rinse gun in between colors when using.

Use 4008 Restorer as a final cleaner to remove any dried paint from the airbrush or spray-gun’s metallic parts after painting.

Pot-Life & Storage

Sealers do not have a pot life after mixing with 4011 Reducer. 
Store sealers air-tight in a cool, dry environment away from direct light.

Long-term storage of paint after adding 4011 Reducer is not recommended. Only add reducer to Sealer intended for use within a 48-hour period. Keep Sealer capped air-tight unless pouring paint from bottle.

Sealers are best stored in temperatures between 60 – 80 degrees F.

Avoid freezing.  Sealers will not thaw back in good condition if allowed to freeze.

Health & Safety

Use in a well-ventilated area.  Avoid contact with eyes. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after use.  Do not ingest. When spraying or sanding, use a properly fitted respirator per the manufacturer’s instructions.

Eye contact: Rinse with clean water for 15 minutes.  Seek medical attention.

Use in in well ventilated areas and wear a NIOSH / MSHA approved respirator.

Refer to AutoBorne Sealer SDS for additional information.