Looking around, I see it's generally not recommended.



However, I'm concerned that I might run into a problem with my current project.

Background... I'm working out of my mixed use shop. Chemicals of all sorts around on the shelves. The last time we painted, it was my son's truck and we were using cross fire paint. The guy I had spraying has his own body shop, so I'd consider him a professional. Anyway, we got fisheyes on our very 1st coat of top. H stopped and ordered a pint of lesonal fisheye eliminator.

He said there are so many things that could have caused the problem. Things as simple as a can of penetrating oil on a shelf some where. So, he put a cap full in every mix of base and clear, and we had no more problems.

With our current project, we're probably going with a different base/clear, so that addresses one of the items in the list above. But I'm nervous.

Any thoughts?

No personal experience but I have read on some of the TDS's that it is not recommended--I'd check the TDS and at the very least, if you are going to use it, shoot a test panel. Just my .02

It's true that the source of the problem could be anywhere. I had a huge fisheye problem some years ago when the shop across the road, but upwind, installed new booths and they used silicone to seal the flues. We had to wash every car then bring it inside, close the doors and Prepsol then alcohol wash every job inside the booth.

I'd also agree that fisheye eliminator is an absolute last resort solution. Removal of the source, thorough cleaning and preparation is a much better choice. Use a quality solvent cleaner like Prepsol, not the hardware store W&G removers, and also use an alcohol/water mix cleaner immediately prior to painting.

IF your useing a quality base coat and see fisheyes in your first coat STOP and let it dry good 1/2 hour ? then just spray a very light coat, almost like a mist coat on the fisheye areas. let this dry 15 20 min then do another 3 of these should cover the fisheye problems. now proceed as normal, applying the base to wet can magnify a fisheye problem. i also don't think its recommended in base coat, what does your tec sheet tell you? if your at the point that you've got a couple light fisheyes in your first coat of clear i would try the fish eye eliminator in the next coat. not much to lose at this point. i have a set procedure i do when i prep a car for paint, and have not had to use any fisheye eliminator for years. fisheyes are from slopy preparedness and not being aware of your surroundings.
Jay D.

Topics like these really help a guy like me. I too have a multi use shop. Besides really trying hard to clean everything, I use plastic to try and separate the painted parts from the shop. One, it keeps overspray off of my tools, boxes, and lift, but it keeps all of the dirt/junk from those things off of my part. That may be really hard in the OP place so your mileage may vary.

Fisheyes were not a problem!