Anybody have tips for the DIY painter?

[boostcraver]

So I'm doing a little body work on my car during my time off work between Christmas and New Year's and I need a few pointers in regards to the paintwork. Are there any body men out there who could give me a little advice as to the supplies needed to do the job the right way? I have used an hvlp gun before and am familiar with wetsanding/colorsanding techniques as well as buffing/polishing. What I need to know is how much paint/hardener/reducer/flexall etc to buy and how to get the right proportions when mixing? Any tips/tricks to share that might save me some time and/or frustration? Also, what else do I need to properly prep bare metal before primer? I will have a few bare spots where new panels are to be welded in to replace the rusty ones. Thanks to any who have something useful/helpful to add.

 

[Chaingun]

Do you have access to a paint booth? Just a garage won't cut it, i'm not much of a painter, but i've built a booth using this method http://www.ehow.com/how_4498772_build-paint-booth.html and my friend has used it for a few projects, it's not a baking booth by any means but it's serviceable with good filters and fans, i'll post some pics if you want when i can get to the shop, but it's pretty self explanatory


Also check here for alot of painting info http://learnautopainting.com/auto-paint-repair/

 

[MDCmotorsports]

For most of your questions.... Get the 3m mixing system for the your HVLP gun. It has a liner that goes inside the clean plastic cup that has a measure on the outside.

When you're done, simply dispose of the liner. The graduations on the outside of the cup helps you mix the rations. Its boner proof.

As for how MUCH to mix, just ask your paint store. As usual, the less hardener, the slower the cure. The more hardener, the faster the cure.

Hope this helps.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...market/Training-Resources/Best_Practices/PPS/

 

[boostcraver]

Do you have access to a paint booth? Just a garage won't cut it, i'm not much of a painter, but i've built a booth using this method http://www.ehow.com/how_4498772_build-paint-booth.html and my friend has used it for a few projects, it's not a baking booth by any means but it's serviceable with good filters and fans, i'll post some pics if you want when i can get to the shop, but it's pretty self explanatory


Also check here for alot of painting info http://learnautopainting.com/auto-paint-repair/

Lots of good info. Thanks for the links!

---------- Post added at 01:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:03 PM ----------

For most of your questions.... Get the 3m mixing system for the your HVLP gun. It has a liner that goes inside the clean plastic cup that has a measure on the outside.

When you're done, simply dispose of the liner. The graduations on the outside of the cup helps you mix the rations. Its boner proof.

As for how MUCH to mix, just ask your paint store. As usual, the less hardener, the slower the cure. The more hardener, the faster the cure.

Hope this helps.

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/...market/Training-Resources/Best_Practices/PPS/

I had no idea such a thing existed. That is sure to save me some time and headache. Thank you!

 

[Flateric]

The ratios are VERY paint specific and even then sometimes color specific. So no-one is able to help you there. Just be sure to get them for your chosen paint specifically at time of purchase.

I painted my car in my garage with alot of careful prep of both the car and the garage. But the biggest inside tip I think that helped me the most was to buy a "paint snake". Thats what they call them here anyways. It is like a line dryer but about 3 feet long and contains the little beads that absorb moisture . It is about 2 1/2 times thicker than your typical 3/8" inch hose. Nothing cleaned up my paint and helped eliminated my finishing issues more than this one item. They cost about $30.

Be certain to put a air filter downstream from it though just to catch any stray dust the beads may release.

The first body panel I painted ever was done in a heated garage here when it was a deadly -48c for more than a week straight. The panel turned out flawlessly and so I was very encouraged. However, after this initial success it was all downhill from there. Took me more than a few times to finally find out that since it was so very damned cold the air was super dry and didn't cause me problems during the spray.

Later when it was warmed up the air contained more moisture and caused lots of problems for me.

Also, when doing the final clear coat passes be sure to mix more than you actually need and be aware that it must be applied more heavily and faster to avoid a "dry" clearcoat which is dusty looking and a nightmare to sand and attempt to correct. Not sure though if this is the case with all clearcoats or specific to mine.

I was spraying Sherwin-Williams product BTW.

Let me know if you have any questions, glad to help and anxious to see you results.

 

[joel903]

Also if you're planning on doing it at home, make sure you have a air compressor that recharges air really quick as a paint gun will run the smaller less hp air compressors dry quick!

 

[Bleakvoid]

Also if you're planning on doing it at home, make sure you have a air compressor that recharges air really quick as a paint gun will run the smaller less hp air compressors dry quick!

Capacity and duty cycle are key, just like welding. Make sure that your compressor can handle the volume of air you need at the pressure you're painting with at least a 90% duty cycle. This means that in an hour of continuous use, it'll paint for 54 minutes and charge the tank fully in 6. It's really frustrating to run out of air while spraying, even more so when your compressor decides not to make enough pressure for long enough to dry an incomplete coat of paint.

As for prep work...sand sand sand sand sand. By hand. High speed tools leave grooves that will show through paint, so leave that for stripping the mass of the paint off. Feather that bitch until you see a topography map of the layers of paint; it should look like a nice piece of woodgrain, almost, with the body lines dictating width of sections. Patches on sharp edges will have layers closer together, while areas on flat metal should have wider swathes of paint layers. Get stoned or something before hand, cause it's tedious and time consuming...but there's something cathartic about spending hours prepping for paint. There's a reason that people will tell you how extensive their bodywork was in hours instead of dollars.

 

[boostcraver]

The ratios are VERY paint specific and even then sometimes color specific. So no-one is able to help you there. Just be sure to get them for your chosen paint specifically at time of purchase.

I painted my car in my garage with alot of careful prep of both the car and the garage. But the biggest inside tip I think that helped me the most was to buy a "paint snake". Thats what they call them here anyways. It is like a line dryer but about 3 feet long and contains the little beads that absorb moisture . It is about 2 1/2 times thicker than your typical 3/8" inch hose. Nothing cleaned up my paint and helped eliminated my finishing issues more than this one item. They cost about $30.

Be certain to put a air filter downstream from it though just to catch any stray dust the beads may release.

The first body panel I painted ever was done in a heated garage here when it was a deadly -48c for more than a week straight. The panel turned out flawlessly and so I was very encouraged. However, after this initial success it was all downhill from there. Took me more than a few times to finally find out that since it was so very damned cold the air was super dry and didn't cause me problems during the spray.

Later when it was warmed up the air contained more moisture and caused lots of problems for me.

Also, when doing the final clear coat passes be sure to mix more than you actually need and be aware that it must be applied more heavily and faster to avoid a "dry" clearcoat which is dusty looking and a nightmare to sand and attempt to correct. Not sure though if this is the case with all clearcoats or specific to mine.

I was spraying Sherwin-Williams product BTW.

Let me know if you have any questions, glad to help and anxious to see you results.

Also if you're planning on doing it at home, make sure you have a air compressor that recharges air really quick as a paint gun will run the smaller less hp air compressors dry quick!

Good to know. What do think of a 5hp belt driven pump and a 60 gal tank? Will that be sufficient? Also, anyone know about using etching primer on the bare metal parts after welding? I have heard this is necessary before the regular primer but don't know why. Seems like a waste of time and money to me to hit it with two different primers but IDK what I'm doing when it comes to refinishing bare metal. I usually just polish it