The Spray Painting Thread

[Neverland]

Windscreen trims?? You need to lever them at the clips. Use a rag and a broad bladed prybar (made for removing trim) that has an angled head. Get in under the outside part of the trim, and rock the prybar gently back. The rag is there to protect both the paint and the trim, so use a soft cotton one, and put it over the entire prybar head.

GA61xx... I like your P plate matching method... nice.

Thanks owen for the correction

[o_man_ra23]

Oh, just to clarify too, you NEED to pry where the clips are... otherwise you will distort your trim.

[Neverland]

HI guys here an update
Got the Arvo off and went to pick up the paints. Got home and thought to myself I'll just do the door jams.......well this is what I ended up doing doh







I also ended up doing the clear aswell.... Looks like I'll be Buffing on the weekend.
Silly me

[Neverland]

I'll get some better ones when the sun comes out to play

[MWP]

Looks like a lot of orange peel in that first photo.
Its going to take a lot of buffing if its like that all over

[EldarO]

lol at the plates on the rex

[Neverland]

Yeah there are a few spots so do you reckon I wet 'n dry and then clear coat again?

[ian]

hi neverland
let it dry for a few days then with a hard rubber block and some 800# with soapy water block it back flat and with a softer fexible rubbing block for the high spots
it will make buffing it back a lot easier you can also give it another coat of clear, if it blocks back nice and flat , make the top coat of clear a bit thinner , this makes it flow a lot better , careful not to get runs with the thinner mix
ian

[infotechplus]

I haven't been following this thread - I'm over spray painting for the immediate future - but I'll go back and start "from the start" later.

I noticed a few pages back the heavy coat of the primer that suggested too much fluid was coming from the gun. This can be rectified by adjusting the air and spray pattern (which I'm sure someone would have pointed out). Always test your gun settings on scrap first to adjust your gun!

For anyone contemplating spraying their own car, here's a great article I found covering all aspects of the job:

http://www.theautoist.com/body_repairs.htm

Also, for anyone in Sydney, and living in the western subrubs, VG Auto Paints at Girraween are running FREE intro spray painting courses on Saturday mornings at their premises in Amax Avenue. Times are 8:00 t0 12:00 and there's a nice BBQ put on afterwards.

I did the first course a couple of weeks ago and it was brilliant - everything from fixing a panel to painting to polishing. I learnt more there in four hours than I did at the 12 week TAFE course a couple of years ago. They are also doing a follow up course early next year.

Ring VG Auto Paint, ask for Mark and put your name down

[edit] Just saw on the VG site that the next class is scheduled for the 8th December.

11 Amax Ave Girraween
NSW 2145
Ph: (02) 9636 7809

PS. I am not affiliated or have any commercial or other interest in VG Auto Paints but I have been a customer for many years and they provide a top service. This free course only confirms that. I see on their site they have a little blurb about the course and they quoted me.

Cheers,

Peter

[infotechplus]

OK. Started reading this thread - I know I'll regret it and get too involved but what the heck!

My apologies if anything that I say below has already been said. I'll comment as I read through the thread.

Lesson #1: Paint Stripping is the sh*ttiest way to remove paint. It's messy, and for a novice, as the sigmesiter learnt, it's difficult and not worth the hours of effort. And as someone pointed out you then have to deal with the residue which means several washes. Sanding is the best way, more forgiving if you go easy, and you can achieve a beaut finish that only requires filler.

Lesson #2: Buy the best gun you can afford. I have several guns both HVLP and suction but I've done my best work with an expensive DeVilbiss. You get what you pay for.

Lesson #3: Keep the equipment scrupulously clean. No question, this is the single most important factor in doing a good job. I know after a day of painting you can be physically and mentally exhausted, and leave the cleaning up to later. NO NO NO - you must clean the gun thoroughly by taking it apart and using a soft bristle brush to clean its innards etc.

Lesson #4: Don't use a primer/putty combo. Get both. It's either primer or its (spray) putty - it can't do both jobs as well as separate products. Besides you spray primer with a 2.0mm gun and you spray putty with at least a 4.0mm gun specially made for the job.

OK. Back to reading.

Cheers,

Peter

[CrUZida]

My effort for the previous weekend.

About 4 coats of primer, followed by about 6 coats of Toyota Supra Red (3D1) (with sanding and bogging in between).

Doesn't look like a perfect match at the moment (not too happy about that), but we'll see what happens after a polish.

Using a bottle feed (vacuum?) gun, cost about $150odd, and a cheap Marlows teeny compressor. Gun pressure was about 55-60psi. (gun box recommends 45-70psi, paint recommends 40-60psi).
Primer went on pretty nasty as the vent hole in the gun was blocked and I didn't know

[infotechplus]

Lesson #5: When spraying acrylic always allow 15-20 minutes between applications of paint/undercoat to allow the solvents to fully go off (evaporate). Don't rush. If you apply too heavy a coat and don't give it time, your wet underlayer will bubble up through the top layers as it tries to evaporate.

Some good work being done out there guys. It's great to see so many people prepared to have a go. It just requires practice and patience, and some of the right gear. Although, remember that a full respray is a big job but the cost is not in the materials - it's in the time and skill you bring to the job.

Lesson #6: Don't be fooled by the old "If two coats is good, then 6 must be better". You only need 3 - 4 coats of colour, and probably 2 - 3 of clear over to do the job.

Lesson #7: There are two types of filler. Polyster filler for use on 2pacs is called "Nikky". The other more common type is called "Bog" for use on acrylics. You can't use Nikky on acrylic unless you completely strip the paint from the panel. It causes a visual ring in the paint where the Nikky reacts with the underlying acrylic paint. Bog is much cheaper than Nikky. Nikky is like a paste, easy to spread and sand. Bog requires a little more work. Both require a catalyst to make them go off. Make sure you mix as recommended and allow for the weather. Less on a hot day, more on a cold day.

Lesson #8: Never sand the colour coats.

Lesson #9: Never use Wet/Dry paper on any panel that has been filled. The Bog absorbs the moisture. Only use Dry papers. You can use Wet/Dry when you are colour-sanding, that is, rubbing back the clearcoat prior to polishing/buffing, use a 1200 paper.

Lesson #10: You can use a ROS (Random Orbital Sander) with paper grades down to 80 to start, and then up to 320 to finish by hand. Then you apply Spray Putty, but you need undercoat for it to adhere to the panel. Spray putty doesn't stick well to a bare panel so apply one coat of undercoat or etch primer first.

Hey CruZida: now I know what to do with all the old shower curtains. Good idea.

Cheers,

Peter

[horse]

with these shops that you guys go get paint from, are they an actual paint shop or just your regular panel beaters?

i find it funny that they can't mix your paint until "x" is open or "x" is in. the last time i did it, we just grabbed the code, grabbed the microfilm, put a pot on the scales and start pouring. have things changed or they just don't teach that anymore? or am i stuck in the past?

i believe any paint shop should be able to mix up your colour if you give a code right on the spot. none of this i have to wait for "x" to do it.

[CrUZida]

Its possible that some paint shops get all the mixtures from online sites, and that these companies that run the sites shut the computers down on the weekend.

I know in my local autoparts store I can't get the prices of a few things after normal hours because the supplier shuts there system down.

[andy]

i baught my paint from paint stop in ringwood. they mainly have automotive paints. but there are specialty paint shops scattered around melbourne.

the reason the guy fucked mine up is cos the folders he had where old. and when i picked the sample it told him to mix in this and that, but the tints and that in the paints where updated and it came out totally wrong. its still nqr cos i think he put intoo much white. but its good enough.