I built a couple of filter frames and installed paint booth filters. The covers are hinged to I can easily replace them.

To remove the overspray and fumes, I have two 1400 CFM ventilators. One is permanently installed for use in my upstairs finishing room. The makeup air from the upstairs comes from the downstairs through holes I cut in the attic floor. Filters cover those openings. The second ventilator is a window unit I use in my remodeling business to remove dust/fumes from the work area. Both are positioned opposite the intake filters, so I get great cross flow.

I'll build a visqueen paint booth when it's time to spray base/clear.

I stripped the right side of the truck, sanded with a DA sander with 320 and an interface pad, then sprayed four coats of high build 2k urethane primer.

Here are my block sanding tools. I used the 16" block for the large, flat areas, the round one for the contoured areas, the 6" one close to the edges and around the handle openings, and the other two where none others would fit.

I used the 3M powdered guide coat. I like it more than the spray can stuff.

The lower spots are where I sanded through to the black epoxy primer. I stopped blocking at that point. The middle and upper spots are lows, very shallow lows. I debated just hitting them with more primer, but it has to dry for three hours before dry sanding. The polyester glazing compound is ready to sand in 20 minutes, so I chose the latter option.

I don't think I have the hang of using the polyester glazing. I think I applied too much and had to do a whole lot of sanding. It caused me more work than it should have. When I do the left side, I will just hit these low spots with a couple more coats and see how that works out. I realize that if the lows are deep, you shouldn't use more primer, but most of these spots you couldn't really feel. You could only see them, thanks to the guide coat.

Here I've applied glazing compound to the low spots. Too much hardener made me rush to get it applied before it hardened. I probably could have spread it smoother and thinner had I not overdosed it with hardener.

I applied epoxy primer to the couple of places where I exposed the metal, then applied two more coats of primer. After I get the entire truck to his stage, I'll block sand one more time with 600. I think I'm being a little too anal retentive. It is a work truck after all, but I just can't seem to let it go without being close to perfect.

If people would quit bugging me about remodeling their kitchens, I might be able to knock out this project. I think I can squeeze in a few days this week to do the left side.

I finally found my color. At first I really loved Ford's Gem Green Metallic, especially after seeing an F-150 up close. It looked black until the light hit it just right, then the dark green jumped out. Then I saw a newer Tundra painted with Spruce Green Mica.

I bought a pint of each and sprayed up a test panel using the quarter panel I cut off the truck after my fender bender with a bus. I sprayed the Ford paint first, and I was wowed. I thought painting the Spruce sample was just a formality. But seeing them side by side, my wife and I both liked the Spruce Green Mica. You can pick up reflections of brown and avacado. It's really sharp!

I pulled a huge dent out of the inside of my tailgate caused by a very heavy queen palm rootball.

I tried stud welds and a slide hammer, but that wasn't cutting it. So I broke out the come-along. With the pull tab tack welded in five different places, I was able to get it pretty darn straight. After spray-on bedliner, it'll look perfect, kind of like orange peel over bad drywall work.

Before

After

I've got four days in a row to work on the left side of the truck. I hope to have most of the priming and initial blocking completed.

I scratched up the clear to find any dings. I almost completely missed the dent under the left headlight. I couldn't push it out, so I had to use my stud welder. I also sanded off all the bad clear coat and base coat on the top surfaces.

I finished up yesterday after applying the glazing compound. I mixed it too cold, so I couldn't block it yesterday afternoon. Haven't checked on it this morning. Hope it's good and hard.

Doin' it up RIGHT, nice job nate!