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PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:08 pm
When applying med to large batches of filler, get the filler on the car first, then spread it out. Body filler is exothermic when mixed ( it generates heat ) when you have a large mass on a board the heat builds up and it hardens faster.

When using Devillbiss Gunner cups always turn gun upside down and pull trigger for 3-5 seconds to draw any material in vent tube back into cup before spraying, this applies any time you put the gun down and pick it back up.

If you have a situation where you need to smooth out a small area of clear that's not full dry, wet sand with a solvent wax and grease remover instead of water.

When spraying in a down draft booth paint from the top down, that way over spray isn't being pulled down over fresh paint.

When spraying HS primers apply first coat to edges of where you want your repair, the next coat in a smaller area, etc. Doing the opposite can lead to a situation of bridging where you spray over dry edge of last coat.

Back tape for priming, put your paper on so it covers repair area then pull outward over tape to get a "soft edge " This technique can be used in many masking situations.

When starting to spray on any edge your first coat should be half on panel and half off. ( super critical on candy colors )

When I spray an overall with Spies Hecker clear I add 1/2 cap of Spies flex additive per qt, of RTS clear. Tip is from the Spies rep and it worked for me. I would not do this with any other paint line only Spies.



This next tip of adjusting spray guns in off the ********** site:

Place a piece of masking paper on the wall, then set the fan how you like it. Adjust the air pressure to the rate that you plan to spray with. Screw in the fluid adjustment all the way. Hold the gun from the paper the distance that you would normally spray (usually 6-8 inches) and give the trigger a quick squeeze and release. If anything comes out of the gun it should be very little and dry. Turn the fluid out one full turn and repeat this procedure half a turn at a time until you are getting an even pattern and the paint is even in build. If it is metallic the metallic should spray even as well. At this point go to a rocker or bottom of a fender on the car and make a 12-inch pass. You will most likely have to back the fluid out one-half to one full turn to spray at the speed you want then fine tune your air pressure.

Now the gun is very close in adjustment, you should be able to lay the clear orange peel free with out running it, and metallic should spray even and wet with out much effort. Keep in mind this is not your last adjustment; every base color will spray a little different and may require a half a turn in or out for the new color. If you're going from a high solids clear for an all-over to a spot repair clear you will need to make a minor adjustment again.

A simple formula to remember is orange peel is fluid adjustment and run control is an air pressure adjustment. If you’re getting a few runs try upping the air pressure 5-10 pounds more.



When taping up large custom jobs, taping up your helper will often make the job go smoother.
Painthead
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:10 pm
See, it works!
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:37 pm
I learned the gun air hose line cant be chocked down in any way.thats why they sell you the high flow coupler. so make sure nothing but unrestricted air flow into gun.
also I was using evercoat fillers that my parts store sold me product that was old.the date on bottom of can.i mixed the filler and covered large areas when I started my project and the filler never hardened.so I had a mess removeing it all and reprepping wasteing a lot of effort. the rep came out and said no one could make this work its old product. I thought it was me doing something wrong.but I have to check the date and if its over a year old I send it back and wait for a more current date of product.



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PostPosted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:42 am
not sure if this has been said (started to get a headache from reading heaps on here and learning) but i use powdered guide coat to help with colorsanding prior to buffing, i use a grey scotch bright and lightly scuff the surface so the guide coat will stick, then wet sand as normal, it takes a lot of guess work out of getting rid of orange peel, you could take the top of the peel off with say 1000, then sand it nice and flat with 1500, i like to sand it flat 1500 and then guide coat again and sand 1500 scratches out with 2000 (for darker colors), makes buffing it a breeze!!
krem



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:09 pm
I use an old counter top deep fryer for cleaning guns, it's self explanatory but simply fill the tub with thinner and throw the parts in the basket, eliminates finger fishing in a cup of solvent!



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 29, 2013 11:03 pm
some good tips guys! Great idea with the ziploc bag filled with mud for making a custom block...cannot believe i didnt think of that...haha....I have a couple...

1) when straightening hoods on older cars and hot rods...ive learned to check the old factory seem sealer that is applied between the inner and outer hood skin...alot of times these seams are borken or released causing the warpage/waves you may be fighting...so i find where it needs to be...either loose or tight...and reapply a newer material.. to hold in place...then commence the mud or w/e

2) on most insurance work if painting to a windshield or other glass... its to be removed...when the glass cant be removed you can often take a 16gauge wire ( i believe) and stuff it under the rubber holding the rubber off the panel you are painting...then you just tape the edge of the suspended rubber...after paint remove wire and tape and your clear will be under the edge of your windshield rubber...this helps with the risk of clear peeling at the rubbers edge...and gives a cleaner look...if done properly you cannot tell the windshield wasnt removed

3) ive found when straightening certain doors...especially newer models...its sometimes helps to cut through the flutter foam between the doorskin and intrusion bar...this releases pressure on the skin and you can often work the metal easier...of course after you get it where you want it...reapply your flutter foam to stiffen the skin back up for your mud work...(similar to # 1)

4) sometimes on smaller door dings i will block out the area with 180 grit....this will show you the actual size of the dent....which can often be misleading...then i will grind further than the dent i found.....feather out the grind edge with 80 grit...feather that with 180....then i will apply my filler...sometimes when a door per say is hit hard and may have a wave or a buckle thats hard to actually see...i will use the same principal and block the whole door out with 180 to see what needs to happen...sometimes (all depends on the job/work/customer) its quick to just grind the area thats to be filled...fill it leaving the surrounding paint shiny...while your muds still green ( ill get to that next) you can lightly 80 your mud down...causing the mud on the shiny paint to roll off...180 real quick...skim coat of glaze and 180 done...

5) ok..this is what ive learned about mud and how i use it...everyone has their own opinions ...beliefs...this is mine....most people go to harbor freight or wherever and buy bondo brand bondo for there first project.....most people failed...decided body work wasnt for them and put that can of Bondo in the grabage where it belongs...first things first you get what you pay for...im not saying you need rage platinum...but hey to each their own.. ..i like using a higher build mud...like rage gold as opposed to rage platinum ( platinum goes on very thin..hard to build thickness) when doing my mud work....always blow off the area before you apply your mud....use a clean straight spreader....i always go from paint edge to paint edge....meaning you will not see any metal where my repair was...i put my mud out to where i 180ed the perimeter of my repair.....i build big when needed and smooth out the edges of my mud to eliminate the effort of feathering out a big mud edge....i build big because i usually only use one coat of mud...if i need anything more a skim coat of glaze does it......this goes for fiberall/duraglass/mud/glaze....the more hardener you put in your filler the faster it hardens...the more hardener you put in your filler the harder it gets as well...if im doing big mud ...sometimes i will heat the panel and use very little hardener....then i will flash the mud with a heat gun after its applied..from this i get a longer "green time" ....green time is when your mud just starts to harden...this is the best time to rough it in....when doing big mud its nearly impossible to get it in one coat...ive excepted that...so i rough my first (thick) coat in with 36 grit (usually with a da) ....i will then go over it with 80 grit ( air board or longboard) ...and proceed from there

6) if you want to straighten your dura blocks you can put some 80 grit board paper on a flat piece of glass and sand down your dura block till its as flat as the glass...

7) you can "hotwire" a window motor when you R/I a door with any 12 volt source...like a jump pack or a dewalt drill battery....if you use a 18 volt battery the window moves faster...haha ...this helps on used doors that arent attached to the vehicle...or a door youve already removed from the vehicle

8) fill torx screw heads with heavy cut compound before inserting your bit...this helps to keep them from striping out...like ford truck bed bolts or jeep wrangler hinges...

9) when using aircraft stripper or paint stripper on a panel...i 36 or 80 grit the paint to break through the payers....then you can use plastic car cover to lay over your panel after you apply your stripper...it keeps it from evaporating as fast and seems to help eat the old material up more efficiently...

10) pinholes are the devil...but when priming and you see one...you can take a corner of a paper towel and dip it in your primer and fill your pinhole after your first coat...then continue with 2nd /3rd coat of primer

11) when removing stubborn taillights on newer vehicles...i will take a few foot long pieces of two inch tape and place down the side of the taillight leaving enough to hold in my hand like a handle...and i use this tape to pull the tail light out of place...usually standing behind the vehicle and pulling towards me.

thats all for now

this was my first post...over the years i have read visited this site a few times...keep up the great community...hopefully i helped someone out there



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PostPosted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:59 am
I keep, wash out, and reuse my medium and large dunkin donuts iced coffee cups, they are a ticker plastic and don't melt with lacquer thinner, etc.

I use them to wash my gun parts and mix cheaper paints.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 9:19 am
LuciferGQ wrote:6) if you want to straighten your dura blocks you can put some 80 grit board paper on a flat piece of glass and sand down your dura block till its as flat as the glass...

I found that Durablocks will take a set if I have been sanding on a curved surface. This can be used to an advantage. If you want it curved, the sandpaper can hold a slight one. If you need it flat, use a straight edge to check for flatness and use the sandpaper to hold it. And, if stored on a flat surface it will stay flat. (Remove the sandpaper if it was previously used to hold a curve.)

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PostPosted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 5:10 pm
To keep a good list of these tips, open a new text document in whatever Word type
word processing software you have. Copy and paste the tips you want to keep save,
and you can add more as you run across them. Print
it out. That way you have a concise list with out having to look page by page here.
Clay B.

Jane's Progress Thread


I can do everything through Jesus Christ who gives me strength. Phil. 4:13



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PostPosted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 10:18 pm
1) reverse taper paper when priming(if not can cause hard edging)

2) if you get a run you can reverse the drip with low air gun pressure with gentle trigger squeeze(obviously just shooting air) until clear becomes tacky. makes things much easier to wet sand/buff with less a drip.

3) use degreaser to sand sealer down if you need to(dirt, run, etc)

4) use scuff paste to get out hard dirt, overspray, and anything tough stuck on a car. then use a little compound to bring back the shine

5) Q-Bond - best quick repair glue in the business

6) ask your rep if you have pin hole issues, there is a ez product for that(forget name) you rubb into final body with soft pad to fill all pinholes.

7) Use a gun spray blender if you can, not aerosol, works much better. Too bad all spray blenders(used to use PPG blendee's) i can't get anymore due to the low VOC change. still had some left and it melts to clear so much better than the aerosols.

8) Make sure you use a good plastic adhesion system or your plastic sprays WILL peel



7)
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