OK let's hear your best tips and your favorite tricks

General Discussion. Make yourself at home...read, ask and answer!



Top Contributor
Posts: 1396
Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:16 pm
PostPosted: Tue Nov 22, 2011 2:22 pm
rebeldart wrote:If your are a beginner:

Spend as much time researching as possible. Go to a shop if possible (better yet a class at a community college) and watch, learn,ask, read, research.

Screw up or having a bad day in the garage (and you will) ? Walk away, take a break for a few days if you need to. All mistakes can be corrected, it's not the end of the world. Cover it up so you don't have to look at it, hit the forums and get advice.

Most take on their own paint/body at home for one of two reasons, either they enjoy the challenge and reward, or they can't afford the shop. If you plan to do it to save money and don't somewhat enjoy it, you'll be miserable and probably results will reflect it. Products are too expensive to waste.

NEVER
waste your money on cheap sandpaper (seriously, the difference is amazing).

SLOW DOWN, AND KEEP YOUR WORK AREA NEAT. Especially when preparing to shoot product, personally, I need minimum distraction and radio/cell phone off. This is when I'm the most "anxious" due to time constraints based on products set-up time frame (2K in the gun, etc) But that's just me.

Did I say SLOW DOWN ?





yupyupyup. found out the hard way that when things aint goin right and i have to fight everything, walkin away is the best thing to do, or fix and even larger problem. i would usually break out the a** kickin machine and almost give up. but noticing when it was time to wlk away for a while sure changed my perspective. my sons step dad has been doing body work, painting, and restos for a very long time( i think he advised ford to stick with black because it dries quick!!). even with the amazing work i have seen him do, he admits he makes mistakes and its one thing the people that taught him admitted to doing, but its whats done with the mistakes that counts.
cant stress enough to slow down. going too quick has caused me to miss some things i should have done( and thats where a lot of the mistakes i have had to wak away from started).

the cleaner i keep my work area the more enjoyable it is to be out there workin!

theres one way the folks who are awesome at bodywork and painting have all had to do and that is develop the skill over time, and thats an acronym for Things I Must Earn


one to add: i have a dry erase board i break out to scratch things down on. my memory just aint good enough to remember everything.



Fully Engaged
Posts: 103
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:14 pm
Location: Fort Myers Beach, Florida, Cleveland, Ohio
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 11:51 am
paintpot wrote:HARD to mask out rubbers that are attached to the door ,try this.

I am assuming that this same technique will work if you just want to keep overspray from entering the door jamb area? I've taped to the inside of the fender before, and of course had a hard time getting the tape to fold in behind the door. By the way, have you had any problems with using water, and maybe having a little come out when you are painting? Otherwise, great idea!
Life is short. Play hard.

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 4273
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:43 pm
Location: Charleston,SC
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:27 pm
Save those soup cans!

When you have a small area to spray 2K primer on,,,use a small can to mix up your primer in and just hold it under the gun. No need to wash out your regular cup,,,just toss the can in the trash after it hardens........(Use your regular cup to clean the gun with)

Image
"The number of parasites in the USA has now eclipsed the number of productive members of society"


Capt Rick Hiott.
www.reelfishhead.com



Settled In
Posts: 23
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:45 am
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 4:55 pm
timbo
Great tips
I have to ask , throw away paint cup filter???
Larry

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3110
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:50 pm
timbo wrote:Have 2 guns minimum and preferably 3. One for primers. One for base. One for clear.
Always do a spray out especially for base and clear on a piece of masking taped to the wall.
After finishing always tear down the gun and clean using gun cleaner/laquer thinner and the right brushes.
Buy a cheap masking machine but don't cheap on tape. Stay away from wal-mart.
Use blue FINELINE tape for striping.
Always use an air filter at the gun.
Buy a good set of blocking tools and use guide coat.
After you are finished masking the whole car...or panel wipe down one last time with W&G Remover for sure and tack.
Wet the floor before shooting top coats. And tack rag your hose from the couple to 6 ft back.
Tack after every base coat has flashed dry.
Spray edges and lips of the panel first then proceed.
Let your first coat of clear flash good from minimum hand slick- to preferably not stringy to touch.
When painting wheels with tires installed break the bead then mask.
Throw the paint cup filter in the gun away.
Always strain your material into the cup.
Use high flow connections and fittings.
When untaping pull tape slowly at a 90 degree angle.
Try to keep filler no more than 1/8th inch thick preferably less.
Use Clean Sheets mixing board. no cardboard.
If you are pulling panels for work get some decent folding stands from Harbor Freight.
Buy mixer/pour spouts for your primers like on the mixing rack at your jobber.
Follow the directions on the tech sheets and you won't have so many questions and things will work so much better. Don't be a chemist and deviate by using improper actvators/hardeners/reducers..etc.
Don't pick your nose or poot in church. :wink:


yep the filter (better labeled as a strainer) in the gun...http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/p-10741-13185.aspx

..chunk it!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.



Non-Lurker
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:27 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 11:16 pm
Never use a solvent based wax and grease remover over waterbased paints. It wipes your paint right off. Use window cleaner without scents or lotions. I use Windex in all my paint jobs now. As a pre bodywork cleaner I use dawn dish washing detergent without scents or lotions. The scents and lotions may be oils. I do motorcycles and helmets.
Never use a paint that doesn't require a hardner over a fresh base that requires a hardner. It wrinkles horribly. Yep I was mixing 2 different paints too. That's a nono. PPG red pearl without a hardner over white Dupont base with a hardner reacted badly.
Along the same line I was painting a metal tank and a plastic fender. I used PPG's Shopline adhesion promoter on the fender then an epoxy non sanding primer and applied my black base. Noticing some sand scratches I resanded the plastic fender. The next day I reapplied the adhesion promoter because I broke thru to the plasic in spots and instant wrinkling of the black base. The adhesion promoter is ready to spray without any other chemicals. Another product without a hardner over a freshly painted basecoat that did require a hardner. I have used PPG's Shopline adhesion promoter for years with very good results until I did this.
The Black Cherry Honda was painted after cleaning by the above methods. It was final wet sanded with 800 and 1200 and buffed with two compounds after this pic.
Attachments
IMG_20110305_144633.jpg



Non-Lurker
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:27 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:02 am
Doing my first tricoat Hok Blackcherry I learned the hardway what U shouldn't do. I did the bodywork on 17 panels for the 87 Goldwing. Half the panels had atleast some primer on them so I wetsanded and repainted all to the original color black. Then my base silver metallic followed by 3 coats Kandy Burgundy and 2 coats clear. Nine coats of paint on twelve panels that I laid out on a sheet of drywall cut in half on 4 sawhorses. I had to paint right handed then left handed. I could not turn any panels to paint there was too many out there. Too many coats of paint at one time and the method of painting caused so many runs I ended up repainting 5 pieces. 6 Hour job after I got everything ready.
I repainted the 5 pieces after wetsanding and did nine coats in one evening. They came out nice. Progressivly longer and longer times between coats saved my butt. HOK flashes quickly but the amount of paint demanded longer waits between coats. Never again.
Nine coats break it down to 2 paints. 2 Black base coats and 2 Silver Mettalic base coats, 2 coats clear and stop. Yes it requires wetsanding all those panels again. Then lay your 3 Kandy coats and 2 clear coats. If I would have realized that I also had HOK Kandy Burgundy Intensifier I could have had the dark Black Cherry in one coat. Should have tried this on a test panel and I would have known what a job it was going to be and would have figured out an alternative such as this.
Pics are before wetsanding and buffing.
Attachments
IMG_20110305_144446.jpg
IMG_20110305_144643.jpg
IMG_20110305_144453.jpg
IMG_20110303_185036.jpg



Non-Lurker
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:27 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:33 am
In your paint booth turn away from your project and wipe down your first 6 foot of air hose with a slightly dampened double paper towel before painting then while still turned away from your project hook up your paint gun using your body to protect your project from that blast of air that always comes while hooking the airline to your gun.
Keep some masking tape in your paint booth to pick out any runs. They happen. Tear off 3 or 4 inches of tape and with both hands form a U with the tape sticky side out and lightly pick out the run. This may require 3 or 4 trys with a new piece of tape each time. Then lightly recoat, let flash, lightly recoat that area until run is gone. Doesn't always work but I can say that I saved 3 jobs with this method.
If your painting a motorcycle tank paint the bottom edge and around the frame tube U first. Your shooting every direction to get coverage. Then paint the top of tank continueing down the sides to wet down all the overspray.
I have trained all my people to open their adult soda pops away from any project that I may sanding at the time and they remember to turn away when they open a cold one. After all that cleaning and sanding I don't need a spray contaminating my work.



Non-Lurker
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:27 pm

Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:55 am
Marble paint way more easy than you think. Requires atleast one assistant, a second is even better. Pick out 2 colors, lay base color and let it dry overnight. Must be dry or well flashed. Shoot a light covering of your second color. Wet coats will not work. Have your assistants standing by with Saran Wrap or other soft plastic large enough to completely cover your tank or project. Then have them bring the plastic down onto your project capturing a little air like a parachute until the plastic has covered the tank or fender. Let it settle into the paint for a few seconds and gently remove the plastic and clear.
Last pic is HOK Blue/Pink Marblizer. Comes out blue when used over black base, pink when used over white base. Never tried the pink side yet.
Attachments
Blue Marble Helmet.jpg
1286075874080.jpg
1286075874080.jpg (25.08 KiB) Viewed 13067 times
1286068631419.jpg
1286068631419.jpg (25.86 KiB) Viewed 13067 times
1286053964069.jpg
1286053964069.jpg (21.14 KiB) Viewed 13067 times

User avatar

Top Contributor
Posts: 3459
Joined: Fri May 26, 2006 10:56 am
Location: Oregon
Country:
USA
PostPosted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 11:17 am
Nice marbleizing effect. :) Never tried it in urethane, but I've taken 2 or more contrasting colors and sanded after applying the 2nd color. If you use red/black, blue/black or another color and black it will make a smoke effect. If you use white or light grey for a base it will make whatever color you put on top and sand off look like a cloud. I just use 400-600 grit wet until the other color starts poking through.
PreviousNext

Return to Body and Paint

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: vet40 and 127 guests