maxedout1 wrote:You guys have been amazing.
I am going to take it down to bare metal this weekend and here is what I plan on doing in stages. Feel free to correct any one.

1. Sand to bare metal
(finish bare metal 150 followed by cleaning with lacquer thinner and wax and grease)
2.2 coats primer and 1 coat sealer followed by a smooth sanding @ 2000 grit
(do not sand with 2000 grit) (just sand your primer with 400/500 wet/dry coat of sealer let it flash and move to basecoat)
3. Wipe off with Tack cloth
4. Shoot base with slow reducer @ 3 coats and Clear @ 3 coats with flash times of 60 minutes between coats. Football shaped pattern with 29psi at 8 inch distance and zero angle.
5.Medium speed across with 75% overlap.
6. Followed by 24 hours of dry time and normal sand and polish procedure.
7. Yes this is definitely a science that I've underestimated.

Please feel free to add or correct on any of the above.
I will post pics when Im done and donate to the forum for all of this help.

maxedout1 wrote:You guys have been amazing.
I am going to take it down to bare metal this weekend and here is what I plan on doing in stages. Feel free to correct any one.

1. Sand to bare metal.
(Go over metal with 80 grit on DA)
(Wipe with automotive wax and grease remover and before it dries wipe with a clean shop towel)
2. (Unless you have a DTM primer you should shoot some 2 part epoxy on the metal first. Let cure at least 24 hours at 70 degrees.
Apply 2-3 coats of 2k build primer with proper flash times. Apply guide coat and block sand with 180-220 grit to remove guide coat.
IF surface looks good, apply guide coat and wet sand with 400 (solid color) or 600 grit (metallic) to remove guide coat.
Wipe with automotive wax and grease remover and let flash. Shoot your sealer coat (optional).)
smooth sanding @ 2000 grit (Not necessary at this point and too fine of a grit to paint over.)
3. Wipe off with Tack cloth
(Don't use a cheap waxed tack cloth sold at most auto parts stores. It will cause problems.)
4. Shoot base with slow reducer @ 3 coats and Clear @ 3 coats with flash times of 60 minutes between coats. Football shaped pattern with 29psi at 8 inch distance and zero angle. (Did you check your compressor CFM output? Is the PSI and 8" distance according to the guns specifications? Did you check your spray pattern on paper? 8" may be too far away. )
5.Medium speed across with 75% overlap.
(Generally your speed should be about 12" of travel per second. Depending on the gun and how wet you have the spray pattern set.)
6. Followed by 24 hours of dry time and normal sand and polish procedure.
(24 hours would be minimum time to wait for cut and buff unless you have a heated both and can bake the clear. Read up on the Cut and Buff techniques as you can ruin a paint job if you don't know what you are doing.)
7. Yes this is definitely a science that I've underestimated.
(This is why I wrote the following article and why we have an INFO Center page)
https://www.autobody101.com/content/art ... ould-know/

Please feel free to add or correct on any of the above.
I will post pics when Im done and donate to the forum for all of this help.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:

maxedout1 wrote:You guys have been amazing.
I am going to take it down to bare metal this weekend and here is what I plan on doing in stages. Feel free to correct any one.

1. Sand to bare metal.
(Go over metal with 80 grit on DA)
(Wipe with automotive wax and grease remover and before it dries wipe with a clean shop towel)
2. (Unless you have a DTM primer you should shoot some 2 part epoxy on the metal first. Let cure at least 24 hours at 70 degrees.
Apply 2-3 coats of 2k build primer with proper flash times. Apply guide coat and block sand with 180-220 grit to remove guide coat.
IF surface looks good, apply guide coat and wet sand with 400 (solid color) or 600 grit (metallic) to remove guide coat.
Wipe with automotive wax and grease remover and let flash. Shoot your sealer coat (optional).)
smooth sanding @ 2000 grit (Not necessary at this point and too fine of a grit to paint over.)
3. Wipe off with Tack cloth
(Don't use a cheap waxed tack cloth sold at most auto parts stores. It will cause problems.)
4. Shoot base with slow reducer @ 3 coats and Clear @ 3 coats with flash times of 60 minutes between coats. Football shaped pattern with 29psi at 8 inch distance and zero angle. (Did you check your compressor CFM output? Is the PSI and 8" distance according to the guns specifications? Did you check your spray pattern on paper? 8" may be too far away. )
5.Medium speed across with 75% overlap.
(Generally your speed should be about 12" of travel per second. Depending on the gun and how wet you have the spray pattern set.)
6. Followed by 24 hours of dry time and normal sand and polish procedure.
(24 hours would be minimum time to wait for cut and buff unless you have a heated both and can bake the clear. Read up on the Cut and Buff techniques as you can ruin a paint job if you don't know what you are doing.)
7. Yes this is definitely a science that I've underestimated.
(This is why I wrote the following article and why we have an INFO Center page)
https://www.autobody101.com/content/art ... ould-know/

Please feel free to add or correct on any of the above.
I will post pics when Im done and donate to the forum for all of this help.

'68 Coronet R/T wrote:Sorry Dave, looks like we were typing at the same time.

badsix wrote::goodpost: you got some excilent advice form ALL above. one thing I would add is be careful when you apply your base. don't pour it on wet like one would do with a single stage material like a urethane. base needs to go on in light med coats. it normally flashes quickly and if applied to heavy you stand the risk of the solvent pop the base skins over with a dry layer and wont let the solvents out.

I tried to search for a post by the Old DuPont Guy that showed how it should look on your first, second, and third coats but could not find it. it would be a good show and tell.
Jay D.