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

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

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 6:10 pm
No time like the present...I do want to take this info and put it into a guide of some sort, or a FAQ type of format -- but for now let's go ahead with the idea ODG had (thanks Rick!) and start collecting your best tips and favorite tricks of the trade.

Could be prep, painting, metal work, buffing, cleaning your equipment, setting up your garage/booth...anything. Some of this will already be found in the 'advice for newbies' thread so at some point we will merge this info into one easy-to-use location.

Here's a couple to start the ball rolling:

1. When painting the horizontal surfaces of the car, throw your air hose over your shoulder so there's no chance of dragging the hose against the car.

2. When using additives (like flakes or pearls) never add that stuff to your clear coat, always put it into a mid-coat (clear base or intercoat clear).

3. Don't use fisheye eliminator. Buy a better brand of paint, clean your gun out, clean your surfaces...leave the fisheye eliminator for the next guy to experiment with.

4. Before starting your project powerwash the car and blow out every nook cranny and crevice with as much pressure comp air as you can (within reason, you don't want to break anything) -- you don't want your gun finding that little clump of dust hiding in the cowl when you are painting.

OK I'll shut up now and let you guys who really know what you are doing add to this.

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PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 9:28 pm
Good job Chris.
I plan on posting a few with pictures (When I can remember the good ones)
Every once in a while Ill remember one when I'm reading a post on here.

The first one that comes to mind is as simple as a roll of tape.
Never lay a roll of tape flat down on a sanded surface that you are going to paint. You don't know where its been or what could be smeared all over the sides of it.
Ive seen quite a few jobs that were screwed up from doing this. Most of the time its on the hood or the trunk lid........"The big round circle"
"The number of parasites in the USA has now eclipsed the number of productive members of society"


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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 5:03 am
Someone mentioned a desire to know more about stretching butt welds. Here is a tutorial by Randy Ferguson on mig welding and finishing thin sheet metal. Actually, it was my impression that you couldn't do that with mig welds, but Randy says different. This would take a lot practice, and remember to keep firm pressure with the dolly on the back side and just strike the weld itself. also, keep in mind that the distortion is coming from the shrinkage in the weld. As you stretch the weld, it will iron out the distortion. For any action on the metal, there will be a reaction, and that is why you get the distortion.

This is so important to remember, because its very tempting to work on those bulges. But there won't be any creases in them, so they will almost disappear by stretching the weld.Just to simplify what I'm saying-------You are using firm pressure on the dolly to push the weld area back up where it was, and using the hammer to strike on the dolly and flatten the weld, making more surface area on the metal, which allows it to rise.

Sorry if I have oversimplified it, but it is such a common mistake.

http://www.metalmeet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6083



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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:03 am
Nice start Chris
1. Always use Guide Coat that way you know for sure when your done
2. Work no more than 2 panels at a time that way you dont get overwelmd and you can see some progress. Also always have something drying this goes to gether with 2 panels at a time while your working the next panels the primer can be drying and doing all the soak up while your working the next panel.
3. Treat every job the same just becouse it's a more expensive car or whatever your painting the procedure is the same stick to it dont try to do a good job on something it will back fire stick to your procedures and your work will always be consistant.
4.Take the time to read the spec sheets and ask questions before you spray the time to ask is not during or after you had a problem.
5. This is one area that you do get what you pay for that goes for tools to paint take care of your tools oil after every use.
6. Never weld at least a half hour before you leave a shop that way you can watch for any hidden smoke or flames use that time to clean and reorganize that way you come back for a fresh start.
7. ASK the pro's not your buddy who has sprayed 2 tractors.



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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 2:08 pm
Something I learned nearly thirty years ago as an apprentice with Rolls Royce. If you take paint out off a can, when finished replace the lid and carefully turn the can upside down briefly. This action creates a seal and prevents solvent evaporation, with striping enamels stops skin from forming. This probably makes little or no difference with modern paints especially water base, but if you are involved with restoration will save you many £$

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 3:59 pm
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:
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:17 pm
Tim,,,you said,,"Tack after every base coat has flashed dry."

Sure you can do that, and I'm not saying that you cant, But I would not "recommend" tacking your LAST coat of base if using metallic colors (on a forum like this).
I have even screwed up paint jobs tacking off the last coat of metallic base, way back when.

It can cause more problems than a little trash in your base coat.





O-Yeah,,,you also said something about "Harbor Freight" and used the word DECENT in the same sentence,,,is that possible? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
"The number of parasites in the USA has now eclipsed the number of productive members of society"


Capt Rick Hiott.
www.reelfishhead.com

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:31 pm
OldDupontGuy wrote:Tim,,,you said,,"Tack after every base coat has flashed dry."

Sure you can do that, and I'm not saying that you cant, But I would not "recommend" tacking your LAST coat of base if using metallic colors (on a forum like this).
I have even screwed up paint jobs tacking off the last coat of metallic base, way back when.

It can cause more problems than a little trash in your base coat.





O-Yeah,,,you also said something about "Harbor Freight" and used the word DECENT in the same sentence,,,is that possible? :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:


Like I said....After every base coat has dried good. And decent means decent. Please read the respect rules meany. This is a forum that has many different opinons. You come across mean on alot of your posts to other people you should get a testimony that shines rather than casts darkness. Let your base dry silly then you won't have those problems with modern base coats. This is 2011 old guy. :talkhand:
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.



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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 4:53 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:


you spray edge first? i did the opposite, what the difference?

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:55 pm
When you spray the edges it lessens the chance of dry spray on your large area of the panel.
If i am spraying a hood on the work stand I spray the edges first then proceed.
Never argue with an idiot, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
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