Painting help please
02-15-2004, 06:45 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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Painting help please
Preliminary info: I'm not a pro - but a dedicated novice accepting the risks of trying to do a highly visible paint job myself - so don't rip into me...
As many of you know I have an odd in-between Euro / US regulation bumper. While it has the central lights of the Euro design, it is steel and has the shocks behind it as well. I've done some fiberglass work to smooth some of the steel edges that looked like factory mistakes around those "fog" or "running" lights (neither expression is fitting)! The finished product will no longer have the mini-bumperettes - these were never "just" like Euros, there was no nice little fiberglass housing for them - they just sat there looking sad and cracked from old age! And the chips and holes have been filled and sanded.
Cutting to the chase:
I've sprayed two thin primer coats and wet sanded that (once dry) with 400 grit as per the general consensus after searching the archives here.
I'm on my second spray of black (very light coats) tonight and will wait ~24 hours before going at it again. When the paint goes on, it looks very rough, not smooth - but I know the metal / fiberglass work were VERY smooth when I finished them. A preliminary question is: Will it dry smoother?... but I'll find out tomorrow!
I'm using no fancy equipment here - a simple and cheap pneumatic sprayer (running off 15gallon tank at ~90psi). My hands and arms are the sanders - with a block for the big flat spots. No orbitals or anything like that were used.
How many coats would you guys recommend and how can I increase the luster and gloss of the job. I have the clear coat, but don't have a sense of how many layers, etc.
As many of you know I have an odd in-between Euro / US regulation bumper. While it has the central lights of the Euro design, it is steel and has the shocks behind it as well. I've done some fiberglass work to smooth some of the steel edges that looked like factory mistakes around those "fog" or "running" lights (neither expression is fitting)! The finished product will no longer have the mini-bumperettes - these were never "just" like Euros, there was no nice little fiberglass housing for them - they just sat there looking sad and cracked from old age! And the chips and holes have been filled and sanded.
Cutting to the chase:
I've sprayed two thin primer coats and wet sanded that (once dry) with 400 grit as per the general consensus after searching the archives here.
I'm on my second spray of black (very light coats) tonight and will wait ~24 hours before going at it again. When the paint goes on, it looks very rough, not smooth - but I know the metal / fiberglass work were VERY smooth when I finished them. A preliminary question is: Will it dry smoother?... but I'll find out tomorrow!
I'm using no fancy equipment here - a simple and cheap pneumatic sprayer (running off 15gallon tank at ~90psi). My hands and arms are the sanders - with a block for the big flat spots. No orbitals or anything like that were used.
How many coats would you guys recommend and how can I increase the luster and gloss of the job. I have the clear coat, but don't have a sense of how many layers, etc.
02-15-2004, 07:06 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Jun 2003
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I'm not sure, but I think 400 grit may be a little rough for sanding the primer. I'd do at least 2 coats of clear, then get ready for some more sanding. Do a google search for "color sanding", if you color sand then polish with progressively finer compounds, you can end up with a mirror finish. Good luck! Oh yeah, if the paint looks "rough" after going on, it may be due to it drying before contacting the car. Maybe you are spraying from too far away... I'd probably wet sand the black with some real fine paper before continuing. I'm not a pro, and I suck at painting, so keep that in mind 
02-15-2004, 07:39 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
what kind of paint are you using? Eurethane? Enamel? I usually primer very well, then wetsand w/ 500 WET!!!/ dry sandpaper. If your using a spray gun, what kind, bottom loader or top? If you are spraying a bottom loader gun, you will need about 40-50lb regulated at the gun...if top loader, only about 30-40lbs at the gun. If the paint is not mixed correctly, it will also go on very rough. It will usually be about the consistancy of water, but if its too thin, it will not cover...if you are not sure or canot mix correct for some reason, take some and put it on a newspaper, should be thin but still cover the letters almost completely, not transparent. Got it? After its covered completely, if using basecoat/clearcoat- you can wetsand w/ a 1500-2000 grit sandpaper CAREFULLY then clear two coats very evenly but dont run it...the smoother your final coat, the less wetsanding you will have to do before you buff it out- which comes after it is dry and you wetsand once again w/ 2000 grit.:P
02-15-2004, 07:47 PM
#5
Nordschleife Master
I'm in the same process myself here. There was no problem on the bumper holes I tig welded up (aluminum). But I didn't tig the mounting bolts and have regretted that ever since. I used bondo on the ~ 1/16" depression. The bondo takes paint different than the metal .... I think it soaks in the volitiles more and screws up the drying process.
Anyway, I'm hoping after the final sand to the current finish coat tomorrow night it will take on a better look. Been drying for a week so at that point. Then final finish coat, let dry for a week and then "color" sand and polish.
Sand with 400 grit wet and dry on the primer before the top coat. If you get too fine the top coat has little to grab onto and you run the risk of flaking in the future.
Anyway, I'm hoping after the final sand to the current finish coat tomorrow night it will take on a better look. Been drying for a week so at that point. Then final finish coat, let dry for a week and then "color" sand and polish.
Sand with 400 grit wet and dry on the primer before the top coat. If you get too fine the top coat has little to grab onto and you run the risk of flaking in the future.
