Hey, I was wondering if any of the guru's could help me figure out the best way to learn about bodywork and painting. My goal is to be able to get my car panels prep'd perfectly, and either given to my local shop to blast paint, or rig up a spray booth in my house.

I've always been fascinated with bodywork and the voodoo art behind it. I'm willing to invest money in the proper equipment and setup. Can anyone point me in the right direction, I know the basics of strip, bondo, sand, prime, and paint. I'd like to know the particulars of these steps, and advanced moves like wet sanding, polishing, etc.

I'm a chef by trade, and in our industry its normal to volunteer for a a month or so in a high end kitchen to learn how other people do it, interning if you will. Is this a practice in bodyshops?

 

Ask questions on this painting / bodywork forum - http://www.autobodystore.com/forum/

 

I think just like your industry, why don't research who the best body shop is in your area and volunteer your time to learn what you're after. I think that's the best hands-on experience you'll get and it will take years off just reading and seeing techniques.

 

Thanks for the forum link, looks great. And wow, gotta goto Moes'. Talk about some amazing looking cars. I don't really follow the concours thread so I miss all these beauties.

 

I have used www.autobody101.com for several months now. They have a free forum you can join and read a lot of good advice. A lot there are pro painters as well.

I also have a long thread here

https://rennlist.com/forums/928-foru...nt-begins.html

were I go from start to finish including a home made paint booth...shopping for a capable air compressor, paint gun, etc... I'm not saying its perfect or that I did everything like the pros do but it came out nicely. I had never painted anything before but had done a little body work in the past.