Looking for a good PAINT How To...

OK so a buddy of mine and myself plan on taking on this painting task...first time into "real" painting. I have a 6 gallon 2 hp compressor that I was planning on using and need some advice on what type of gun process to use. We will both be doing our race bodywork...I plan on sticking to 1 color and just using some vinyl to dress it up....don't feel like taking the time to use 2 colors. The plan is to prime, paint, and clear. I don't want to start an argument on which is better...just what works for you. I also don't need to spend a milion dollars on the paint...just want it to look good...not professional. We plan on making a paint booth in my garage with clear plastic then letting them hang on the garage door opener rails to dry.
Thanks for any input :up:

 

www.autobody101.com can answer most of your questions from gun selection to paint types and prep. Good luck

 

Great site.

 

beat me to it:up:

You can buy a cheap HVLP gun but you might need a little bigger compressor. Pressure to the gun and at the needle is very important. It can make our break your paint job.
For me the base coat is very easy to apply. The clear is the tricky part. But don't fear color sanding can make a crappy clear coat look show quality.

Just don't let anyone talk you into adding a flex agent its not needed and only makes things complicated if you decide to test your good work and need to repaint.

 

Anybody have a link to one of these guns? I know nothing about them....been reading all afternoon and it still sounds like jiberish LOL. Is there a recommended brand of paint that isn't too $$?

 

If you don't paint often. Harbor Freight makes some great guns for the price. There is a lot of good reviews of these guns on autobody101.com.

I have these two:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90977
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46719

I chose the first one because it requires a lower CFM rating than most HVLP guns, so my compressor works great with it.

 

Good stuff....guess I needed to read further into it.

 

here is a thread i put together on it

http://www.600rr.net/vb/showthread.php?t=105576

 

If you are just gonna do one color I would invest in rattle cans. You can get a very good looking paint job that is nearly proffesional with very little effort. Take the skins down to the resin, use a primer that is close in color to your color choice. Most will only take 10 minutes or so to dry. Do a couple of coats. After about 30 minutes you can apply color. Get the color on there as evenly as possible keeping yourself within 3 coats. After about 30 minutes after the last color coat goes on apply the clear coat. This part is trickier because the stuff dries fast and will loose sheen on the oversprayed areas. With a little finesse and about 2-3 coats of clear let the Skins sit for about a week. DON"T EVEN THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THEM. You will have a very proffesional looking paint job if you are decent with a paint can.

The trick is to keep the can about 6-8 inches from the work and apply the coats as thick as possible without runs. You also want to let the coats flash well. So wait the 10 minutes between coats before applying more color or clear. Try to look in the light at what you are spraying and you will see the sheen as you apply it. This will help you get a really good base to work from. The better the color goes on the better the clear coat will come out. I also found that useing a gloss color will yield better results when clear coats are applied. You will get nearly glass smooth finishes with very little effort.

This is the way to go if you are only going for one color as your base. It gets trickier if you are going with 2 tone or more. You could get all the skins painted in a day with this technique. You must let the skins set for at least a week though. Otherwise you will just scuff the paint and leave fingerprints. I just finished my race skins and the results are pretty stellar considering it was a two tone paint job.

 

Luke you got any pics of yours?? I have painted mine a couple of times and come out "Ok" but would like them to look nicer.

 

Napa sells cheap paint. Make sure you buy a mask, I never use one and for paint I did after I realized I got high. Do some practice on card boards or even better sheet rock. A good gun at Home Depot will do as long as you know how to regulate it. I went through the same thing you are but I kinda learned and it came half ass good. The more I do them the better. I do have to say its not as easy as it sounds. Its not just pour the paint in the cup and paint. There are additives such as reducer and hardener that go mixed along with the paint. Also one mistake I did because I thought it wasnt important was not to strain the paint or the additives, make sure you strain it, they will most likey sell or give you a couple of strainers for free. I will try to help you out as much as I can. PM me

 

luke...I have spray painted about 4 sets of race skinz and every one came out looking sweet. I have a buddy that is looking to do this the right way (not that spray painting is not) so figured it would be something good to learn. I think I will run by the store and take a look at all this stuff this week and see what I can find. 2 stage is what I am shooting for...base and clear. My race skinz should be here in 2 weeks (Armour Bodies) and from what I hear they will not need to be primered....I do plan on wiping them down just to be sure before I paint.

 

:tut:Absolutely don't take the skins down to resin, scuff the surface primer with 400grit wet sand and grey/red scotch bright. Clean before and after.

:tut:Also, you don't want to put the paint on "as thick as possible". You build thickness with even medium coats as you go. You must take your time. Building thickness with one coat adds texture (orange peel) and will inevidably lead to runs.

:tut:Also, read the dry times on the cans for between coats, most all are slightly different when it comes to spray paint, but 30 mins is probably wrong for almost all of them.

No need to let anything dry for a week. If its not dry after a day or 2 at most, you did something wrong!

 

Armour Bodies don't "need" to be primered, but it does help. All depends on the finish you're going for. If you're spraying with rattle can I probably would skip the primer. If you're using a gun and eurethane paint, then spraying a coat of primer sealer before hand would help the finish and adhesion. Make sure you sand/scuff the plastics before you paint though, or you won't get any adhesion.

 

Ask any specific questions that you can think of and I'll do my best to get on here and answer!.

Do your homework and know what you've got going on before you pull the trigger.just take your time. Most Importantly though, having the patience to put in an extra 10 mins here and there and do the job correctly will really make a difference:up:

 

I painted my Armour Bodies with out priming them and they came out good. Also if you would use primer you would have to use a primer that is flexible.
You can and I suggest to add a product that is called Bull Dog, its a flex agent. This goes added to the clear

 

From my understanding of flex agents, they wear off. They are for the initial installation of say a bumper. After a week or so, it doesn't do anything. They are a waste for bodywork....just my understanding.

As for temp, DO NOT paint (BC/CC) below 65 deg....it will get ugly real quick even with a fast reducer.

 

i painted my bike with 100% quality krylon fusion.... and you cant even tell!!! seriously stick to the rattle can it looks decent and is easy to do and fix. these aren't show bikes they are race bikes.. just scuff your shit up with a red scotch brite pad and and spry it on evenly...

 

Yes what you say about the flex agent is true. What I was saying is to add some, like 2 caps to the clear. This info was a tip given to me from a painter at a local shop. Not sure if its good or not but I did it and the clear came out good, not saying it came out good because of the flex agent but it didnt hurt it. I gathered info as I was painting and while buying paint, whatever painters told me I cant really say if its true or not, but I followed what they said and it came out fine, a mistake here and there but its good enough for me since its for my track bike.
From my experience there are alot of little secrets and debates amongst painters, I also came to understand why painters charge so much to paint a bumper,lol