Technical Painting Resources?

Have seen some you tube videos that were not too technical.
I always try to use the same brands together so their won't be a compatibility issue.
Get one of the mixing cups for paint and they have the ratios on the side.
Once you get the paint, look up the data sheet on the internet:
It will tell you flash times (how quick it dries), recoat times and mixing ratios.

Practice on a piece of plywood, cardboard box, etc and get a feel for the painting.

I tend to load up the paint pretty good, so I have gotten good at fixing runs.
The parts store where you get the paint and primer usually can give good information.

I think my next paint job I will get the stuff from Southern Polyurethanes.

They have good products and good prices, information about their primer and paint is on the website
https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/

The paint cup tells you how to mix the paint, thinner, and activator.
For a Jeep, its easier to use single stage 2K paint.

I always get runs in the clear coat, but it can be sanded and buffed out to a mirror like shine.

Practice spraying a frame and get more confidence.

You Tube videos will tell how to read the mixing cup.

Dave

 

I'll preface this with I've painted very little with just a barely adequate set-up. So, you can do with less, but the following links run over an hour on the subject with great tips.

 

I have some expensive spray guns, but I just use the Harbor Freight gravity feed HVLP spray gun.
You can find them on sale sometimes for $12 and they work very well.
Once you get the hang of it, it will get easier. Man, when the primer goes on it begins to look finished and momentum increases.

I like to use a mini regulator and a disposable filter on the gun. Drain the water out of the compressor and I have run the air hose over a ladder to keep the water from getting to the gun on hot humid days.

Dave

 

Kevin Tetz is really good at explaining things. He has done the Paintucaton videos for years.

I have watched those and tried some of the techniques.

Invest in a good respirator. I would love to get a fresh air supplied hood.


Hope this stuff helps.

Dave

 

When painting my Jeep, I finally got the hang of it, when I was done. One thing I learned, stay with one manufacture of paint. I use Chromebase for color and Nason clear coat. The clear coat I use is for spot panel repair, it flashes fast. I did not have to deal with runs. I clear coated my tub 4 times before I got it the way I liked it. You can mix fast and medium reducer to adjust flash time. Air pressure is a big thing. The thing that help me the most was lighting. I had 5- 2 x 4 foot floscerent lights when I painted, not counting the 4 lights that where regular in my garage. All the past times I was working when in was darker and when I pulled the vechicle outside it was not good.

I ran a couple small bathroom exhaust fans which helped remove the funk in the air.

Good luck

 

Nason is the lower cost version of Dupont. I use Nason primers because they are cheaper than Dupont, but do not carry a warranty, which I couldn't prove it was product failure.

Really liking the Southern Poly line and will be comparing them.
Dave

 

If you want a good paint job, you have to be able to see the Jeep well. Some of those work lights work very well. Now they have LED work lights.
Hard to see how the paint is laying down unless you have the area well lit. Re-did my son's TJ hood. Black laid down really well on the well lighted side, but
the other side was a little light. Then the clear had a lot of runs. Sanded it down and did it again with the lights. Lighting made a huge difference.

Final wash after priming gets rid off stuff that can ruin the paint job. I apply it with a special lint-free rag (from the paint supplier), and wipe it off with another in the other hand. Just like the Karate Kid.

Last, I rub down the vehicle with a tack rag to get rid of anything on the surface that might get in the paint.
Lightly wet down the floor to keep down the dust also, and use a fan to pull out airborne contaminants.



Lots to do, but important if you want a quality job.

I want to try to purposefully lay down a paint job with nice worn-in patina.
That will take a lot of experimenting. I like to go to the Re-Store and get bicycles for a couple of bucks, repaint them, fix them up and give to the kids.

Good practice

Dave

 

This book from Pat Ganahl https://www.amazon.com/How-Paint-Your-Budget-Cartech/dp/1932494227 covers the prep and process pretty well. He pointedly avoids discussing paint products, stating that the products evolve too quickly to make specific recs. It seems like the pros typically pick one system (ie group and order of products) and stick with it, thereby ensuring a predictable results every time.

Once you understand prep and process, you could ask for specific advice on the autobody101 painting forum. There is a mix of pros and hot rodders that are aware of the challenges faced by the hobbyist. What works best in a body shop won't be ideal for your garage. They helped me a lot.

 

99 percent of the finish is prep. practice and quality product will help too. paint is one of those things that you get what you pay for. did I mention practice? oh yeah practice.

 

you are correct, air pressure, temperature, gun speed ,gun distance, paint consistency, humidity …. the list is pretty long, some will paint things on stands in pieces, I put them in the orientation that they will live gravity plays a part too. did I mention practice?

 

I have the basic painting on a lot of my own vehicles and projects. I try to stay with single stage 2K urethane, but have done some base coat clear coat, mostly spot painting after body work. I have watched the shows where they use House of Color paints with candies and pearls, pinstripes, etc. Would love to do that but
way too advanced and problematic for me. Apparently, on those type paints air pressure and spray direction can change the look of the paint.
I practice on hoods, cardboard boxes, and old bicycle frames. Smaller projects help get down the basics and can be redone if need be.
We had a 77 Blazer at the coast. It started rusting around the spare tire carrier. Took of the carrier and fixed the rust. Studied, practiced and matched the paint blending it in. Perfect, not a flaw... until I removed the tape and some of the paint peeled up with it. Missed using the tack rag once again before spraying. Repaired it, but never got one to work as well as that. One step missed. Won't happen again, but never had one match so perfectly.
You have to pick a level of quality you are satisfied with.
When I was in high school, we lived on a military base and I spent most of my time at the Hobby Shops for the soldiers to work on and paint their vehicles. I was 16 or 17 and guys would come in wanting to paint their car and had no idea. I would help them and paint the car for them. They always seemed to like the job, and I got practice without cost.

Dave

 

Question,
Has anyone used a flattening agent in their paint?
I got some President's Red 2 paint and it is way too shiny.
I will have to do some experimenting on how to get just the right amount of shine.
This is base coat clear coat (only a quart), I will also try single stage.

Dave

 

in base clear the flattening agent goes in the clear, single stage is easier but still tough. spray everything the same day with the same batch of flattened product at the same air pressure and gun distance/speed and overlap. my limited experience with semi or flat paint has been painful its tough to get the same sheen on the parts as a slight change in rhythm results in a different finish. and once flattened it no longer is waxable. good luck.

 

Thanks, looks to be problematic. I will try the Prsident's Red in single stage. The base coat clear coat was way too shiny.

Dave

 

sorry to say but properly applied single stage is shiny too, are you looking to match the existing finish?

 

Not so much on the Jeep. I really want it to look restored, but not overly shiny or like a modern paint put on an older Jeep.

Just thinking and playing with paint, wondering if I could paint the Jeep and leave a slightly worn in look.
I am restoring some 50's and 60's Tonka trucks and thought I would use them as experiments to match paint where I TIG'd up broken pieces.

Probably with the cost of supplies, I will just paint the Jeep, but I did a battery box cover with the base coat clear coat I have and thought it looked too shiny,
too modern. I have heard of people mixing the clear coat with the top layers of paint to cut down on the shine, but I haven't tried that either.
Probably if I painted the whole Jeep, it would look fine, but exploring options,

I know with the M38A1, I really want a slightly weathered look. Like it is still in Vietnam.

Dave

 

Age is tough to replicate.