Painting 101

[Planet]

Nice post hare. Try and clean it up a bit so its just not one big blob though.

I am just starting out learning to use a HVLP gun. Just ordered a DA sander for prepping my case as well as my project car. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Was planning on using HOK paint only the best I know its expensive and my first results wont be that great but I am going to take my time and try to learn how to paint properly.

[hare]

if your going 2 get a dual action sander involved *LOL* I'd recommend a Hutchins dual action.. the throw is MUCH smoother than say a snap on or a matco or a devillbis..THEY are very smooth on a surface and will improve the overall surface prep by far.. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT

[Planet]

well, ya you can do it that way but you'll get a uneven finish.. your fingers laying flat on the surface will leave indentations , lines in a way.. use a wet sanding sponge and keep it flat to the surface and wet ! use at least 400 grit for enamel and 1000 for laquer..between coats. final sand is up to you. 1200, 1600, 2000.. the finer used =better the finish and improved refraction

Thanks. I know not to use your hands on aluminum. Ive done sheetmetal work on my race cars before. I have a few sanding blocks for prep and finish work as well. So your saying use 400 on the base coat and 1000 on the base coat in between coats? Not doubting you just double checking.

if your going 2 get a dual action sander involved *LOL* I'd recommend a Hutchins dual action.. the throw is MUCH smoother than say a snap on or a matco or a devillbis..THEY are very smooth on a surface and will improve the overall surface prep by far.. http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT

I will def check it out. I will be doing my project car and prolly a few cases for different projects with it. Thanks for the link. Again thanks for all your help. I appreciate it. If I get a chance ill throw a six pack your way

[hare]

for surface preparation .. enamel ,400 grit on primer surface and 1000 for primer surface if using laquer BEFORE paint... between coats = enamel 400 . laquer stay with 600 between coats at least .. it's personal preference really as long as you DO not end up with sand scratches in your finish .. enamel is much more forgiving than laquer. . If your shooting DUPONT imron *LOL* blast it with 220 and shoot that pudding man.. depending on the paint manufacurer they will suggest finish preparation for maximum cohesion.. the trick is smooth as possible without your paint lifting off the primer/sealer base.
I always go with at least 400 on primer for enamel always.. laquer , myself I use 1000 on primer surface and 1000 between coats depending on orange peel ..if your having a bad day your going 2 need a more aggressive grit to keep the paint surface flat between coats.. in a reasonable amount of time..

[smashhell]

for surface preparation .. enamel ,400 grit on primer surface and 1000 for primer surface if using laquer BEFORE paint... between coats = enamel 400 . laquer stay with 600 between coats at least .. it's personal preference really as long as you DO not end up with sand scratches in your finish .. enamel is much more forgiving than laquer. . If your shooting DUPONT imron *LOL* blast it with 220 and shoot that pudding man.. depending on the paint manufacurer they will suggest finish preparation for maximum cohesion.. the trick is smooth as possible without your paint lifting off the primer/sealer base.
I always go with at least 400 on primer for enamel always.. laquer , myself I use 1000 on primer surface and 1000 between coats depending on orange peel ..if your having a bad day your going 2 need a more aggressive grit to keep the paint surface flat between coats.. in a reasonable amount of time..

Oh, I didn't see that.

Anyway, how bout Acrylic paints?

What Girt sandpaper would I have to use?

THX !

[Shadowtester]

Ok a little background I have been a automobile painter for almost 20 years now most of that time using Dupont started with lacquer and enamel and finally base coat clear coat acrylic urethanes.

A couple of tricks to help while wet sanding in your water add a little dish soap it will help the paper slide across the surface better and also help keep the paper from clogging as well. Also do not use your hand without using some kind of block or pad unless your experienced or you will end up finger sanding leaving uneven groves a common rookie mistake. On the powder coated surfaces I would recommend starting with a 400 grit wet to sand it smooth prior to the primer powder coat seems to be very hard and the finer grits will take much longer to get it smooth. Next a good quality primer is a must I would recommend a good urethane primer stay away from lacquer as its actually a thermal plastic paint not thermal set and even after it fully dry and cured you can still dissolve it using a solvent. Two to three medium coats of primer then guide coat you can use a flat black lacquer or 3M makes a black powder also which works great. Then block sand the primer smooth using 400 to 600 grit wet then when its sanded smooth switch to 800 to 1000 grit wet and sand lightly to reduce the sanding scratches. Now you can start the base coat application apply 1 to 2 medium coats allowing it to fully flash between coats usually 10 to 15 minutes depending on your drying conditions. After the first couple of coats let it dry again depending on conditions anywhere from 30 minutes to over night and wet sand smooth to remove any dirt nibs or imperfections with 1000 grit or finer and then apply two more light to medium coats or more if its needed for hiding. Now if you were using a metallic or pearl I would not recommend sand prior to the clear coat due to the chance of causing a discoloration or modeling of the basecoat that would be seen though the clearcoat. Next step two to three medium coats of a good quality urethane clear coat allow to dry over night then you can wet sand to remove any dirt nibs or imperfections again if it was very bad after you sand it smooth with 1500 grit or finer you can then apply another coat of clear. If you are able to sand all the imperfections out without removing too much of the clearcoat you can then move to a fine 2000 or 2500 grit wet paper and sand again to make it easier to polish to a smooth scratch free finish. After you polish it should be perfectly smooth and have great depth of shine.

Prior to starting you need to make sure you clean the surface with some sort of grease and wax remover and also do the same after each sanding step prior to the next step in the refinishing process. Also you will want to get some tack rags for painting to tack surface just prior to applying the coating during each step of the process as well however be careful with the tack rag if you apply to much pressure you can cause a transfer of the tacky material to your project. That is especially important prior to the clearcoat step because the residue can cause a discoloration of the basecoat which could require another coat to correct remember the clear will magnify any imperfection in the basecoat. The overall success of the paint job will be in the preparation and details the better you surface prep and clean before each step the better the results.

You can get similar results using aerosol spay cans but you need to apply lighter coats and more coats for each step as the aerosol paint will be more prone to running. And be patient rushing dry times between coats can cause a lot of problems during the process just take your time do not rush haste makes waste. I would suggest that you practice first on something that is not a critical such as the inside of the case or some scrap material you may have to get the feeling of what each step involves its better to make mistakes on a practice item or something that is not as easy to see vs the outside of your masterpiece.

[kinghong1970]

i'm about to paint the internals of my Stacker 832... i think it is all aluminum... and some greenish metal at the HDD cage.

so direct to acid primer first then paint?

just want to reconfirm...

thanks.