Getting Into Spraying

[fr0st]

Hey all,

I'm looking at getting into automotive spray painting just as a hobby and am looking for advice on how to best get into it.

First thing is equipment...

I was thinking of just going second hand for the compressor. Is there a certain CFM or pressure I need? Is there a minimum size tank I need?

From what I've seen, entry level spray guns aren't that expensive. Will a cheapy do to begin with?

Is it worth doing a short coarse or just get some cheap paint and practice?

I'm not looking at doing an entire car, just some side skirts and possibly my front bar as a start. Can I spray the same color/type of paint as stock?

I've read before that OEM paints are 2 pack which you can't spray at home due to nasty chemicals in them. Could I get the same thing in acrylic?

Thanks

[cruzin33]

Im no spray painter by trade but iv done some cars in the past(acrylic). Iv learnt you need a gravity gun, good compressor that keeps a good flow of air and time, prep is the main key of a good paint job. hope that helps. Good luck

[spudsr33]

Hey budy done a bit aswell and one helpfull tip is that you should spend sixty to seventy percent of time in prep sand back, Undercoat sand back undercoat then top coat basicaly. Remember to not go for a full coat first (meaning) dont try to cover the whole area in one hit do an even coat same speed along each panel then you will avoid runners and "orange peeling" effect!!

[fr0st]

Cheers for the advice

Can anyone give any insight into what colors/paint-types you can spray?

Since you not supposed to spray 2-pack paint does that mean you can't do any metallic colors or does it just affect how long the paint will last?

[tmc_2]

I think u cant spray 2pac unless ur on a approved premises, the stuff is toxic.

I thin ku can do acrylic at home as long as ur neighbours dont complain lol.

I am in the process of doing my bonnet at home in acrylic.

fist i used cans and did a suprisingly good back yard job lol

2nd time i used a super cheap spray gun with the cansiter below it turned out crap.

I just bought a gravity fed spray gun and im going to try and paint it gloss black with clear coat, in my clear coat i will put metal flakes.

So we will see how bad i can stuff this up lol

[cruzin33]

Im aboult to paint 2pac in my engine bay of my r31 drift car it takes a long time to dry but a lot stronger. Iv just paintd my bonnet and boot in black(acrylic) with a clear coat in it let it dry for a week after each coat 3 thick coats then a rub down after each coat. Now im up 2 cuting and polishing and that is the biggest c**t to do by hand lol so i went out and bought a buffer 100% better and quicker. Also if you choose to paint 2pac dont do it in your shed unless you have a good vent system!!

[frogman]

for wanting to have a go!

First up, a 10cfm 2hp belt drive compressor would be ideal for parts etc, a 12cfm 2.5hp belt drive can do a car. The little mini compressors wont really cut it & will end up working too hard/ get too hot. Belt drives (looks like a fan belt set up, with 2 pulleys) are usually quieter than diaphram type (just the motor/pump on top, no belt or pulleys) too. Second hand or reco ones are fine.

Most cheapie spray guns are OK, 'Star' make pretty good entry level guns, you will want a 1.2-1.4mm tip. A "Conventional" gravity feed is the way to go, don't get a "HVLP".(one of my SATA guns is a high volume- low pressure gun, so even with it wound all the way in a fair bit of air still comes out... good for hosing it on but can be annoying for tricky areas) Just make sure you can turn the air pressure all the way down till no air comes out at all.

No, you shouldn't spray 2pac at home (but you shouldn't drink or smoke cigarettes either!) & you will get fined if you get busted.

Acrylic is great for beginners, and yes you can get all colours, metallics, pearls etc in it. Always wear a proper mask(Sundstrom or 3M are good), and be carefull about overspray when spraying... spray in the garage or in the backyard... move everyones cars out the front/on the street... dont spray when windy... etc etc

Look up your local smash repair supplies shop in the yellow pages, go say Hi & ask what gravity feed guns they have on special, should be able to do a package deal... gun, proper mask etc.

Again, your local smash shop supplier will sell all paints, & should be able to match to the colour of your car if you give them the paint code & petrol flap.

You can do short intro courses at TAFE, but costs money & time...if you're keen enough just have a go! Fill the gun up with water & "paint" your roller door/fence/wall/?? for a while

Good Luck!

try the trading post for smash shops closing down for good 2nd hand guns too

Edited February 27, 2007 by frogman

[tmc_2]

Hi i just bought a HLVP gravity gun wiht a 1.4 and 2.0 ml nozzle.

I was planning ot paint acrylic. So with the HVLP i will need to turn the pressure donw on the compressor? is that right?

I plan to paint a bonnet , plan is , primer, gloss black, holographic metal flake in the first coat of clear, then clear coat on its own to finish it off.

Cheers.

[frogman]

Hi i just bought a HLVP gravity gun wiht a 1.4 and 2.0 ml nozzle.

I was planning ot paint acrylic. So with the HVLP i will need to turn the pressure donw on the compressor? is that right?

I plan to paint a bonnet , plan is , primer, gloss black, holographic metal flake in the first coat of clear, then clear coat on its own to finish it off.

Cheers.

Sorry if I wasn't clear..when I said "just make sure you can turn the air all the way down" I meant on the gun, not on the compressor. Being able to wind down the air really low on the gun is handy when you want to paint small areas & for touch ups. My gun won't, but some do. If you feel that you have too much air, then yeah you can turn the pressure down on the compressor no problem.

With your bonnet, that plan is fine. Let the primer dry for a few days before you rub it down. Acrylic is pretty workable, so if you think your black looks a bit dodgey or the flakes are a bit too chunky, you can always cut it back between coats, re clear it then cut & buff it.

[fr0st]

Great info frogman!

Exactly what I was after

Do you know of any sites that have a catalog of all the different types of paint/pearl/flakes etc ? I'd love to see the kind of effects you can achieve... I'm keen to get spraying now

[tmc_2]

Hey Frog man, thanks for the info!

With buffing does that have to be done with and electric orbital buffer?

Should i not even attmept to buff by hand?

And also what cut/polish should i be using?

thanks again.

Frost this might not help much but do a ebay search for 'metal flake'

thats how i found my holographic flakes to put in the clear coat.

Cheers

[someonestolecc]

Great tips there. I'm going to attempt to do my car too.

Can you do flakes at home with a gravity gun and acrylic?

[frogman]

No problem guys.

Sorry frOst, don't know of any sites for colours. Probably better to go down to your smash shop supplier & asking them nicely if you can look at their colour chip books, that way you can find out how much they'll cost ya too.

tmc_2, You don't neccesserally have to buff with an electric buff, but it will take you forever to get it looking ok, especially a dark colour. Start by hand & see how well it comes up/how long it takes before you get sick of it I guess...

A proper buff (I got a top of the line 'Rupes' from cash converters for 80 bucks, the guy didn't know what he was selling!) is ideal, I've never used one of those two handle round things that you get from supercheap, but its probably better than nothing!

Back in the day when I was using acrylic you would use a lambswool buffing pad with a green compound called 'Farecla'(I think thats how you spell it) I know it is still used & available from smash supply shops, but I've only seen it in big buckets.

There is a small foam white & yellow buff pad which is designed for 2pac, but you could probably use it on acrylic, they are called 'G-mop'. I'm pretty sure there are a few cheaper versions of the same thing but I dont know their names. Maybe go for a softer one for acrylic, ask the guy at the shop what firmness would be better.

I use a compound called 'Pasta Abrisiva', by Gelson. Its in a small black tin with white yellow & red stripes.

Both of these compounds (which can be thinned out with a bit of water to make life easier), & pads will get all your wet sanding scratches out, from here you can go by hand or keep buffing...

There is a larger black foam pad called a 'waffle pad'. They are a bit tricky to use but when you work it out the paint comes up sweet.

I use a 3M compound, I'm pretty sure its called 'finess it', but I've lent it to a mate so its not out in the garage for me to check! There may be a new improved version of it now, but it still comes in a tall black squeezy bottle with red writing. Not sure how you would go trying to use this stuff by hand though, its ok for small areas where you cant get the waffle, but big flat areas, hmmm..

For polish, every one has their personal preferance. I started using 'AutoGlym Super Resin' about 10 years ago. I have tried others, waxes etc. but have always gone back to super resin. Its easy to use & has no silicone in it, silicone is a nightmare for spraypainters! The whole time I was in smash shops I just used clean white soft rags if i had to polish anything... the last time I bought some super resin they had a sale on proper terry towel polishing clothes, they are heaps better than rags !!

P.S. All this stuff is just what I am used to. These products have been around for ages & are used by alot of smash shops. There are heaps of products & ways to do the same thing, if you use something else some other way & your car looks great, thats fine.

[tmc_2]

Thanks for hte advise Frogman,

Im off ot get some supplies and attempting to paint my bonnet in blakc with holographic flakes in the clear this weekend!

[tmc_2]

Ok painted my fibreglass bonnet on the weekend.

Put the primer down went ok, then sanded it and then i did a guide coat of black and sanded it. then another coat of black sanded it ao everything was smooth.

I then applied 3 layers of black. After that dried i did one layer of clear with holographic metal flakes. then applied about 3 more light coats of clear. I used 1L of clear and it was not enough. I think the because i have metal flakes i need to make my top coat of clear thicker.

Next week end i may attempt to cut it back a little and add more clear. I will post up a pic of my effot so far in the next day or two.

Im fairly satisfied for my first attempt. its not the best job tho.

The metal flakes cover up my mistakes

[Craved]

What gun did you use? what size nozzle?

did you do it in acrylic or 2 pac ..

[tmc_2]

I used a Grip HVLP gun i used a 1.4m for primer and black then the 2.0ml for the glitter and clear. After using hte 2ml i realise i should have used the 2ml the whole time.

I used acrylic paints. Very pleased with my self actualyl lol

[Craved]

yeah i've been priming up my bike and a bodykit with the 1.4mm nozzle, just switched to a 1.7mm and its 3 times better lol

nice work - now picsorban

[fr0st]

Well done, looking forward to pics

What compressor did you use?

Im fairly satisfied for my first attempt. its not the best job tho.

Where did you think you went wrong?

[someonestolecc]

I think the because i have metal flakes i need to make my top coat of clear thicker.

Next week end i may attempt to cut it back a little and add more clear. I will post up a pic of my effot so far in the next day or two.

Where did you get the flakes? How much and what type?

How do you cut back the clear? (cutting compound? that's not like sanding it back is it?)