I have to fix some rust bubbles, a crack in the filler, and big scratches in my drivers front fender. I am going to try doing the body work myself, grinding the bad stuff out, treating the rust with phosphoric acid or whatever works on rust, and some light filler. I also have to feather some good scratches that are down to metal. I have extra base and clear from some work done on my rear fender and was wondering how difficult it was. I have a compressor and regular siphon gun but plan on getting a HVLP from harbor freight. I've sprayed primer before so I feel I can do this. Get the base down and when that looks ok get some clear down and cut and buff. Any tips or help would be appreciated.
Take your time with the body work and go for it. The base is easy to spray the clear can run easily but thats what they make sandpaper for.
Basic procedure is as you stated. Some variables when it comes down to specific product (lacquer, urethane, enamel, brand, etc.) Maybe if you specify in more detail, someone will be able to help. Stu
All I had sprayed before was Acyrlic enamel with hardner. My son developed a habit of hitting other moveable and inmoveable objects with a newer Camaro. Needed to go the base/clear route to make the repairs and fell in love with it. It's very easy to spray, dry quicks, mistakes can be fixed quickly. The clear coat was a little harder. The better you spray the clear coat the less buffing out you need to do. I had to buy a HVLP gun and a "good" respirator. Other than that no problems. Good luck!
Just take your time and do the rust issues right ,When done sand with 400 or 600 and you can do a blend or paint whole panel and then clear.
Same here. Haha. The painter at my shop broke my foot over the summer, so the boss comes into the booth and goes "Hey, see this Lincoln Navigator? You're painting it tomorrow..." I've only really based and jambed out parts, so this almost gave me a heart attack, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Clear is tricky, but if you are nervous about it, get some old junk fenders or something, hang them from the ceiling and use them for practice. Clear is easy to run and also easy to spray dry and shitty looking, but if I can do it, then anyone can. haha.
While anything can be done wrong, and some colors are more challenging than others, all things considered you have a better chance of ending up with a decent job using base/clear job than single stage.
is it a soild color ?how do you plan to blend it ? painting the whole fender ? base will be easy clear is a whole other animal .. good luck .
Most HVLP guns aren't worth a $Hi# if you ask me. They're OK after you get used to using them, but I never really liked the results I got with them... That being said, I'll post this from one of my earlier posts-Not trying to be spoil sport, just want people to know what they're getting into before they do something that could hurt them...Anyone that's planning on spraying paint, please read this: Something that needs to stressed here, and I only say this from 30+ years of painting cars in everything from driveways, to garages, to downdraft booths...safety first...this is something that gets a once over, "wear a respirator with new filters..."...good advice, but if you're doing this in an environment that does not have enough CFM of fresh clean air introduced into it, a respirator will only work so well for so long, then you are in an atmosphere FULL of evaporating solvents, and airborne paint solids, and catalyzed nasty chemicals that can KILL YOU GRAVEYARD DEAD!... not to mention the risk of explosion from a room full of solvent vapors...that being said, my suggestion is to rent a spray booth if possible, but you MUST at least wear a respirator, preferably a full face, forced air unit that covers the eyes, with pristine clean air coming from a protected source that will not be contaminated with paint fumes (found this out the hard way, stupid me...) Catalyzed paint, isocyanates and other nasty chemicals enter your body through your lungs, yes, but THROUGH THE EYES AND SKIN, ALSO! Aside from fresh air, you need to wear a paint suit, taped at the wrists and maybe ankles, and gloves, and a head sock,...TREAT SPRAYING PAINT AS YOU WOULD SPRAYING ANY POISON, because that's what it is, damage caused by misuse of automotive refinishing chemicals cannot be "fixed" with a trip to the doctor once the damage is done, well... I also strongly suggest EVERYONE spraying paint get a copy of the MSDS-Material Safety Data Sheet-for the exact material you are planning on spraying. There should be one for each of the chemicals involved, from catalyst to solvent. This should be available from whoever sells you the paint. Then read it carefully. Then decide if maybe you don't want to hire someone that's properly trained and equipped to apply the new automotive refinishing coatings. Not trying to ruin everybody's fun, just want the truth to be out there before you make a decision...Just my 2 cents worth...Whatever you do, good luck with your paint job! Eric
Wow, thanks for the repsonses. I plan on painting the whole fender. I am going to get rid of all that rust. Fender was dipped about 10 years ago and when it was in for paint work they let it outside with rain etc. Plan on checking the bubbles real good and doing it once. The rest will be sanded smooth. I did some reading on the HF HVLP gravity feed and that looks like what I want, THANKS for the saftey advice, it will be heeded. Highlander...I do want to hear what you have to say as well..... Paint is Dupont Chroma base and I have some Nasons clear.
I have several paint guns and when I decided on BC/CC for my '40 Chevy I bought a new Iwata LPX with different tips. I am amazed at how well it lays down clear and how little air it takes to do it. 19# at the gun and there is almost no overspray. I figure that two paint jobs will recoupe the price of the gun in using less paint. Buy a good respirator and disposable paint coveralls, I like 3M stuff from NAPA.
True, but repairs in single stage, especially some colors and types of single stage, can be difficult to impossible to do well. Because of that, it is easier and less risky for an amateur to fix clear rather than single stage.
if your just doing the one fender and you want to use a hvlp then by all means get the HF HVLP but make sure you get the more expensive one in the $40 range. If you want to step up a bit from harbor freight u can get into a devilbiss Finish line HVLP for just a bit over $100.
It depends on the paint,cheap base,base maker and clear sprays like cheap paint,high dollar products makes life easy,,,also the gun needs to be a good gun,compressor with a great water trap/filter,,,take your time,let things dry beetween coats,have fun,,,
Your color, metallic or opaque? Solid colors are easier no doubt but it should be a factor in which fluid nozzle you pick for your gun. Nothing wrong with a cheap gravity gun but you wanna get used to it. Spend your time and effort on the body work and surfacing. Like chrome, paint is a reflection of the surface it's applied to. You need bigger nozzles for primers and such but it's not a deal breaker if you don't have it. You can reduce your primer to get through the gun but your flash time is longer and build is slower. You don't want to trap solvents. Don't block your body work in straight lines (maybe you already know that). Don't "dig out" any primer or filler in reveals or recessed areas. Scuff them before blocking with a Scotchbrite pad then block it out so you don't leave any valleys or grooves. Color is the easy part but I must warn you about Chromabase. Too much material and it will lift with no warning, or at least it used to. The basemaker is a pretty "hot" solvent and is very slow to purge. If you can tint your primer some way to "color up" before color it's way better. For example, if it's a brown or reddish color then try to prime or seal with a red oxide vs a really light grey. Too light will require a lot of color to get where it needs to be. Color should be no more than 3 coats. If it is a transparent metallic'ish color keep that solvent thing in mind. Don't fear it, just be aware. The less filler and primer you have on the work the less the solvents will soak in and the faster it will purge for the next coat. Metallics like a criss-cross pattern and you need to be patient. Too much solven makes metallics light, too little they mottle. Same with air pressure, too much air they're light and look "rocky", to little they look like a tool box. Solid colors should be more about surface quality under the clear (remember the chrome analogy) and coverage without too much build up. The clear is something that is both simple and difficult at the same time. Simple, follow the mix directions to the letter. Difficult, again pressures and application. You're better off to lay down a light coat 1st but not a peely mess. As the next ones go on they "bite in" to the coats below and start to flow. Patience pays off big time in the clear. The longest and straightest pass you can make will net good results. Don't "wave" the gun. Keep it robot even to the panel and overlap a minimum of 50% as you cover the panel. You'll find out right away if you're too slow or too fast with the clear. Too slow it wads up in the spray pattern, too fast it's all peel and uneven. Most clears will be ready for a 2nd coat in about 5min after the 1st and 7-10min by the 2nd or 3rd. Wait a good 20min after the 3rd and you can decide if you want a 4th for a wet sand and polish. Not enough time and the clear will solvent pop (a shitload of tiny holes in the finish). These few tips and some of the other advice shold get you through. If you have any specifics you can feel free to PM me and I'd be happy to help. Patience and common sense as well as a good eye are the basics. Read your reflections the best you can as you spray. They tell all. Look at what's reflected, not the panel (hard to express but maybe you get it).
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