Technical How do short guys paint roofs?

Crack open a tall one....

 

Like this but opposite

Yes you need some height,
But harder to come by is the extended reach arms, the belly retractor, the cantilever fulcrum, and the doohickey you hook on your belt loop to pull you back upright.

 

Use your wife's heels

 

There's a lot of your problem... like 31Vicky says, a lot of it is in your wrist action. Even with the old quart can guns, I didn't have obstructions at my wrist, but that quart of paint got real heavy on a big job. I like your idea of putting a hose between you and your filter/regulator... if you do that, it may as well be at the beginning of the hose rather than midstream. I just do it at the compressor and don't use oilers in my lines. To get out over a wide roof, also try looping the hose back over your shoulder so you aren't worrying about dragging it in the paint. As others have said, your next best move is a rotissiere.

 

Take the wheels off, get vehicle lower. Makes a world of difference, of course with that you got to crouch that much lower hitting the rockers etc. Always some give and take

 

Stilts are an acquired skill... and it's a long ways to the ground when you screw up...

 

I have a Bend-Pad sizzor lift in the booth, it works great for us older people. Put it on the ground and paint the roof and raise it up to paint the rockers. When your done put the wheels back on it and drive it out of the booth.

 

We had a lift flush mounted in the floor of a paint booth
You could remove the wheels
Raise the lift for the lower areas, lower the lift for the roof
Worked great. But when clearing you needed a lift operator

 

I know two brothers who painted a 18 wheeler, one got on the other ones shoulders.

 

At Champion and Chapperell we used the fork lift to paint 18 wheelers

 

Put a hydraulic floor jack under one side and raise that side about a foot or 18" to tilt the roof.
Spray and then jack up the other side to get that side. It works pretty good.

 

Similar , I used a floor jack at each end and removed the wheels and tires. Let the jacks all the way down to paint the top, then jack her back up to paint the sides and rockers. Cost = $0 and fits all models.. Later Bill

 

Air out of the tires or the wheels off lower the car down with floor jacks. Last but not least belly ride down the side, narrow up that gun pattern and go.

 

Most short guy's think their 10' tall........................................

 

I use 4 step ladders with antique painters stretch boards in between them.

Denny

 

I get on a step ladder and paint the roof while the rest of the car is taped up. I do 1 side at a time and blend it in in the middle of the roof. Then let it sit for 3 days un tape the rest of the car and then tape the roof up. Its more work but looks better in the end with no hose marks or marks where you leaned in to the car body by mistake while painting it. Like I did on the 56 Chrysler Windsor. Bruce.

 

Then tape up the roof and paint the rest of the car. Bruce.

 

Funny shit. You knew the post was going to come from all angles including the top.

 

In the open, Bruce?

Ben

 

I think a better question is how to tall guys paint the rocker panels? I just the cut the roof off, that way it'll be right down low when I paint it.

 

lift without wheels and tires or ladder . having body off frame helped during bodywork.

 

"Now my uncle Nort, he's sawed off and short
He measures about four foot two
But he thinks he's a giant when you give him a pint
Of that good ole mountain dew"

So ....drink some mountain dew.

 

No Ben, in the garage with the floors wet, a chain over the rear end and a exhaust fan going.Bruce.

 

Believe it or not when I built my new shop and needed the drywall installed I was given a number for a man and his three son's, when they showed up they were all midgets with the exception of his oldest who was as tall as me.

The father and two of his son's worked wearing stilts that must have been 5 foot tall, these guys were amazing on the stilts, can't imagine why anyone that is height challenged couldn't do the same painting a car. HRP

 

This is what I use
https://m.northerntool.com/shop/too...aD0msAX5Y2SUzxPQoFsRiLxcIP80QPLkaAj8JEALw_wcB