Ventilation may help the quality of the paint job but no amount of
ventilation will bypass the need for proper safety equipment when using
catalyzed automotive paints. A high-end respirator with charcoal
canisters and particulate filters is the absolute minimum requirement. I
strongly prefer a SAS - supplied air system - unit that gives you fresh
air collected from outside the area where you are spraying. Because I'm
an occasional user, I purchased a moderate-cost unit that operates off
of standard compressed air. I tend to sweat a lot so I chose the full
hood option. Air flows over my head to help cool it and, if a nasty drop
of perspiration falls off my face, it ends up inside the hood and not on
my paint job.
When you decide what brand of paint to use, download all the technical
sheets on the products. They will give you lots of detail on things like
mixing ratios and proper technique. For example, I use mostly PPG
products. With them, you can not sand the base coat before applying the
clear. You can repair problems but you must reapply the color then do
the clear over the as-sprayed color. Paint chemistry has gotten very
complex but the published information makes it pretty easy for most
people to understand. You don't need a degree in chemical engineering to
properly use the stuff.
I'd suggest buying your own spray gun. Something like the Sharpe Finex
line is a moderate investment and you'll know its history. If you get
one from the rental store, you never know what has been run through it,
how well it was cleaned, or how it has been treated (well, you can
almost assume it has been abused). You can rent a compressor if needed.
Big Jim
-----Original Message-----
From: Randy [mailto:Acrosport2]=20
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:24 PM
To: gmclist
Subject: Re:[gmclist] Striping Prep
Is your paint original? If so, try a little Meguires Fine Cut Cleaner
with a buffer on a foam pad, fairly low speed. Follow that with some wax
and see what you think. You might be surprised. If you've got some thin
parts be creative with some vinyl stripes. I'd do only a small area,
because if you wax the whole thing, that's just one more thing that's
gotta come off before you
paint.=20
The prep could be done with a orbital sander in an area far away from
where you think you might spray. I'd go pretty much down to the original
grey primer so that when you spray, you don't get the paint too thick
and have it crack. Hitting it with rattle cans of primer probably isn't
necessary since it won't rust and all that stuff too will have to come
off before you paint
it.=20
I'd rent an HVLP sprayer and shoot an epoxy primer followed by a
surfacer sanded smooth and then a base coat. All these dry pretty quick
and are fairly easy to fix if you get dust in them. Then be ready to do
a coat of clear which too can be color sanded afterwards if you get some
dust in it. Then grab the buffer again and buff it and you'll have a
pretty nice paint
job.=20
Make sure you have plenty of ventilation with catalyzed paints as they
are deadly toxic and it's not a matter of coughing them up. They poison
your blood and you can't get rid of it before it kills you. I know one
guy who died needlessly because you failed to use proper breathing
equipment in a paint
booth.=20
Doing the roof would be the toughest thing I would imagine since you
have to get up high and out far at the same
time.=20
--=20
Randy
1973 26' Painted Desert
Ahwatukee (Phoenix) AZ
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