Is there a "garage friendly" paint??

OK, so I know now I screwed up. I painted my cab (3 times) with pearl metallic paint. Today I painted one door (again). It's ok now but I'm having a hell of a time getting the metallic to lay down even. At this point I'm commited to painting one more door, the hood, and bedsides this pearl blue. I'm thinking the fenders and running boards will be painted a solid black, just because I know those big round fenders will be a pain to paint without the metallic looking like ****. Painting in my garage is becoming more difficult because of dust and **** flying around. Can I use black lacquer over epoxy primer? Or is just a solid color enamel better? Right now I'm using a single stage urethane, shines like hell, but what a pain. Any suggestions, short of starting over??

 

Its all in the technique with high metallic paints ... Most of the dust can be wet sanded out but its trickier if your doing single stage but it still can and is done.. Air pressure gun settings and just the way you hold the gun when you p*** it over the panel can screw up or save a hi metallic paint job.. Try lighter coats working up to the desired coverage. im guessing your getting the dreaded zebra stripes? .. A little dryer mix might be in order also.. Just to let you know one of the worst colors to shoot as far as smooth and shinny and no dust is ... Yup.. Black..
Dave

 

how long have you been painting cars ? im new at it & have sanded several coats off myself . even changed paint & color . everyone says "experience" is where its at . try to find a good painter & have him watch & help you . best way to learn is to do it . wish i had that help . but i love trying !!! good luck , nice color .. steve

 

I guess some of my problem is if I try a lighter, dryer coat, it wants to orange peel. It's getting old repainting this stuff over and over. Suppose its called a learning curve?

 

Non-cleared metallics and pearls are the amateur painter's worst nightmare. Take it from an amateur painter.

If you start doing a bunch of colorsanding with single stage metallics you're gonna dig into the metallic component and open another can of worms. If you're unhappy with the finish it's probably time to think about clearcoat so there's enough material to sand out defects, and easier fixes when you sand thru.

Right now....getting concerned about your truck matching when rolled out in the sun. Don't think I could make all those seperately painted panels come out even. Something as simple as painting a door laid out flat instead of standing up can make it not match when pearls & metallics are involved

good luck

 

garage painting is the best. wet the floor down to stop dust. higher pressure if metallic is not laying out. wait for it to dry if you mess it up, then wet sand it with 600 or 800 and try again!

 

Yeah shifty, I'm starting to wonder that myself. As much as I like this color, it looks different from every angle and the lighting in my garage is very deceiving. I hate to paint the fenders black because I really like this color, but I may have to compromise.

 

i also found garage lighting very decieving !!!! has got me several times .. steve

 

Hang sheets of plastic from the ceiling along each side of the painting area and front and back. Wet the floor and best of luck.

We painted the Track Car and its component piece on the slab in front of the building under a 10X20 canopy. Used Acrylic Enamel, a HVLP gun from H-F, PPG paint, and came out with a serviceable job. Always be satisfied with the best you can do with what you have and you'll do two things, learn and get your car on the road before you're 70.

This is a hobby, not a contest. If I have a little run or dull spot or dust in the paint...I did it. Paying someone else to do it has two bad outcomes. You're out the money and no matter how expensive or how cheap it was, if it isn't perfect you're pissed because Joe the Pro took your cash and didn't do his job.

There was a time when guys painted their cars with their Mother's Kirby Vacuum Cleaner and a spray gun made form a Mason Jar, and LOVED IT!

 

Pasadena, your absolutly correct, it sure isn't from lack of effort!

 

It is a beautiful color.

I'm of the opposite thought process with the fenders. Those aren't that worrying because they're curved and not right up against the other panels. The sun's effects on those curves are gonna naturally camo any mismatch. If you can make that door match, fitting tight against other flat surfaces, you can make those fenders match.

good luck

 

Here is an old trick from an old man!!! Put some Marbles or Ball bearings in your cup with the paint.As you paint just shake the cut as you spray a little and this keeps the Flake stired up!!!!

 

Sorry that "Cup" not "Cut".

 

great tip ! ................... steve

 

Lawman, that sounds like it would work, but I'm using a gravity fed gun. Anybody discover a garage friendly paint yet?

 

Take a look here...
https://corporateportal.ppg.com/NA/Refinish/PPGRefinish/Features/EN/vibrance_water

 

Great advice! I for one, am not gonna look at your car or truck, and pick it apart for not being perfect. I just enjoy looking at all the stuff you did to get your rod or custom on the road. Just remember...that unit wasn't perfect when it left the factory.

 

That might be something to look into, has anyone had any experience with waterborne?

 

Using a base-clear system would sure make your life easier. Metallic single-stage paint can be very frustrating, especially if you're new to the game...

 

By garage friendly do you mean doable not in a booth? Most things are doable outside a booth. A single stage metallic isn't one of them. What products are you using? If there is a compatible clear coat, you're set.

If there is a clear:

Get coverage and try to keep the metallic even by cross-coating and checking from every angle. Its not about speed at this point, just make sure its even. On the last coat, spray it dry. I know it will look like **** after you spray it, but thats part of it. It helps the metallic to stand up. With the clear, all you need to do is keep everything wet. Ignore the dust and just make sure to get the material on.

The get your sandpaper and a buffer and go to town.


All is not lost.

 

I agree completely. bc/cc is just sooooo much easier for the DIY painter. With bc/cc, you can hold the gun a bit farther away on the final coat and the metallic will be perfectly even. That color is great, but you need to have all the parts in the booth/shop at the same time for the metallic to match. That's another thing about bc/cc, it's MUCH easier to match if/when it gets damaged.

 

Its a single stage urethane Kustom Shop brand, ebay paint... Would I sand the basecoat before clearing? Or would that mess up the metallic?

 

First off I have to say I don't think that the marble idea would work in a gravity fed gun. It will block the p***age for the paint, just like the stop in your kitchen sink! That was common in the old style syphon guns.

Secondly, I think you are doing a pretty good job. Your biggest mistake was in choosing a single stage paint instead of a base clear. I realize the thought process, however, keeping the metalics right in a single stage is dificult even for a good painter.

as far as the fenders, what about getting the same color mixed in bc/cc? I wouldn't paint them black if that really isn't the look you want. I don't think you would ever truely be happy.

Good luck, you are doing a good job, just keep at it!!

 

Any time you sand and buff metalics you are going to change the look and or ruin them. The metalics are on the surface so you are then sanding them.

 

There's no need to sand a basecoat before you shoot clear, it's basically a chemical bond if you stay within the proper time window (it differs across manufacturers, but you have plenty of time to clear it without sanding the base).

Another nice benefit from B/C, sanding and buffing clear won't affect how your metallics look. If you try to sand out a run, or other imperfection, in a single stage metallic job like you have now it changes how the metallics look in that spot.....yeeeack.

 

Hotrod47, you type faster than me..haha.

Blackprimer, if it were mine, and if that door doesn't match the rest of the truck, I'd just sand it all down and find a compatible basecoat, mixed in the same color of course, to shoot over it, then shoot 3 or more coats of clear over the whole thing. Talk to the Kustom Shop tech support, see what they recomend.

If the door matches the rest of it OK, especially under the flourescent lights, you might be OK leaving it?

I like the color too.

 

Kustom Shop has a line of clears that I'd bet are compatible. Go on tcpglobal.com and check if its the same stuff. If it is, call them and check. They have great customer service. Do not sand the base before clear.

 

Oh, and I also just re-read your post and see that it has pearl in it also. This makes it much harder to match two panels if you paint them seperately, pearl is very tricky that way.

On my '51 F1, I used a red with some pearl in it. The door sheetmetal meets up to the cab corner with the two pieces of sheetmetal being at slightly different angles, even though the gap is actually very good. Anyway, the angle of sunlight on these two panels are different, so the pearl reflects differently to your eye, and it looks like a slightly different color. Keep in mind I used to paint for a living, and have done some nice show cars. This is tricky stuff sometimes. I would avoid pearls in the future. (but damn, they sure look good).

If I was closer I'd just come help you shoot it.

 

BC/CC on the fenders sounds like an excellent idea! You're right I really wouldn't be happy with black fenders. I'm pretty sure TCP global has the same color in bb/cc.

 

8 flat, yes they do...from some angles it almost looks purple.