à Tools for painting:
(As stated, it is suggested to source most of these supplies from a local specialty paint supplier)
Wash grade lacquer thinner Wax and grease remover Tack cloths (sticky cloths mode to remove dust) Clean air supply Gravity feed HVLP gun with pressure regulator Assorted sanding pads Assorted sand paper in sheets and for DA DA sander (Te Ingersoll-Rand 4151 DA sander is a great sander) Flexible soft pad for DA sander Paint shaker (Harbor Freight has a pneumatic shaker that is inexpensive and works well. It holds spray cans, pints, quarts, and gallons)
to soft sanding pad should be used on curved pieces and a hard pad should be used on flat pieces. Soft pads can be added to the dual action sander for power sanding of curved parts. Always keep the sander flat on the
surface. Do not use the edge or corner to sand out a trouble spot. Doing so will likely cause a dent or valley in the part. If there is a high spot on a part, keep the pad as flat on the surface as you can and sand in an X pattern over the part until the high spot is gone. Low spots should be filled with body filler, spot putty, or another coat of poly primer.
How Much To Sand Depends On Te Final Finish
If the final finish is going to be from a
spray can, the part should be sanded wet from 600 to 1000 grit. If the final finish is going to be a base
coat or clear coat, finish it with a gun before sanding the part to 320 dry, and then spray. The clear coat is thick and will fill in scratches. If it is going to be buffed after applying a clear coat, the part should be sanded from 600 to 1000 grit wet before spray- ing. Again, clear coat will fill in the light scratches from 320, but wet sanding and buffing the clear will show those scratches especially in a dark color. Think of how the hood of an OEM finished black car looks; the swirls that can be seen are scratches under the paint.
Paint Tips Always shake the paint thoroughly, especially if you’re working with high- build primers and spray can paints. Spray can paints can be put in a paint shaker. When using a high-build primer in a quart or gallon, drop a large nut or bolt into the can before shaking. This helps break up sediment to get a good mix. Never use a liquid on body filler. Body filler is a sponge and it will soak up liq- uids, then release those liquids later, often resulting in a ruined finish. The final finish is only as good as what it is being sprayed on. Proper prep will help ensure a quality finish. When using professional products such as a base coat or clear coat and polyester primers, make sure to read the informa- tion provided with the products. Some
products such as PPG provides all the information needed to use the products such as flash time, mix ratio, recom- mended coat coverage, gun pressure, and more. This information is sometimes on the can or on the manufacturer’s web site. Always keep the spray guns clean using
a quality wash grade thinner. Thinner from Home Depot will leave a film, and you won’t get a good clean without extra effort. Wash-grade thinner or reducer is what should be used for cleaning. Randy provided some excellent tips for painting! One important tip that wasn’t mentioned was to become a frequent customer of your local automotive paint supply company. Sure, there are some supplies you could buy online that would be “cheaper”. But I place more value in the service I can receive from the local paint specialist. If I have any paint ques- tions or problems, I have an established relationship with paint experts and an answer is only a question away. Isn’t this what we try to promote to OUR custom- ers as well?
Wrap up Hopefully this series has provided some insight into Integrated Design and how to make your fabrication “fit” the car you are working on. We touched briefly on subjects that really deserve to be taught in more detail. If this series has piqued your interest and you would like to learn more, we strongly recom- mend attending one or more of the training classes currently offered. A weekend of training with these top-level fabricators will pay dividends the rest of your life.
me-mag.com 59
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68