I have to Disagree about a DA-Sander especially for a rookie on a fiberglass car,
you can wave the heck of a glass panel with a DA, sure it is easy to strip,
but a bitch for someone to try and make the panels look flat again.
I would not suggest a DA for the inexperinced person, use a block sander,
you can get a flat air board . 69VETT

 

just about $1400.00 for paint only for my vette. I'm a believer of you get what you pay for.

 

sounds about right..I had about $1200 in paint and materials from PPG when I painted my 69 Torch Red back in 03.

 

I am a rookie and it turned out well. I thought part of the point of using a DA was that it's harder to cut grooves/sand unevenly. You may be right if you're talking about stripping to bare 'glass- I only used it to prep the old paint surface for the new paint.

 

Went back to my friends at the PPG store today. What they had originally quoted me $990 for was for their Deltron product system.
I've never used the Deltron before so asked for a quote using their Omni system which I have used before and it worked well. They don't stock Omni anymore but sell a product called Shopline which they tell me is similar to Omni. I bought everything I need in the shopline for $324. I hope to blow it on Monday, Florida weather permitting.
I hope I didn't make a mistake but I have to keep in mind that funds are tight and this is not a showcar. It will be a daily driver that I intend to drive the hell out of, at least as much hell as a white haired 66 year old can.
I'll let ya'll know how it works out.
Enjoy
Larry

ps- also bought 2 cases of michelob lite ( painter lube )

 

i never knew that michelob could be used as a reducer!

 

I know you got your paint already, but I have used the HOK(house of kolor) products in the past with very good results. They have a slightly lower priced product out know called "Kustom shop" that I'm giving a try. I shot the primer last week, and it came out well. Now the sanding starts I know we all want our cars to be perfect, but don't make yourself nuts trying to get everything absolutly perfect. The first stone chip will just hurt that much more. Just make sure to get your primer nice and smooth and the rest will take care of itself.

 

69VETT
Not know how to PROPERLY use a DA or finish sander can create waves in theh panel. There is a technique to using a DA. I have one but it is rarely used unless I plan on applying priimer over what I sanded with the DA. I NEVER use it to prep paint for paint. That is ALL done by hand. You get a better "feel" of the panel and have better control.


kunkle, I am glad that it turned out great for you....really I am. You are one of the lucky ones, who for the first time picking up a DA and using it didn't TOTALLY destroy the panel. You WERE paying attention on what the DA was doing.

More info for anyone who cares:

The majority of first timers DO NOT DO THAT. They are looking for an easy way out of doing it by hand. The DA is a helpful tool but OFETN times in the hands of the inexperienced, well.....it is like..... handing someone a chainsaw and ask them to remove the nibs of trash in the clearcoat. A VERY DANGEROUS PROPOSITION.

I have trained many guys in the past and they WERE NOT allowed to touch the DA until they were given full training and had received their "DA drivers license", which I made them up and handed out to those who EARNED the right to use the tool. And you would be surprised on how many times that they WOULD NOT USE IT. They relied more on their ability to "feel" the panel instead and get it prepped WITHOUT having problems breaking through clearcoat and edges and such due to not knowing how thick the paint was on the car.

And to the TRAINED EYE. Picking up abnormalities in the finish is easy when you know what to look for. And knowing when a DA was used is easy because when mistakes were made while using it, they USUALLY were not corrected BY HAND.

SO... any person out there, that plans on using a DA for the first time...all I can say is be watchful of what you are doing, keep it flat and STAY AWAY from CURVES that DO NOT ALLOW the DA to stay flat, (Do those areas by hand.) DO NOT run it at full or high speed and keep it moving, DO NOT stay in one spot. TRY not to break through the layers of paint or "bulls eyes "may occur , if not reactions from primers or paint in the future, due to shrinkage.

I know many of you want a paint job for the street and NOT for shows. Many of my customers want that also. BUT...the issue is...for me...when you go to the gas station on a Friday night in the summer, and the lights at the gas station are shining on your Corvette. AND BOY OH BOY DOES IT SHINE! DO you want to get "sea sick" by the rippling and waves in the body due to not prepping it correctly? MY TEST for my paint work is at night at the gas station. If it looks like I dipped it in "baby oil" and it slick as a "peeled onion" than I know it is right. 12 noon means nothing to me, you can hide many things when the light is the brightest, and your eyes are blinded my the shine.

The best to all who read this and are planning on or painting thier Corvettes.
"DUB"

 

And the best investment to compliment your paint stuff is a Supplied Fresh Air respirator, you'll be glad when you start working with the epoxies and basecoat-clear systems.

 

I hope so, I just bought one :http://www.turbineproducts.com/servlet/Detail?no=2 With a 100' air supply hose.

 

When I'm in the final blocking stage with Primer I wet the car down and look for waves. If there are any they show up as if you had a clear coat on it

 

I own one myself and am darn glad that I do. BUT just remember.... that the Supplied Fresh Air Respirator is a useful piece of safety equipment. But it is not the only thing to consider. About everything in the autobody industry can damage your nervous system...either through prolonged breathing of fumes or skin contact. SO....REMEMBER to wear gloves, headsocks and cover ALL expoosed skin either with a Tyvek suit or some type of apporved clothing to keep these products off your skin. And that all clothing should be washed seperately from the other clothes in your family. And this is when you are doing bodywork also. I have seen some guys wear no shirt, some swim trunks and "flip-flops" with their Supplied Fresh Ait Respirator while painting a car and think that they are OK....THEY ARE WRONG....PROTECT YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!

Does anybody ever read the MSDS sheets? Do you ask for them when you buy your paint/body supplies? These products are for profressional use by trained professionals and NOT to be sold to the genreral public. EVENTHOUGH these products are sold to anybody with the money to pay for them. I am glad to read many posts from those of you out there that are NOT PROFESSIONAL bodymen/painters asking advice from those of us who are PROFESSIONAL. For that I am glad to know there are people out there who realize that they do not know it all and are willing to seek out advice from the experienced. And also those of us who are experienced trying to let you others know what they should TRY to do to avoid problems in the future. This is one HELPFUL FORUM to all.
"DUB"

 

Don't forget googles, nothing like some clearcoat overspray in the eye!!

 

I forgot that because I have a Full Face Supplied Fresh Air Respirator.

Scott, glad that you caught that.

While we are on the safety information kick here.

With all of the different solvents that make up "lacquer thinner" and one of them being TOLUENE. Which is some EVIL STUFF. REMEMBER it takes onle 7-9 seconds from the time that lacquer thinner touches your skin and stays on it to get into your bloodstream and reach your LIVER.

WEAR the CORRECT GLOVES for the solvents being used. OR pay the price later.

And if your paint/clear contains ISOCYNATE. YOU better BE AWARE of this stuff. AND take PROPER measures for PROPER breathing equipment.
Properly fit your mask, if using a cartridge style. Becasue if and when you get doen painting your car and you have paint collecting by your nose, near your nostrils....you did not have your mask fitted correctly...and just got some in you. Paint overspray WILL find the path of least resistance and go there instead of through the filters.

So that headache or dizziness later on in the evening is WHY.
"DUB"

 

This is a great thread and safety can never be stressed enough.

I think correct gloves for handling solvents like Lacquer Thinner are the thick (usually blue) PVC or thick black rubber gloves.

Nitrile, Latex, Vinyl, and any combination of these will allow the thinner to penetrate and reach your skin. These materials will also absorb the solvent and hold it for quite a while, exacerbating the problem.

 

Hi Guys-
Finally blew the paint on the '75 yesterday, it's red again !
It took about seven hours and lotsa old sore muscles but now all I lack is finishing. Gotta sand and polish and I did get a couple of gravity indicators in the clear coat but the paint went on well. Very happy here ! I put photos in the album in my profile.
I earned a long soak in the pool and a tall Crown Royal.
Enjoy !!
Larry

 

Larry,
"gravity indicators" are fine. I call them "signatures". At least you know that you were applying the clear coat "wet" enough. Nothing but nothing is worse than a "dry" sprayed clearcoat. I would much rather have "gravity indicators" than dry spray. "Dry spray" = not watching how the clear is being applied to the panel.

Hope the polishing goes well. It takes me as long if not longer to polish one out than it does to paint one. But it is WORTH It.
"DUB"

 

Hey Larry, Awesome news! Would you be able to take some before and after pics (before polishing, after polishing)?

Either way, I'd like to see how it turned out.

 

On another note, I got my fresh air unit yesterday. Amazing fast shipping.

The first thing I did was test the airflow. HOLY COW.
On low the airflow is very moderate. it has an adjustment "dial" and on the highest with no hose connected to it, it blew the leaves back hard on a plant 30' away! I think Nigel of Spinal Tap said it best: "Ours go up to eleven."

I'm sure this will work nicely.

 

Robb and others,
I am glad to read that you got your Fresh air respirator in today. BE sure that your read the booklet that came with it. On mine I have to change the filter and wash it out with a special "safe-t solv". Be sure that you pay close attention to the number of hours that it has on it. I installed an hour meter so I can quickly glance at it and know when to perform service. These units do require service in order to give you clean air that is CLEAN and able to BREATHE. WE are talking about YOUR LUNGS. Many of the guys I know who paint that have them have no idea on how long it has run and they say" oh...its ok"

Just thought I would mention it so you don't let the hours stack up and have a problem.
"DUB"