Not my vette but I am thinking of painting my truck.

I would like to buy only one gun ever so I need an easy to learn, easy to use gun that is of good quality. It must also not be an air hog. I have a 5hp-20gal compressor so it will be maxed out but an upgrade is out of the question.

What paint should I use? I don't need super quality just stuff that is durable and can take a beating yet when polished up it looks good. I do off road this truck so there will be scratches, chips that will need to be repaired so ease of repairs will be a factor also.

P.S. I have never painted anything other than model cars with a small airbrush!

 

I have a couple of different guns. I have an old Sears Craftsman that I use for spraying primer. It's a siphon feed and uses regular pressure. I also have a Craftsman siphon feed that's a little nicer that I've also used for primer and topcoats. My favorite is a DeVilbis gravity feed regular pressure. It's easy to control and easy to clean and very affordable. I tried a cheap HVLP gravity feed gun but wasn't happy with the way it laid down the paint. Too thin for shooting lacquer but might be just right for base/clear coats. DeVilbis makes HVLP guns in gravity feed also. I think the best place to get info on this topic is at http://www.autobodystore.com
They sell the gravity feed conventional for $84 and the gravity feed HVLP for $149. They also have an excellent forum like this one that can give you some good tips on paint and application. When I painted my car I was on there every day. My vette was the first car I painted too and I know how confusing and scary it can be. My suggestion is to read everything you can on the topic and ask as many questions as you can. In your situation I think you would be well served by using a single stage urethane. This will give you a very durable paint that can be color sanded and buffed to look almost like lacquer. Because it's a single stage paint (not using a clearcoat) you will save some money on materials. But be careful. These paints are very hazardous to your health and should be sprayed with a supplied air respirator. If you use anything less you take the chance of ruining your health. I have some info on my website about painting cars. It's not all comprehensive but might be a place to get a start. Good luck.


[Modified by vettfixr, 7:47 PM 9/18/2002]

 

Thanks for the website, it looks like it will be of great help to me.

For the gun, I am thinking HVLP gravity feed because I'll be painting in a garage barely big enough to fit the truck so the less paint in the air the better.

Anybody else with suggestions?

 

OVER PREP THE GARAGE, CAN'T stress it enough, seal everything off, and then seal the seals off. try your hardest to get a good source of incomming air, and try to defuse the flow so it doesn't actually stir up the air. Then a good flow out. Anyways, It would be best to learn on an HVLP. alot of people who used conventional Syphon fed ones then bought the hvlp hate them.

As for paint. I trust PPG, but I hear VALSPAR makes a really good quality paint that is just about half the price. PPG has a DB system thats just a single stage paint, really easy to work with, has a strong hard finish like that of a base clear paint. it's brand new and about 20% less than a DBC paint.

 

These are all great suggestions.
I'm just soaking it all in - waiting for my turn.
:seeya

 

Okay and one last thing, Make sure your have a good inline filter and dryer installed on your compressor. I just went at some partial painting once again, and..... well I got dust in the paint due to the fact that I didn't have that. I just need to get the damm paint away from me till next week when I start the classes, then paint it in a real booth, with real lighting.

So I am thinking however getting insurance on it again and taking it out this weekend, the paint looks good enough to take it out in the evenings.


but I will not try to paint in the garage anymore, just not worth the time. Now if you weren't about to go into a class, then perhaps it may still be a better idea to use the garage.

 

I dont know how much you want to spend .Paint guns can get very pricey.I use an Iwata ,its anexpensive gun but well worth it if you are making a living at it .I have a single stage gun that was about $440,a basecoat gun that was about $300,and a clear gun that was about $460 .For a primer gun I use a cheap hvlp gun from Harbor Freight .All my guns are gravity feed guns except my single stage gun .Companies will tell you that an hvlp gun will save you air and material but you will not notice a difference .
As far as paint goes I am PPG certified and there is a reason for that .PPG has the best products FOR ME.PPG is the best bang for the buck I try to use their guarantied products ,they are higher but there is a reason they are guarantied .They have primers that are far superior than other paint companies ,but as far as topcoats they are equal .The one thing that makes me keep using them is that they have a basecoat that has a hardener(dbu paint line) and other paint companies just mix with a reducer.I am not trying to tell you what to buy ,this is just my opinion. :yesnod: :yesnod:

 

paintdaddy,

I want opinions, I have never painted a vehicle so any suggestions are great.

I figure I'll start on my truck because I really don't car if the paint has a few flaws in it. By then I should be good at it when the vette needs some paint.

I have gotten quotes for $4000 Canadian to do the paint on my truck( replacing front fenders, prepping and paint). I figure I can do it for a lot less than that..... the quality might not be as high but I'd rather learn the skill than pay someone else to do it.

 

Nice webpage VetteFixer- there is lots of good information. I have a few good posts from you that I reread.

PaintDaddy, I enjoy reading your informative posts as well. And after seeing many results using PPG, I am sold to use their products.

THE BIG QUESTION: SAFETY!

I will spend what is needed to ensure my health is not compromised. What do I need to ensure that I'm safe? What should I expect to spend? I'm using all PPG Products. K36, K201, DBC, Concept 2021 Clear, hardeners, catalysts, etc.

 

I have a brand new Gravity feed HVLP gun with gauge for $100.00. It's a great gun with a 1.4mm tip. figure about $10.00 in shipping. Let me know if anyone in interested. :smash:

 

One of the reasons I went with lacquer is safety. You can shoot lacquer with a respirator and not endanger your health. If you are going to shoot urethane or two part paints you should be using a supplied air respirator. These cost in the neighborhood of $300 to $500 and are available from a number of suppliers. Hobby Air is one of the more common units and is lower in price than the industrial models. There will be people who disagree or say you can get by with just a respirator. The best I can tell you is go on autobody.com and get the opinions of the experts. In every book I've read and all the people I've talked to that paint for a living the common advice was "catalyzed paints make dead people" if you don't use them correctly. Now the bright side. You will spend $400 on a respirator and probably around another $200 for a decent hobbyist gun. On top of that you will probably spend around $1200 to $1500 in materials. This gives you a budget of around $1800. If you were to have your truck painted by a pro or your vette you would be looking at $3000 and up to duplicate the results and you will still own all the equipment once your done. I've painted my car twice so the cost of equipment has paid for itself 10 times over. But you should know that you will have to make that investment up front to get a decent job done. If you need inspiration just look at my car or many of the others that owners on the forum have painted themselves. The best part is that when you're done you can tell people you did it yourself and watch the look on their faces. :)

 

Mike, Since air consumption is a big concern with a spray gun you might want to consider a Sharpe Platinum. They have the lowest CFM requirements of all the brand name HVLP guns. They spray a little slower than some others but will save your air. As for paint since you mention the need to be able to repair spots you will want to use Base/Clear. That way you can blend in small areas with base and reclear the panel. My paint of choice is Dupont Chromasystem. They also have a catylized basecoat to increase durability and it very easy to use. Their clears dry very fast which means you will get less dust in the clear making it easier to buff. Any of the major brands make good products, so I would find a local paint store with good knowledgable and helpful people who you feel comfortable with. They will be a great asset throughout the project. Good Luck, Craig

 

Alright ,heres my two cents.For your first paint job,I would either suggest some acrylic enamel or a low grade urethan like PPgs Omni.Vetfxr ,you are right ,lacquer is a safer product but with todays EPA laws I am surprised anyone can even find it .My paint store hasnt carried it in 2 years.Lacquer is good for a trailer/garage queen car .For a car that gets any use at all enamels or urethanes are the only way to go.The Omni paint from PPG is a good economical paint.Whatever paint you decide on ,stay within that product line.For instance PPg has about 5 product lines .Within those product lines each one has its own epoxy primer,urethane primer ,sealer,single stage topcoat or basecoat and clear coat.As far as safety ,a fresh air system is the best but it is a hastle .Ive heard both arguments about the respirator .Some may it doesnt filter out the isocynates(the bad stuff)that is in todays paints .I got in a deep conversation with a 3M rep one day ,he claimed that respirators will filter under normal conditions for 8 hours.
As far as a first spray gun ,I would suggest the gravity feed from Harbor freight .Sometimes they are on sale for about $49,but usually are about $69.
Thats my two cents. :yesnod: :cheers:

 

Not trying to get flamed, but I went out and found the cheapest gun I could. First 2 were bought from Sam's club, $29.99

The third gun I bought 7 years later came from a flea market...but it was about the same as the first two.

I would get a cheap gun to start with, just in-case after you paint the truck, you decide that it isn't something you want to try on your vette....
Don't invest lots of $$$ until you are sure it is something you want to really get in to...

 

Agree with everything paintdaddy says. I've been lucky in that my paint source still stocks lacquer in limited colors. Black is one of them. But as he says lacquer is a high maintenance product. It cracks and scratches easily and must be buffed out at least once a year to keep the shine up. On the plus side there's nothing to compare to it as far as depth because you literally do look down into the paint especially if it's clearcoated. Ok, I'll finally admit it to myself as well as you guys, my car is a garage queen. Even though I drive her to work occassionally and to shows and such on weekends she really is a garage queen. If I had one (maybe in the future) that I wanted to drive on a more regular basis I'd do it in a basecoat/clearcoat catalyzed paint. As far as the 3M rep saying the respirator was good for 8 hours, I don't know. Under good conditions in a well ventilated area it might be true but if the conditions I've sprayed in (plastic enclosed area with a box fan for ventilation and poor lighting) are representative of what most of us have available I'd try to go for the fresh air respirator. At least then you know that regardless of what's in the air you're getting fresh air blown on your face. Better safe than sorry. You young guys still have the immortality gene working at high speed while us older guys tend to be a little more conservative. I want to live and be healthy for a long time enjoying my 74. I hope one day to be an 80 year old delinquent terrorizing all the electric cars on the road with my Tyrannosaurus Rex. :jester I'm sure you'll get many more opinions on this and there's no flame intended for those opinions.


[Modified by vettfixr, 7:40 AM 9/20/2002]

 

I just picked up a DeVilbiss gravity feed HVLP for $149 from http://www.handsontools.com. It comes with both 1.4 and 1.6 mm tips and a 32 oz cup.

A 32 oz cup... yea you can paint all day if you can hold it in your hand that long. :lol:

As for paint, I am told that Glasurit is one of the best. It is expensive and not available at every paint supply house.

In the next few weeks I'll be sanding down my 73 and putting a Glasurit pearl finish on 'er. I'll let you know how the gun works and how the paint comes out.


[Modified by gb4622, 8:36 AM 9/20/2002]

 

Vettfixr, I really appreciate all your comments and advice. Your posts always have great content. I am going to be safe and go with the fresh air system.

Thanks,

Stephen

 

Looks like I'll be going for a fresh air system..... I have inhaled enough bad stuff for two lifetimes, so time to start being careful.

I might look into renting a paint booth, fresh air system, just in order to have the proper equipment to do the job. I'll probably all the body work and primer in the garage, but I'll see about the booth for the painting.

Thanks for all of the help guys.