Priming for Paint
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
no its not hard but if the primer fails you are screwed....it just has to be done correctly, use the same paint "system" as the final paint and get the "paint guide book" from the paint store and follow it ,and you should be fine
C6 the C5 of tomorrow
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 6,665
Likes: 2
From: Twin Cities Minnesota
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,669
Likes: 3
From: Kingston Ontario
Short answer, YES!!
Are you priming in preparation to paint the car yourself?
If you are, keep in mind that the prep work sets up the final product.
Any mistakes at this point will be magnified with final paint coatings.
If doing this yourself, it is a monumental task with questionable results.
I do not mean to question your talents, I will simply state; there are so many factors that determine the outcome of the quality of the paint, it is high risk to do yourself.
This is one job best left for a proper shop. From a health and safety point of view for yourself, to the end product of the car finish.
If your intention was to prep the car for the bodyshop, they won't warrant the paint job unless they do it all including prep.
Long answer, same as short, YES!!
Are you priming in preparation to paint the car yourself?
If you are, keep in mind that the prep work sets up the final product.
Any mistakes at this point will be magnified with final paint coatings.
If doing this yourself, it is a monumental task with questionable results.
I do not mean to question your talents, I will simply state; there are so many factors that determine the outcome of the quality of the paint, it is high risk to do yourself.
This is one job best left for a proper shop. From a health and safety point of view for yourself, to the end product of the car finish.
If your intention was to prep the car for the bodyshop, they won't warrant the paint job unless they do it all including prep.
Long answer, same as short, YES!!
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,570
Likes: 1
From: Algonac Michigan
I feel that a person with patience, the proper tools, and the paper by Lars that I posted a link to earlier, can do a very good home job. But you have to be willing to settle for nothing but perfection in your prep work!!!!!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 13
From: San Angelo TX
Spraying primer is relatively easy and easy for a beginner to do.
Sanding primer (or "blocking") a car is an art and takes practice and hard for a beginner to do. If you are wanting an outstanding paint job on your car, get some guidance from someone with experience with this.
Roger
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 13
From: San Angelo TX
Maybe, but it could cause other issues like product incompatibilities.
Especially with lacquer. Delamination problems can occur over lacquer even when a sealer is used.
Also, total film thickness can be an issue, leading to paint cracking down the road.
It's almost always better to strip the car and use a high build primer to block the panels flat again. It doesn't take that long.
One thick coat of polyester primer and block with 100 grit (dry) on a long sanding board. Then another coat and block with 180 (dry) with the long board and you should have darn flat panels.
Roger
Especially with lacquer. Delamination problems can occur over lacquer even when a sealer is used.
Also, total film thickness can be an issue, leading to paint cracking down the road.
It's almost always better to strip the car and use a high build primer to block the panels flat again. It doesn't take that long.
One thick coat of polyester primer and block with 100 grit (dry) on a long sanding board. Then another coat and block with 180 (dry) with the long board and you should have darn flat panels.
Roger
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 13
From: San Angelo TX
Short answer, YES!!
Are you priming in preparation to paint the car yourself?
If you are, keep in mind that the prep work sets up the final product.
Any mistakes at this point will be magnified with final paint coatings.
If doing this yourself, it is a monumental task with questionable results.
I do not mean to question your talents, I will simply state; there are so many factors that determine the outcome of the quality of the paint, it is high risk to do yourself.
This is one job best left for a proper shop. From a health and safety point of view for yourself, to the end product of the car finish.
If your intention was to prep the car for the bodyshop, they won't warrant the paint job unless they do it all including prep.
Long answer, same as short, YES!!
Are you priming in preparation to paint the car yourself?
If you are, keep in mind that the prep work sets up the final product.
Any mistakes at this point will be magnified with final paint coatings.
If doing this yourself, it is a monumental task with questionable results.
I do not mean to question your talents, I will simply state; there are so many factors that determine the outcome of the quality of the paint, it is high risk to do yourself.
This is one job best left for a proper shop. From a health and safety point of view for yourself, to the end product of the car finish.
If your intention was to prep the car for the bodyshop, they won't warrant the paint job unless they do it all including prep.
Long answer, same as short, YES!!
It depends highly upon the person.
It can be learned if one is dedicated enough. Do-it-yourselfers are doing great jobs all the time and everyone has to start somewhere.
I have seen first time do-it-yourself paint jobs that were darn good.
You are right about safety. It is very important but isn't hard to learn about with a little research.
I do believe someone doing their first paint job has a lot better chance of success if they get some guidance from an acquaintance with experience. But that is not imperative. Again, it depends on the person.
Roger
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 13
From: San Angelo TX
https://www.corvetteforum.com/techti...=111&TopicID=3
Follow this paper!!!
Follow this paper!!!
Some things are not accurate. This is the only place I've seen SMC referred to anything else but "Sheet Molded Compound".
Also, SMC started on some panels in the early 70's, not all of a sudden in '82.
