PAINTS
PRIMERS:
There are tons of primers out there. Some are primer surfacers.
For fresh clean smooth metal I like to use an etching primer.
It is easy to spray, and the acid in it (phosphoric) makes the
paint "etch" into the metal. This primer I find needs
to be top-coated promptly.
For freshly sandblasted metal where there is some "tooth"
to it (rough) and/or if you want to prime and leave it for a while
without rust attacking it, I prefer epoxy primers. These two part
primers (there is a catalyst (activator) and a base) have to be
mixed like regular epoxy and allowed an induction time before
spraying.
Both of these primers are not cheap but are excellent and harden
well in a quick time. I feel that this is the primer for most
of your work if you do it off and on. A typical epoxy brand is
DP40 but ask your professional body supply place for their recommendation.
Primer surfacers are primers with a high solids component. These
are great to spray on your SLIGHTLY wavy car and block sand it
until smooth. Just think of them as "thick" primers.
Like with every paint out there if you are too lazy to fix the
metal properly and fill it with the least amount of plastic filler
necessary and thinnest primer coat, and rely on a thick layers
of everything to fix everything you are a fool! That paint is
too thick and will chip or check, or peel. It will be ruined sometime
in the future.
For these I prefer Urethane.
If you have old paint on a car and have done some bodywork I assume
you have the following: You see the bodywork you did (fillers),
that old color coat, some bare metal and old primer peeking thorough
here and there.
The good all in one deal to cover this mish mosh is a urethane
primer /surfacer!
It will stick like a MOFO to any surface. As it is a primer surfacer
it fills up 180+ sanding scratches (if rougher forget it!) and
will not shrink and crack like excessive coats of etching or epoxy
primers which are great for bare metal (which they are designed
for) and supposed to be applied rather thinly.
For bare metal most people spray these down first (for excellent
adhesion) and then the urethane primer / surfacer on top of them
for the block /wet sanding operation necessary for a mirror smooth
panel.
So blow down a coat or two of etching or epoxy on bare metal,
wetsand that, then three thick coats of primer surfacer. If we
are painting over the mish mosh described above forget the etching
/ epoxy primers and just do the urethanes. Next block wet sand
your ass off with 220 then 320 then 400. Be careful with the heavy
grit 220 paper as it cuts fast and you do not want to cut through
the primer surfacer coat (if so spray more). Scratches under 400
grit with show up in a bb/cc so you CAN'T stop sanding with a
320 paper. Must be 400 or finer! Enamels topcoats can hide 320
scratches.
TOP COAT:
Stick
with urethane paints. Preferably base coat /clear coat.
Ok why...
Those enamels / lacquers... old school, no longer used by the
majority of painters, inability to get mixed in a cool looking
colors. Most autobody paint supply houses here in TX don't even
bother carrying them, those that do will offer boring shades of
colors.
So don't show up at a paint shop and go "I saw this cool
metallic blue on a 94 blazer; or this cool metallic silver on
a 1999 VW bug and I want you guys to mix it in enamel".
They will laugh you out of the store.
I like urethanes for their durability and shine but if you go
this route buy a good respirator!
I suggest you learn to do the spray work with primer at first
to learn how to lay down paint. Once everything is wetsanded (400)
cruise down to Earl Scheib or Macco or a good local bodyshop.
NOT for their crap quality paint jobs but to find someone to spray
your materials. The Earl Schieb here can lay down a real nice
coat of paint in a booth for like $125 - 200 using YOUR materials
CHEAP! These guys get a lot of practice throwing down $99 - $400
total jobs. Look at their work on finished car, you may be surprised
or shocked. If poor are tons of them so go to the next store to
find a decent guy.
Once you found a good place, find out the best painter there and
tip him $30 before the job.
Later you can wetsand everything to perfection.
If you do it yourself I like BB/CC for one reason. The base dries
real quick and doesn't pick up a lot of dust. If it does just
wet sand it lightly before clear.
The beauty of base / clear is after 2 - 3 light coats of color
apply three thick coats of clear. Once dry wet sand the @#$#$
out of the clear to get all the junk (dust) and orange peel out
of it.
That is if you don't have a booth! If you do have a booth than
you can get away with less material usage as you don't have to
deal with dust you will have to sand out.
The cheaper single stage urethanes (color & clear in one)
are great if you have a booth and use less labor as you don't
have to paint the car twice. But they pick up a lot of dust and
do NOT wet sand well.
To paint a
car in my opinion comes down to two choices
1) If it is a garage paint job then base /clear. Or enamel paint
which is the easiest to work with but your car will look "average".
2) Macco / Earl Schieb spraying your base / clear paint. If you
are cheap then use a single stage urethane.
In conclusion when you realize that urethane paint is like $100+ a gallon and if you screw this up you will have to sand the whole car down again and do it over; paying some local body shop to spray it is wise.
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