After my first shot at painting, it seems I might have been moving the gun a little too fast? I don't think enough paint flowed on to the fenders. This was after 4 coats, waiting about 20 minutes between coats. The paint store advised me to mix the paint and hardener 3:1 which I did through use of a graduated cup. I'm learning about painting and now I guess I'll be learning about color sanding.
If anyone has done some color sanding, I could use some advice. I'll also consult with the auto body shop that has been advising me as well. This has all been fun and interesting and I'm looking forward to doing more. These pics show my results pretty well. Lots more work to do.

Ell-yut, I think it looks great. What brand pf bedliner material did you use?

See you Friday!

I've been there more than a few times.
I've even tried different guns but its a skill

with color sanding, I've noticed that there is a window for it.
after a few days the paint continues to harden and the color sanding gets harder too

I also found when I color sanded, that you are likely going to burn through some edges as you learn. so a respray is a possiblity.

A polishing machine really helps bring back the shine after color sanding too.

brant

Hmmm! almost looks SATIN BLACK!!

Thousands of vortex generators just might make it go faster.

Almost looks like it was too cold. Was this a single stage?

Elliot, your initial diagnosis sounds familiar to me. Scotty or one of the other paint Gods will chime in, but it does look as if you moved too fast at your final coat. The last coat on each panel should be the thickest and very glossy. Its tricky to do on vertical panels and you will eventually learn to read the paint (to tell whether it's thick enough or about to run!) This is also why excellent lighting is a must.

Regarding color sanding, you need to give the solvents in the paint some time to flash off. 95% will flash in a couple days, but some paints take up to a month, depending on heat and humidity. You may be able to color sand that, if your clear coats are thick enough. But you will most likely end up with orange peel and/or burn through. The "pits/valleys" in that clear look pretty deep to me.

What type of paint are you using? Brand and type. Single stage or base coat/clear coat.

It looks blushed like lacquer sprayed in a cold humid climate. Did you add any reducer? the viscosity could have been too thick. 3:1 sounds like single stage urethane but you need one part reducer in that equation to help get rid of the cellulose.

I used a single stage urethane paint. It's a General Motors paint. The store that sold me the paint didn't say anything using a reducer with it. I used it for the primer and I could see the reason for reducer in the primer 'cause it was a bit thicker. I used a paint gun with a 1.8 nozzle for the primer and a seperate gun with a 1.3 for the paint. There were some sections that went on really smooth and I think it's because I slowed the movement of the gun way down and let much more paint flow on. The GM paint I used goes on very easily but I was just too afraid of the paint running. An absolute learning experience for me and I believe not unlike welding it is as much art as science. I'll try to color sand it and if I don't like how that is, I'll block sand it and shoot it again. I'll certainly ask about using reducer to get rid of cellulose. I expect to be really good at this about the same time I become a reallly good welder.

I considered that. For about a second.

I used the same stuff you used on the rocker panels. See ya Friday. I'll have to bring the wine tasting bus.

Get some sleep, sand it down again, mix it right and paint it again tomorrow.....

You have nothing better to do, so keep learning.

Your second career could be as a body shop.

R

Correction....Painter Failure


try and try again...

There's a narrow window between too wet and too dry.
The first coat sets the scene for the rest of the paint job.

Wish I had some advice, but instead I am following this thread closely as I will be painting in the next few months. Plese keep it updated. Above all - good luck!

Looks like it wasn't wet enough. How far away was the guns tip from the surface? Get a practice piece, some very good lights (daylight ain't good enough for our old eyes). Place the lights at an angle to the piece being sprayed so that you can see the reflection of the light bulb off of the paint your laying down. This helps with the speed control because you will see the light reflect off of the wet surface. If you want to sand it get some packs (as in 60 packs) of some 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000 wet/dry and a little soapy water and start buffing orrrrrrrrrrrr rough it up and shoot it again. Also, a viscosity gage is cheap. One other thing. Your paint store should give you some mixing tips for the paint your using when you tell them the expected temp for the shoot day. Just generally like 70, 80, 90 degrees. ps I think your about 30 yr's too late with the respirator.

Jesus jumped up cowshit man !! Were you about 2 feet away from the car as well ?


Seriously. give it a day or 2 to setup. Wet sand it with 600, it will only help to make it fltter and smoother.


Please post a pic of the paint can. GM paint doesn't tell us anything, I've never heard of a base clear that doesn't get reduced, and even on single stages that don't call for reducer, I still reduce it. It lays out slicker BUT is also easier to run. 1.3 tip is fine for base and or clear. I personally use a 1.4 for base and single stage, and a 1.3 for clear only, but either is well within the realm. You HAVE to watch the paint as you lay it down, watch how it flows, watch for any reacitons, and if something doesn't look right STOP right there. Yeah, it takes a lot of learning curve to be able to work with different paints, differing temps, consitions etc, but it isn't rocket science. think of your first coat as a rough draft for the fianl copy. Put it on dry ( med wet ) let it setup for a bit ( until it is nice and stringy to the touch ) then put the subsequent coats on heavier each time, giving more setup time inbetween. If I tell you any more, you'll run it

FWIW, we all have our days. I have a 64 Falcon I shot last thursday I am having to wet sand buff the whole thing due to my filter setup f-ing me over in the middle of clearing. I ended up with 10 lbs of air pressure at the gun by the second coat and had to finish. SUPER reduced the last 2 coats, and slowed down to the point I would normally have had Niagra falls down the side of the car, just to get it on and layed out to a point I could work with it

also you say 3:1 so I assume it is single stage ? With a 1.3 tip, I'd go with 3:1:1, or 3:1:.5 if you want to play it safe

GM paint could mean a factory pack pre-mixed and sold as is. It is a less costly way to purchase paint. All it means is the paint is mixed at (for instance) the Du Pont plant to a specific formula that should be a blend-able match to a specific year, make and model GM.

If it is Du Pont single stage urethane the reduction is 3:1:1 You need reducer. It would have changed the whole finish. Not saying it would have been better but at least it would have flashed slower and developed a shine.

All good advice. I'll be taking a fender to the paint shop tomorrow and consult with my painting advisor. I'll try color sanding first and if that doesn't do it, I'll block sand it and re-shoot it with Scotty's recommendations. Thanks to everyone for the help and advice. I certainly need it.

Thanks Rick. I'll check the label on the can tomorrow and I can let you know exactly what brand it is.

Calling factory pack GM would make sense I guess. I've just never heard it referred to by any specific make. Spies just had it labeld as " blue black " and it might have coverd 3-4 different manufacturers codes

You did a great job shooting the primer...

I resemble that remark
http://www.prfprod.com/info.html

Ah, knew Scotty, Rick and Chris would get you going in the right direction. Sorry, I assumed it was a BC/CC and the clearcoat just wasn't laid on correctly. Now I see what those guys are saying. If you don't get the paint thinned out enough with the reducer, it kind of curdles and yes, you'd really have to slow down to lay it on thick enough to get it to gloss. Maybe Scotty or Rick and elaborate, but doesn't the ratio of reducer in there also control the affinity of the sprayed coat to stick to the previous? I know a trick with single stage is, if you have to go back and respray something just outside of the 24 hour window, you can lightly scuff the panel and add a little extra reducer to help the paint cling to/interact with the previous coat.

As Chris said, the first coat definitely impacts how the whole thing comes out. That's why it is laid on lightly with as little texture as possible. Those paint molecules are doing the initial bonding with the primer and setting up the matrix for the rest of their cousins to bond together when you lay down successive coats. Of course, there is a limit to how much lateral bonding those molecules can do with one another (which we learned here can greatly be impacted by chemistry, like reducer ratio) and how much vertical bonding they can do with the panel being sprayed. It's a delicate balance to get the paint to lay down thick and glossy or end up as a new decoration for your garage floor.

I commend you for learning how to paint in the first place! It is intimidating, and you're going to make mistakes, but I LOVE to paint cars!

Nice ass on the girl!

If the images I see a tip from me. The color with which it is i have painted the viscosity is too high ..
A good result can AREAS where the paint to give 10% solvent.
What in the U.S., the viscosity is measured?
In Germany we have the DIN system is thus a good viscosity of 25 to 28 seconds at about 20 ° C temperature ....

The gun should have a 1.4mm tip ... (Nozzle)

I scrolled back up the thread a couple of times before it hit me ... duh

I remember that krinkle finish paint!

Nice old Honda 750 in the driveway.

For Scotty B et al, here is the paint I used. I tried color sanding a bit today (started going through to the primer) but I think what I'll do is block sand it with 500 or 600 grit and re spray everything. The local body shop has offered to let me use his paint booth for one of the fenders. He will watch me and see if he can tell how I'm effing things up. I have a feeling that the gun wasn't adjusted correctly. I don't thinkl the trigger was adjusted to let enough paint come through and maybe it went on kinda DRY. I'll make adjustments and try it again. So far my learning curve looks kind of like this. /

I talked to the paint store guy today and he suggested If I wanted to add reducer not to go more than 3:1:.5 That paint was mixed at the store. Both he and the body shop guy said it should not be needed with this stuff. I'll keep trying.

Hey Elliot, do you have an old door or body panel laying around that you could practice on? It's kind of like welding...best way to learn is by messing up some scrap metal..

Used that stuff quite a bit. I go 3:1:1 but then again, I'm a rebel without a clue It's decent stuff, glosses up well, as long as you get it on the car I'd suggest at least 4 coats if it flows out well, more if not. It is thin, and any single stage gets thinner with age as it gets buffed. One of its major drawbacks

Thanks Scotty. I'll try this again. Second time's the charm. Right?

I like the idea of more practice. What do your other cars look like Elliot?

Yeah, you can practice on the inside of my hood ... and when you've got the process down good, you can paint the top side too


I see the problem now ... it says 'For Professional Use Only' at the bottom of the can

Click to view attachment

I got your check for the hood for your 912 smart guy. I leave for the RT66 tour in the morning. My first stop is the Aquarius Hotel in Laughlin Nevada. "BLACK JACK". "HIT ME!" what the hell, it ain't MY money.

OK. I'll make the top side of your hood red and the bottom green.

Good idea. I'll practice on my Wifes BMW station wagon. Then hire a divorce lawyer. Or maybe a bodyguard.

Note to self:

Be nice to Elliot and don't make smart-ass comments in his posts ...






















... until AFTER the G&R

For once I was being fairly serious...so when I try to be funny it's not funny...when I don't it's hilarious... curse you internet!!!!!!!!

Don't worry Chris, your suggestion was reasonable and valid. Elliot is the hilarious one.

As for when you try to be funny? Well...

OK, so color sanding is out. Looks like block sanding and a re-shoot.

Ae you going to practice first this time?

I knew I would get some prevert. haha
Nice asss end though.

Elliot, bring your painting stuff to Rt 66. You can practice on Wills car.

Might as well. It gets torn down starting Monday.

Too late. I'm already here. Well, Laughlin so far. See you all tomorrow.