rookie!!!!!!

[stevenfromtexas]

hey there guys. found out my (506 medium blue) has metallic in it. i have never painted before . paint store set me up with etching primer and urethane 2k, single stage medium blue.

what is yous guys (sorry, i loved the Sopranos) advice on shooting the metallic???

i know everyone has their opinion and please be gentle to the new guy when i say;

i bought an HVLP turbine unit so i could stay in my garage and do this build. i've alway been the guy that heard people say "you can't do that". sooooo, that makes me go do it!! haha
that's why i want to stay with the original medium blue WITH the metallic.

we all started our "first" sometime right??

thank you for everyones tips!!!

[stevenfromtexas]

one more

also.....
with the etching primer, is it ok to spray over some of the existing old paint that i've read is ok to stay

[Foot Stomper]

What brand and part number is your "etching primer"?
Primer that doesn't "etch" doesn't stick. ALL primers are "etching".

[stevenfromtexas]

sorry i failed to mention,
i was just asking about prices and what their thoughts were on products..

i haven't bought anything yet. still researching here and going to paint stores.

it was Nason brand though. sorry i don't have a part number.

i've read SEVERAL of the "primer/paint" threads and am thoroughly confused on all of the options.

i have sanded the bad rust spots to bare metal and have the "good" original paint smooth.

also, before i found the paint and body threads, i rattle canned the cab, inside and fenders Dupli-color etching primer. now I'm curious of what to spray ontop of that too.

[stevenfromtexas]

i went into the store with epoxy/high build on my mind; after reading all of the threads. i was told I'm gonna need to reduce a little extra to run this turbine system. the paint guy said that turns the epoxy into a sealer.

soooo.... i turn to y'all to help me figure out what primer i need to put on a 50% bare metal/original paint AND rattle canned cab and fenders....

this is german to me.

i thought figuring out how to post pictures was hard...hahaha

[68c10airstream]

Hi, i'll throw in a few suggestions on your nice project. The driver's side box panel you have sanded approximately 50% down to bare metal. If you paint primer over the whole box panel you will be dealing with a lot of feather edged old paint trying to be smooth with the bare areas an so i suggest sanding the complete box panel to bare which will result in no feather edging except your body filler areas.

When you get to shooting the metallic base color (provided you clear coat over it, which is a must in my world) shoot the metallic very dry, no wet pooling of paint. By doing it dry the metallic flakes can "stand up". If you apply it wet you will get mottling, tiger stripes and an overall somewhat poor job. If you don't clear coat over the base metallic paint in no time the aluminum flakes that stick out of the base will "haze" and look very dull.

I just had this very topic of conversation with probably one of the best old shop owners and he agreed about the base metallic color going on dry "like sandpaper" Good luck

[stevenfromtexas]

ok....

thank you so much for your advice on the sanding. ill do that on both sides. the passenger side looks about the same as driver side.

for me to understand...
still do 2-3 coats of color? then clear??

wait longer before each coat of color so that nothing is wet??

thank you again!!!

[stevenfromtexas]

...sorry i hit send too quick...

can you clear with a single stage?

[68c10airstream]

Paint the base color until "hand slick" another words test the masking paper to make sure it's dry to the touch. 2-3 coats is probably a good starting point but remember to have enough coverage so primer doesn't shine through to the base color. Cheaper paint may take more coat/s for proper coverage. You will be putting on wet clear coats and most likely you will add activator to the clear for the most shine and durability, basically how new cars are painted.

I like to clear single stage for a nice buffer coat to save the solid base color, but it does cost more. Nics and scratches have to get through the clear before they can get to the solid color so i think it looks better longer.

Hold out for more pro guys to chime in here, martinsr, and hugger6969, are real good with advise and been at it for a while now and specific product knowledge is priceless.

[stevenfromtexas]

i was thinking along those lines of 'clear "protecting" the color' also

i have definitely read Martin and Hugger's replies to other post. VERY informative.

its funny, the one thing i am scared to death about is paint!!!

thank you for your time and advice 68c10!!!

[sevt_chevelle]

Hmm
If you are gonna buy clear, why not do yourself a favor and ditch the SS metallic and buy basecoat instead?

Having someone who has never painted before do his first paint job with a SS metallic is just asinine IMO. You have to have full command over the paint gun, things like overlap pattern, balance of spraying for metallic control and gloss. Spraying dry for metallic control and you will have orange peel and low gloss levels.

The number of coats depends upon paint coverage. You keep applying paint til you achieve full coverage, not some predetermined number.

Any of that rattle can crap you applied NEEDS to be stripped off. Its just asking for issues like reacting with the solvents in the primer and paint. Lacquer and enamel based rattle can products DO NOT co exist with urethane based products.

Epoxy primer with a bit of reducer still has the same adhesion and corrosion protection qualities and is a far superior product to etch primers.

[stevenfromtexas]

thank you chevelle!!

this is why i wanted to ask you guys in my own words. everybody else's questions are great but i keep putting their questions together to make 1 of mine. if that makes any sense.

[Grumpy old man]

Spraying single stage with metallic ... All panels have to be sprayed in the orientation they are mounted on the truck , You can end up with different colors if you lay the doors flat to paint and go to install them and they won't match the cab or bed ,Seen it happen more than a few times and the only fix is a repaint. Hugger and Martin are the guys to talk to .

[stevenfromtexas]

thank you sir!!!

you don't seem so "grumpy"

hahahaha

[bs46488]

I am also a paint rookie. I've been spraying a lot of primers (but at least now I am a highly advanced sander!)

I used epoxy primer and 2k high build. I even used the epoxy thinned down as a sealer. Its all great stuff and good "practice" for gun technique.

That being said.....This Sunday morning I just finish painting my very first vehicle (in batches)! It is metallic gray.

I can see everything that people are warning you about (sevt-chevelle, Grumpy. 68c10, etc) tiger stripes, panels look different colors, coverage issues, mottling, some of my clear looks dry, etc. After getting the shiny paint on there I can see body work imperfections and could have probably spent another 3-4 months fixing all of this.

....but I am going to live with it. If you can't live with it I would consider other options (a different color, you do the body work and pay to have someone paint the final color)

I also have a 1970 Nova project that I'm doing paint on. Because of the issues above, I've already purchased solid Arctic White for the color of the car (and I'll be doing more and more body work and block sanding before spraying the paint!)

[stevenfromtexas]

thank you very much for the info bs46. i have been reading more and more and am thinking about the epoxy/high build again.
ill spend some more time on the the panels too after hearing that you see spots that need more attention.

so you went the base/clear route??

im leaning that way now after reading and watching a ton of videos