single stage paint

[Olds64]

Lookin' good. I hope I might be able to do the same in the future. Keep us posted on your project.

[msco123]

You might want to research this thread at a Mopar site.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...=0#Post2655425

This is probably the longest discussion which started as a $50 paint job and evolved from there. I am seriously considering doing this on a 58 chevy biscayne.

The above link is the old link. Newest posts have been moved here:
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...=0#Post3493382

[Bluevista]

Originally Posted by msco123

You might want to research this thread at a Mopar site.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...=0#Post2655425

This is probably the longest discussion which started as a $50 paint job and evolved from there. I am seriously considering doing this on a 58 chevy biscayne.

The above link is the old link. Newest posts have been moved here:
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...=0#Post3493382

This rolling and brushing on Rust-O-Leum paint job deal has been discussed on every car site around ever since Algore invented the internet.

Seen some nice paint jobs...for lawn tractors.

Your car.

[tmbrennan]

Agree... the RustOLeum option is not such a hot idea - unless you're painting a "beater". For what you'll spend in time and energy sanding between every coat, you can buy an inexpesive gun, a gallon of paint, and spray it - assuming you have a half decent compressor. Get an HVLP gun.

Regardless of which paint you choose, you can get decent results if you prep properly and understand the settings on your gun and how they affect the paint flow - practice, practice, practice on some scrap metal until you're comfortable with the flow-out. I think SS is fine - and gives more of a factory appearance. If your gun is set correctly and you follow proper painting technique, you don't need to worry about runs and sags. Even a cheap gun can give good results of you set it up properly.

Don't be intimidated by metallics - even in SS. Shake the paint and stir, stir, stir for each batch you mix up to fill your gun. Cross-coating on alternate coats can help to reduce metallic mottling - and give the car a good misting over on the final coat.

You can paint in your garage and get decent results. Clean up as much as you can (I use a leaf blower the day before I'm going to paint so any remaining dust has time to settle back down). Buy a roll of painters plastic and cover the walls. Wet the floor before you paint - just damp enough to keep the dust down - not so wet that you'll splash when you walk around the car. Make sure you wipe the car down after you hose the floor to make sure no water splashed on the car.

Use a decent respirator and you won't inhale anything worse than the junk we're all breathing every day anyway . The HVLP gun is really prettty clean to work with. And watch the weather - be patient and wait for a day when the temperature and humidity are favorable. Always spray a bit on some scrap before you hit the car to insure your gun is working well in the current conditions.

You can do it! And have the satisfaction of having done it yourself!

[Olds64]

Use a decent respirator and you won't inhale anything worse than the junk we're all breathing every day anyway .

This is the most daunting part of painting a car with an HVLP gun for me. What type of respirator is needed? Do you have to use a full face mask with a fresh air hose running to it or would something like this work?

http://www.aosafety.com/diy/resp_det..._platform_id=1

I bought one of these for sanding and spraying things like Scotchguard and rust dissolver. It works pretty good; however, I have no idea if it would work with automotive paint.

The website says it will work with organic vapors (whatever the hell those are) and spray associated with paint. Does that just mean rattle can paint?

[Oldsmobomb]

Just to chime in on this topic, I have painted cars with acrylic laquer, Imron (epoxy), and single stage acrylic enamels, using both home rigs and professional booths. The local Vo-Tech School used to hold evening classes for auto body, and it was worth the cost just to use their high end spray booth. Through the years the results differed, but all were within the range of acceptable to very good. Better equipment = better results, as mentioned. Also, can't emphasize enough that it is the prep work under the paint that really affects the final appearance. All that time spent removing dings, priming, block sanding, more priming and more block sanding, etc, really pays off in the final appearance. The prep work was WORK. Shooting the color was fun.

Unfortunately, I hung up my gun before BC/CC came along, but I hear from all my painter friends that it is the way to go if you want shine. As pointed out, often a BC/CC finish is too shiny to appear original on the 60's cars, and I agree that if original appearance is important, the high gloss of clear coats is usually too shiny. Each to their own preference though.

As far as application technique, there is no substitute for experience. My 7th or 8th car definitely turned out better than my first or second. If you have a lot of doubts in your ability, and you do not want to have to start over, you may want to turn to a professional.

[tmbrennan]

"What type of respirator is needed? Do you have to use a full face mask with a fresh air hose running to it or would something like this work?

http://www.aosafety.com/diy/resp_det..._platform_id=1"

Yes, that's what I use. They run about $30 at Lowe's or HD.

I find it works extremely well. I don't even smell any fumes - and an HVLP gun doesn't throw a lot of paint in the air. It really is effective at putting the paint on the car. The first time I painted I thought my garage would be a fog of paint and I'd be stumbling for the door. But it really is very clean.

Not to sound gross, but using the respirator, I've never had any "paint boogers" afterwards. My nose is perfectly clear. So, I think it's definitely adequate if you're just a "hobbyist" painter. Just be sure it's snug and the seals and filters are properly in place.

Oh yeah... and hold your breath while you paint!!!!

[Olds64]

The local Vo-Tech School used to hold evening classes for auto body

The local Vo-Tech in Lawton also teaches an auto body class. Unofrtunately, it is hard for me to take night classes since I sometimes travel for my job.

[Dan Wirth]

My 57 Olds has single stage acrylic enamel paint and I like it that way (smooth and mellow). It looks very pastel rich with a deep wax-like sheen, and without all the shine of a BC/CC. Single stage paint is IMHO a great paint for an older 50's car, unless you plan to customize. Also, after shooting and drying this single stage paint, a color sand and buff process is recommended by the paint shops I've recently visited. This is done to smooth and remove any orange peel effect. After the S&B, a glaze is applied to the paint to bring out the sheen. My local paint shop also recommends that if this process is done, not to wax the car, but polish it no more than once a year with a non-abrasive polish, like Meguire's No.7. And the most important thing is to always keep your car clean and don't allow water droplets to remain on the paint. It's important to note that a S&B will remove a small portion of the paint, so if the paint job is uneven or shallow, an S&B can be a dangerous step. The person who does this work needs to be aware of every inch of the car and not work unaware of the subtle peaks and valleys.

When the S&B is done to a BC/CC paint job, the white residue seen is the clear coat top portion; thus the paint is protected, per se., and not as critical step as that for a single stage paint job.

Dan

[84 rocket]

Im sure you could get laquer in mexico lol.. no epa agencies

[Nilsson]

Originally Posted by 84 rocket

Im sure you could get laquer in mexico lol.. no epa agencies

You can get just about anything you want south of the border, including many things you don't want.

[Dan Wirth]

An update about single stage paint verses BC/CC. Single stage is typically applied in 3-4 coats, making the paint thicker on the car. Thus, a sand and buff to remove the orange peel effect is possible and also common. Single stage paint with acrylic enamel is also preferred (by my local shop) in the hot sun. This is especially the case in AZ, as the BC/CC you see on some older cars here, the clear coat (top coat) is peeled away and oxidized. Single stage can oxidize as well, but if it was applied thick enough, a sand and buff should bring the paint back to life. Using a UV protection polish is also a key.

Unfortunately, on the newer cars painted by robots on the assembly line, the BC/CC paint job is significantly thinner than when cars were shot by humans, a point also stressed by my local shop.