Really basic paint questions

[tparker]

Hi,
I recently painted part of my car. It was a pain. LOL.

I have a compressor and some paint guns. You can buy them from summit for pretty cheap, and they are better than harbor freight. I got one for primer and one for paint/clear.

I sanded most of my my parts to bare metal then applied 2 coats sem metal lock primer followed by 2 more that was considered a sealer based on the directions. 2-3 coats of paint followed by 2-3 coats of clear. I was hoping to take 1 day each for primer, paint, clear coat. BUt it ended up taking me 4. I had lots of sanding to do in between and lots of other prep stuff.

Doing two stage paint is propbably the easiest since you can sand fairly easy between the stages and it goes on easily. But it is not easy. Painting is an art. Once you do a couple cars, your probably good to go, but there is so many tricks you have to learn as you go. I researched a lot. Eastwood has tons of videos including a bunch from Kevin Tetz which cover every thing from equipment setup, types of paint and fillers, technique, how to paint from start to finish, etc. But I still got into a bit of trouble. I mixed primer incorrectly, I went beyond the pot life for the paint a bit, never did figured out what I was doing wrong with the primer. It went on more like popcorn spray on a ceiling. LOL.

All and all, I think the paint came out OK for me. It was only in the trunk and engine compartment. But it was a lot of work and a lot of learning. You can probably rent a compressor and spend a $100 bucks or so on paint guns. Primer was about $100. I don't remember how much the paint and clear was. But I think $100 each was in the ball park. There are also lots of other expenses for other consumables. Reducers, grease removers, tape, sticks, masking paper, masks, suits, gloves. LOL. I put up plastic wrap from home depot around some old awnings to create a "booth".

Good luck. If you questions ask. Would love to see some pics when your done