Setting up for paint. Doors and hood on or off?
08-11-2014, 11:14 PM
#1
Pro
Thread Starter
Setting up for paint. Doors and hood on or off?
Last car I painted was laquer 25 years ago. IIRC I reassembled the car, sprayed the jambs door insides and sides of hood and trunk. Then moved on to shooting the car. I see some folks painting the car dissasembled.
Got to admit Im afraid of chipping paint putting it back together and
Id be afraid of the panels not quite matching. What are the the pros and cons?
Got to admit Im afraid of chipping paint putting it back together and
Id be afraid of the panels not quite matching. What are the the pros and cons?
08-12-2014, 07:30 PM
#2
Race Director
What year is the Corvette???
DUB
DUB
08-13-2014, 06:24 PM
#4
Race Director
I have specific process that I have found keeps the hing posts and other areas slick and shiny and no dry overpsray.
My paint booth is large enough and has been modified to wall me to hang parts so I can have all the parts in the booth at the time of painting.
Condensed version:
I test to make sure I KNOW how many coats of my paint it will take to achieve full hiding...and this is done by me shooting on a special color evaluation cards I get from my paint supplier.
Once I know how many coats of paint it takes...I them use my common sense.
So with the car apart.....I paint the complete car....making sure that I start by applying a coat or two in my door jambs and inside of the doors and hood gutter areas.etc....(due to knowing how many coats it takes to get o full hiding)...I STOP when I know I need to apply at least one coat+.
When I am at that point ...I re-install the doors and parts so my final coat will be blended and make sure the color is even and correct if I have to worry about metallics/pearls/metalflakes.
Then I remove the parts that I have set in place and bolted on. The I clear the car entirely.
I am not writing every single step I do...many were left out...but that is where common sense and 'figuring it out' comes into play...JUST LIKE I HAD TO DO. It is like if you are by yourself.... and having to 'man-handle' the doors and you do not want to damage anything....COMMON SENSE would dictate that you PRACTICE this FIRST when it is in the bare fiberglass state SEVERAL times...and strip the door of all parts so they are lighter.....wouldn't it????
Also...some parts are painted and cleared and allowed to cure so they can be masked off CAREFULLY so it can save a step and not effect the outcome...and that also has to do with how well a person can mask off a car and know what to do with the tape. It depends on the level of perfection a person is looking for and taking the time to think about it.
And for what it is worth....If I had a 1970 Corvette convertible in my booth ready to paint...It would take me a good solid DAY to just get it masked and set-up for starting the paint job the next morning....and that is if everything goes well...and also previous trimming and clearing to some parts would have already been done.
DUB
My paint booth is large enough and has been modified to wall me to hang parts so I can have all the parts in the booth at the time of painting.
Condensed version:
I test to make sure I KNOW how many coats of my paint it will take to achieve full hiding...and this is done by me shooting on a special color evaluation cards I get from my paint supplier.
Once I know how many coats of paint it takes...I them use my common sense.
So with the car apart.....I paint the complete car....making sure that I start by applying a coat or two in my door jambs and inside of the doors and hood gutter areas.etc....(due to knowing how many coats it takes to get o full hiding)...I STOP when I know I need to apply at least one coat+.
When I am at that point ...I re-install the doors and parts so my final coat will be blended and make sure the color is even and correct if I have to worry about metallics/pearls/metalflakes.
Then I remove the parts that I have set in place and bolted on. The I clear the car entirely.
I am not writing every single step I do...many were left out...but that is where common sense and 'figuring it out' comes into play...JUST LIKE I HAD TO DO. It is like if you are by yourself.... and having to 'man-handle' the doors and you do not want to damage anything....COMMON SENSE would dictate that you PRACTICE this FIRST when it is in the bare fiberglass state SEVERAL times...and strip the door of all parts so they are lighter.....wouldn't it????
Also...some parts are painted and cleared and allowed to cure so they can be masked off CAREFULLY so it can save a step and not effect the outcome...and that also has to do with how well a person can mask off a car and know what to do with the tape. It depends on the level of perfection a person is looking for and taking the time to think about it.
And for what it is worth....If I had a 1970 Corvette convertible in my booth ready to paint...It would take me a good solid DAY to just get it masked and set-up for starting the paint job the next morning....and that is if everything goes well...and also previous trimming and clearing to some parts would have already been done.
DUB
08-13-2014, 10:12 PM
#5
Pro
Thread Starter
Thanks for the insight.
From that I got, that if I ever have any money I want you to paint my cars!
Ive had the doors on and off a few dozen times, still not sure if I want to do it freshly painted though. I like the last coat assembled idea though, gave me a thought as to how I will end up doing this. Thanks!
From that I got, that if I ever have any money I want you to paint my cars!
Ive had the doors on and off a few dozen times, still not sure if I want to do it freshly painted though. I like the last coat assembled idea though, gave me a thought as to how I will end up doing this. Thanks!
08-14-2014, 07:18 PM
#6
Race Director
Thanks for the insight.
From that I got, that if I ever have any money I want you to paint my cars!
Ive had the doors on and off a few dozen times, still not sure if I want to do it freshly painted though. I like the last coat assembled idea though, gave me a thought as to how I will end up doing this. Thanks!
From that I got, that if I ever have any money I want you to paint my cars!
Ive had the doors on and off a few dozen times, still not sure if I want to do it freshly painted though. I like the last coat assembled idea though, gave me a thought as to how I will end up doing this. Thanks!
Also.. I am NOT worried that the doors fit perfectly during the painting process. They have to be close...and not bind...OBVIOUSLY. And I have marked the areas where the washers on the bolts were so I can quickly install 2 bolts...line them up and lock them down. Takes me less than 5 minutes per door....easily. Which is why it is bare. I hold it with one hand in the port hole where you would insert the regulator...and the other hand has the socket.extension set-up I have and thread in the bolts.....and my leg is aiding in keeping the door steady...and I have a protective film on my pants so the base coat wont stick...but by the time I do this...my basecoat is dry...but yet able to still be painted on.
Best of luck...I am sure you have it figured out.
DUB
08-25-2014, 08:12 AM
#8
Race Director
What I did was took the doors off and just painted the front post where the doors are bolted to, was easy to mask off if you look at the area you can figure out how to mask it off. Hung the doors, then masked off that area and painted the car and jambs at the same time.
08-25-2014, 05:49 PM
#9
Race Director
What I did was took the doors off and just painted the front post where the doors are bolted to, was easy to mask off if you look at the area you can figure out how to mask it off. Hung the doors, then masked off that area and painted the car and jambs at the same time.
And I also tried clearing the doors when they were attached and I could not live with the look. There is no way to get the clear in the jamb the way I want it..SLICK AND SHINY and NO dry spray......so the doors are off during clearing. And the best part of that is the doors, hood, convertible hatch lid and or T-tops and fiberglass front and rear bumper covers are also off when I cut and buff them......the rest of the car has been buffed out and polished and ALL of the compound spatter is washed out so all areas are as wet as they were when I hung the gun up on the final coat of clear...except that they are much slicker and no texture...then the parts get hung and adjusted.
To each his or her own....I do not judge...I just pass along my views on what makes me me.
DUB
08-25-2014, 09:32 PM
#10
Pro
Thread Starter
And we all appreciate that DUB!
Reading your posts here have been a huge source of info.
Hit it with a coat of urethane primer after work. going to sand a bit, and possibly color tommorow.
Doors and hood off for the first coats of color after thinking about your post. Still not sure if Ill take them off again for clear. After my son goes back to college Saturday, I lose the extra set of hands for off and on.
Reading your posts here have been a huge source of info.
Hit it with a coat of urethane primer after work. going to sand a bit, and possibly color tommorow.
Doors and hood off for the first coats of color after thinking about your post. Still not sure if Ill take them off again for clear. After my son goes back to college Saturday, I lose the extra set of hands for off and on.
08-26-2014, 07:26 PM
#11
Race Director
I can relate....to sometimes needing an extra pair of hands.
The doors I do no matter what. They are bare and easy for me.
NOW...in some cases when IT IS WHAT IT IS...I am forced to clear the hood when it is laying where it would be mounted. AND I have it slightly up so I can clear the edge very well...because I am super picky about my panel edges.
Then..the next morning when the clear is dry..but still fresh. I carefully mask off the top hood surround and clear the hood gutter area. TACK off the tape to remove much of the adhesion on the tape so it is not so aggressive...because the tape I use does not play around. Then IMMEDIATELY unmask my 'back-taping' so I do not have a sharp edge of where the clear stops at the top edge of the top hood surround. AND YES...I did prep the little bit of clear that did get down into the gutter area...but I do not want to damage my unprotected basecoat..so I am more concerned with the shiny clear that I can see when the hood was removed.
This clear will flow out and should not leave an edge...but I still check it out and if I feel anything on this edge when I feel it. I lightly sand it with 1500 grit WET and hand rub it out and you can not see the line at all.
I am in and out so fast when clearing this ...all I do is throw a piece of plastic over the car to protect the jambs mainly. I do not care about the rest of the car due to I am wet-sanding it and buffing it out...so a little bit of over spray means nothing to me. Then when done clearing I get the plastic off the car.
Use common sense and TEST before you go in an start doing what I just wrote.
DUB
The doors I do no matter what. They are bare and easy for me.
NOW...in some cases when IT IS WHAT IT IS...I am forced to clear the hood when it is laying where it would be mounted. AND I have it slightly up so I can clear the edge very well...because I am super picky about my panel edges.
Then..the next morning when the clear is dry..but still fresh. I carefully mask off the top hood surround and clear the hood gutter area. TACK off the tape to remove much of the adhesion on the tape so it is not so aggressive...because the tape I use does not play around. Then IMMEDIATELY unmask my 'back-taping' so I do not have a sharp edge of where the clear stops at the top edge of the top hood surround. AND YES...I did prep the little bit of clear that did get down into the gutter area...but I do not want to damage my unprotected basecoat..so I am more concerned with the shiny clear that I can see when the hood was removed.
This clear will flow out and should not leave an edge...but I still check it out and if I feel anything on this edge when I feel it. I lightly sand it with 1500 grit WET and hand rub it out and you can not see the line at all.
I am in and out so fast when clearing this ...all I do is throw a piece of plastic over the car to protect the jambs mainly. I do not care about the rest of the car due to I am wet-sanding it and buffing it out...so a little bit of over spray means nothing to me. Then when done clearing I get the plastic off the car.
Use common sense and TEST before you go in an start doing what I just wrote.
DUB
08-27-2014, 07:07 AM
#12
Pro
Thread Starter
"AND I have it slightly up so I can clear the edge very well"
Knew it was a good idea to read the forum with my coffee this morning.
Got the whole week off from work to mess with the car and a few home repair projects. Having a lot of fun with the car part.
Knew it was a good idea to read the forum with my coffee this morning.
Got the whole week off from work to mess with the car and a few home repair projects. Having a lot of fun with the car part.
08-27-2014, 01:05 PM
#14
Pro
Thread Starter
Anybody ever die from wearing a tyvek bunny suit 
I swear I dont know how guys that paint for a living do it.
1/2 hour tops and im so sweated into that thing I need help getting out of it.
I should probably post a pic of my redneck paint booth. Took a panel out of the garage door and put 3 box fans in for exhaust, box fans in the windows for fresh air.
On a good note paint is going on good. Cleaning and tarping the garage worked, only paint mistakes were a drip of sweat from my sleeve
And a speck of dirt flew off something. Did 2 double wet coats 12 hours apart. Ive got enough to do 2 more but probably do just 1. Ill see how it looks.
Then colorsand and clear!
I swear I dont know how guys that paint for a living do it.
1/2 hour tops and im so sweated into that thing I need help getting out of it.
I should probably post a pic of my redneck paint booth. Took a panel out of the garage door and put 3 box fans in for exhaust, box fans in the windows for fresh air.
On a good note paint is going on good. Cleaning and tarping the garage worked, only paint mistakes were a drip of sweat from my sleeve
And a speck of dirt flew off something. Did 2 double wet coats 12 hours apart. Ive got enough to do 2 more but probably do just 1. Ill see how it looks.
Then colorsand and clear!
08-27-2014, 02:01 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
Was going to post my two cents real quick when I started reading your recent post then finished it and realized... IT'S TOO LATE! Anyways, the suit is brutal. But I was going to tell you that I learned from the same sweat mistake to wrap a small cloth or paper towel around your wrists at the end of the sleeves and then tape around the edge to hold them in place. That way the sweat will get absorbed and not drip onto your paint job. At least you know for the next time. Can't wait to see some pics!
08-27-2014, 02:22 PM
#16
Melting Slicks
Anybody ever die from wearing a tyvek bunny suit
I swear I dont know how guys that paint for a living do it.
1/2 hour tops and im so sweated into that thing I need help getting out of it.
I should probably post a pic of my redneck paint booth. Took a panel out of the garage door and put 3 box fans in for exhaust, box fans in the windows for fresh air.
On a good note paint is going on good. Cleaning and tarping the garage worked, only paint mistakes were a drip of sweat from my sleeve
And a speck of dirt flew off something. Did 2 double wet coats 12 hours apart. Ive got enough to do 2 more but probably do just 1. Ill see how it looks.
Then colorsand and clear!
I swear I dont know how guys that paint for a living do it.
1/2 hour tops and im so sweated into that thing I need help getting out of it.
I should probably post a pic of my redneck paint booth. Took a panel out of the garage door and put 3 box fans in for exhaust, box fans in the windows for fresh air.
On a good note paint is going on good. Cleaning and tarping the garage worked, only paint mistakes were a drip of sweat from my sleeve
And a speck of dirt flew off something. Did 2 double wet coats 12 hours apart. Ive got enough to do 2 more but probably do just 1. Ill see how it looks.
Then colorsand and clear!
of you in the suit .
08-27-2014, 07:41 PM
#18
Race Director
YEAH...those TYVEK suits are BRUTAL...BUT...they are AWESOME to wear when out in the shop in the winter time. I wear one and I am 'toasty''.
Also..I use a series of paper towels and head bands that I attach to my arms under the suit and my gloves in the summer time so when I start dripping sweat...These 'thing's absorb it so it does not drip.
DUB
Also..I use a series of paper towels and head bands that I attach to my arms under the suit and my gloves in the summer time so when I start dripping sweat...These 'thing's absorb it so it does not drip.
DUB
08-27-2014, 09:07 PM
#19
Pro
Thread Starter
Headband and rubber bands to seal the gauntlets sealed to the sleeves kept the "marinade" in today.
Straight into the swimming pool each time I took it off.
Ill be saving that suit for midwinter car repairs. Thanks again Dub.
Straight into the swimming pool each time I took it off.
Ill be saving that suit for midwinter car repairs. Thanks again Dub.
Last edited by LAddams; 08-27-2014 at 09:11 PM.
08-28-2014, 07:00 PM
#20
Race Director
DO NOT let lacquer thinner get on your hands when the pores are opened up...because they will feel like they are on fire and not stop burning when you are cleaning up your paint guns after the paint job....or get solvent on your hands.
Don't believe me...give it a try. You will WISH you had not done so.
DUB