Jeff92se

iTrader: (82)

http://forums.maxima.org/oldthread.php?t=343335 (questions? Ask in in the linked thread) Thanks Mike for the info.
I say "some" because there is much more to painting than most people think. This is just a little info.

Also a disclaimer: I am not a professional painter nor do I claim to be. This info is stuff that I have picked up from my countless research on the net and from friends that are pros. Its just basic info and if you are serious about painting your car or doing body work then I encourage you to do a lot of research.

First some terminology:

HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure)- These are paint guns that use low pressure at the tip of the gun (10 psi). This allows you to transfer more material with less waste because it doesnt "bounce" off of the panel. You set the HVLP guns at their specific inlet pressure (varies from gun to gun but is usually stamped on the gun itself) to get the 10 psi at the cap rating. The down sides to the HVLP guns are that they use a greater amount of air so you generally need a bigger compressor and they may not atomize as well as a conventional gun.

HVLP guns come in gravity feed (cup above gun) models as well as pressure and siphon (cup under gun) type models.

For those with small air compressors---

There are a few LVLP (low volume low pressure…they are actually listed as HVLP) guns out on the market. The Sharpe Platinum is one of these guns but unfortunately have been discontinued as of late. It only uses 7.5 cfm of air @ 50psi. This is a lot lower than a lot of HVLPs that need 13-15 cfm of air. Iwata makes a low volume gun as well but they are rather expensive at around $400 but some say they are the best guns on the market. The good things about the LVLP guns are that they use very little air supply and can be used by the average air compressor. The bad/good part of them is that they are slower than most guns (good for a newbie that needs to move slower...bad for someone used to a faster flowing gun).


Conventional guns---these are the standard guns that produce the same amount (or small drop) of air at the cap as the inlet. Conventional guns waste more material than HVLP because they blow the material at lot harder and not only can it "bounce" off of the panel but it also blows a lot more material into the air (I don’t think you can even use conventional guns in Cali.).

Conventional guns also come in gravity (cup above gun) feed, pressure and siphon (cup below gun) feed models.

There are a couple of good things about conventional guns though. First they really break up the material (atomizing) because of the high pressure at the tip. Some like a conventional gun for clear because it really lays down smooth because it breaks down the material so small. Secondly they use less air supply so you don’t need as big of a compressor as you usually do with an HVLP. The bad is obviously that it wastes more material than HVLP and with the costs of materials that is a big deal for shops trying to make money.
When considering paint guns you need to look at the tip size also. a smaller tip is usually better for paint and clear (1.2-1.4) while a 1.4-1.6 tip is good for most urethane and epoxy primers and sealers. A 1.8 or larger tip is good for polyester primer (sometimes called sprayable bondo). If you can only afford one gun (its not recommended mixing base coat guns with primer guns but it can be done if cleaned properly) then go for a 1.4 tip. This will allow you to use most primers and base and clear.

Also when setting the air pressure for the paint gun you need a mini regulator that is on the gun itself. The reason for this is that the air loss from the compressor to the gun will be more than you know. Also always set the pressure with the trigger of the gun pulled completely in.

On to some equipment you need:

Air compressor---The average HVLP gun will be too much for the average air compressor. Don’t think you can buy a $300 or $400 compressor and be able to run the 13cfm guns for any length of time. They will be fine for a panel here and there (like just a fender or just a hood) but will not work for a whole paint job. Expect to pay $1000-1200 minimum for a compressor that will be big enough to run these guns (as well as DA (dual action) and other types of air sanders.

You don't want to run out of air while you are painting because it will cause orange peal and/or dry spray (non shiny, rough feeling).

Face mask and eye goggles---OK your health is very important and you may not think that paint fumes are bad but believe me they are and can cause serious health problems. ISOs (Isocyante/Polyisocyanate) are used in a lot of hardeners and are extremely dangerous. Matter of fact most pros would rather use a fresh air supply instead of just a mask because a mask doesn’t fully protect you from these chemicals.


Obviously there are a ton of other things you will need such as a DA (not required but man are they great), sanding blocks, sand paper, cleaners, tack rags etc. but I am not going to get into all this info because these are things that you probably already know you need or your local jobber can help you out with.

Just remember when doing painting that cleanliness is the key.

Before you start sanding or anything else wash the car with a detergent such as Dawn or Joy then follow that up with a washing of a water anti acid mixture (baking soda) to neutralize any acid rain or bird poop that was on the car.

Then clean the car with a good wax and grease remover. You need to make sure and wipe small sections at a time and wipe the solvent dry instead of letting it air dry. Letting it air dry will just put the contaminants back onto the paint.

Now you may think "that is too much work I am just going to sand anyway" but the problem is that sanding just works the contaminants into the paint and that will be a problem in your final paint job. It is true that the key to a good paint job is good prep work. If you mess up on the prep work it will show after you paint.

Also always mix the paint or primer exactly like the company product sheet tells you to. If you don’t then you can have failure. Buy yourself a few mixing cups that have the mixture on the side of it to make this easier. They also make metal stir sticks with the mixtures on them.



Here are some good sites you can check out for info on sanding / body work etc.

Repair Nation --- this guy has some good write ups on how to repair panels and even how to wet sand and buff.

Autobody store (classroom) --- this is a direct link to what they call the classroom on their site. This has a lot of good info on it. They also have a forum on that site.

Paintucation --- This guy has some great videos from what I understand. he also has a link to a forum that is very helpful.

PPG refinishing info page --- if you click on product information it will take you to the different paint lines and when you click on a line then it will take you to the library of the products of that line. This is very important if you need to know the information of how to mix their products.

DuPont's site --- info on DuPont paints including the information sheets for their paints and primers.

Martin Senour's (NAPA) site --- NAPA sells this paint but it is just rebadged Sherwin Williams paint. This site has the info on their products.