Bob98SR5
04-13-2008, 09:53 PM
I thought I'd post my painting tutorial here in Design and Fab since the end product will probably need painting. Now I know most of the stuff here will be painted with just semi-gloss Rustoleum, but here's 1 month's research on painting, body filler, etc. in action:
My Painting Tutorial With Tons O' Pics
The work on the Biodiesel Benz was hummin' along, but there have been two hiccups. First, I decided to take a little weekend camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with some friends. Then last weekend, we began working on replacing the rear suspension links, but we realized that some parts were missing. Thus, I have to order these parts for deliver for next weekend. My plan is to change out all the links and most of the bushings and possibly pay my local mechanic to drop the current rear subframe out, swap out the current differential into the new subframe, and hook everything up---provided that the cost isn't too much :)
So this weekend, I decided to finish my trial body and painting efforts. A few months ago, I decided that the little front wipers needed to go, so I removed the lower valence underneath the headlights. This became the the trial piece of metal that would allow me to practice the following important techniques:
- Dry sanding
- Priming
- Wet sanding out bumps and imperfections
- Painting
- Clear coating
What it wouldn't allow me to try out is blending which will be a very difficult part of my painting efforts in the near future. But I have another area on the Benz that will allow me to try out the blending.
As always, the internet has been a great resource for learning techniques. Of note, Youtube.com has some great video tutorials on DIY car painting. Again, there are a ton of great resources to read, watch and learn how to paint your own vehicle. Here's the step by step I've documented on the process:
Buy a good respirator if you don't have one---it'll protect you from the dust from sanding as well as from the noxious fumes from the body filler and the paint. The one I have is a 3M 7500 with the pre-filters and the organic filters. The part numbers are on the filters themselves:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALRlzmXe2I/AAAAAAAAAo4/tabvxrASVAo/s320/3m_mask.jpg
The first thing I did was to use a good paint remover to get off the paint. For this piece, I used a spray on aircraft paint remover. However, I did not see any appreciable differences or advantages over common paint stripper products like Kleen Strip or Jasco. Personally, I like Jasco the best. Anyways, apply the product and let it sit for the recommended time. Then use a putty knife to scrape off the paint. You will probably have to do it about 2 to 3 more times to get everything off:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG6jmXesI/AAAAAAAAAno/3ttdRKtnRG0/s320/02_bubbly+paint.jpg
Next as you can see here, there are two holes from the wiper and the wiper fluid tube that I needed to cover:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG0DmXeqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/spo5zDmVSik/s320/04_coat+removed+rear.jpg
Instead of welding, I decided to cut out some 26 gauge metal and epoxy glue it to the valence. Below you can see I clamped it to the valence:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG0DmXeqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/spo5zDmVSik/s320/04_coat+removed+rear.jpg
This will act as the backing for the body filler that will be added later. And here is how it looks from the back:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALGnzmXenI/AAAAAAAAAnA/k8u9-e5gQ6Q/s320/06_rear+test+fit.jpg
And here's what it looks from the front:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALGMjmXejI/AAAAAAAAAmg/slXgyz71GuQ/s320/09_expox%27d+front.jpg
Now before I applied the body filler, I sanded down the metal with 40 grit and then moved onto 80 grit. This scuffing will allow the primer coats to adhere to it better than if it was smooth.
Next, you will need to mix up some body filler to apply to the areas to be filler. Sorry folks, no pictures, but I got you guys covered :) The question most people ask, including myself, is "How much hardener to add to the body filler? Here's your video answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnTUoC32Os&feature=related
It's a good idea to thoroughly mix the hardener in small quantities to practice and to see how quickly the hardener can set up (get hard). Practice before you actually start applying it to your real work pieces! A word on body fillers: I read quite a bit on body fillers. The two that had the best feedback (my assessment) was Rage Gold and USC Duraglas. But whatever you choose, make sure you use hydroponic body filler as it will not absorb water because it has pieces of fiberglass in it.
So here's a picture of the Duraglass applied to the work piece. As you can see, I sanded down the larger hole with 80 grit. Lesson learned: I sanded down way too much. Use the 80 grit to sand down the peaks, but then use a finer grit like 150 to sand it even further:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJiTmXezI/AAAAAAAAAog/tO0FxjphqkY/s320/03_partially_sanded.jpg
And here's the final sanding that was done with a 150 grit pad and 200 grit (not shown). If you look carefully, the cross shaped hole was sanded too far down. In the back of my mind I thought, "Ok Bob, a few coats of high build primer will take care of that." It didn't. So at this point, if it doesn't look perfect, it won't look perfect. So get it right here and you'll have a great looking end product:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJfDmXeyI/AAAAAAAAAoY/J64AhQPWX2M/s320/04_150+grit.jpg
A note on sandpaper: about every auto parts store I went to had the 3M multi-pack of wet sandpaper. Buy it:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJbzmXexI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/eqLDH6i6ZNQ/s320/05_wet+sand.jpg
After sanding, clean off the work piece with some brake cleaner or some denatured alcohol. Allow it to dry and then follow up with a tack cloth. If you don't have one, buy one. They do a great job of removing any residual dust and crud---there's nothing better.
Now onto the primer: buy a high build primer. I did not and I can see why it is such an important part of a good end product. Nevertheless, you can still apply a few light coats of primer to achieve a similar effect. This is what it looks like after three light coats:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJVTmXevI/AAAAAAAAAoA/O3kFppcZUCc/s320/07_first_primer_coat.jpg
A word on paint and clear coat application by topic:
Priming: use very light coats, especially the first one
Distance: about 10 to 12 inches away
Timing: follow the instructions on the can. My primer said to wait about 5 to 10 minutes.
Temperature: 55 to 85F
Humidity: less than 50% humidity
Wet sanding: Use a very fine grit higher than 1000 grit
Ventilation: outward facing fan or ventilation fan
So what I did was to work in the morning or the late evening when the temperature and humidity was at the optimal conditions. I sprayed very light coats of primer, especially the first one. This is not a race or a contest to see how much primer you can put on in one coat. You need to allow that first coat of primer to adhere to the work piece. And future coats need to stick to the previous coats. During the drying time, I went around the garage looking for things to organize. When the primer dried, I would return to the work piece and spray another coat. Finally after applying the final primer coat, I wet sanded the primer with 1000 grit wet sand paper. Make sure you soak the wet sandpaper in water for 15 minutes. Have a small bucket of soapy water to clean off any residual material that sticks to the sandpaper. Do not put a lot pressure on the paint. I used a small piece and used my fingers.
Now onto the paint and clear coat: Like the coats of primer, THIN COATS. Again, THIN COATS. I know the temptation is to make it look like the end product the first time, but all that does is cause more problems like dripping and running. So here's a pic of the final product with two coats of paint and three coats of clear coat:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJRzmXeuI/AAAAAAAAAn4/fVUuYxVFV5c/s320/08_finished.jpg
As you can see, the holes were sanded down a little too much and you can see the indentation. Hard lesson learned, but that's why you practice on a small, inconspicuous piece :D The good thing is that the paint I bought from Paintscratch.com is a very, very close match to the original Diamond Blue Metallic paint. Not to mention, I didn't boff the paint or clear coat job by applying too much material as I've done in the past. I am pleasantly surprised about the end product.
The next step is to allow it to dry for a good 3 or 4 days and buff the clearcoat with some rubbing compound. This step will bring out the gloss on the paint.
My Painting Tutorial With Tons O' Pics
The work on the Biodiesel Benz was hummin' along, but there have been two hiccups. First, I decided to take a little weekend camping trip to Joshua Tree National Park with some friends. Then last weekend, we began working on replacing the rear suspension links, but we realized that some parts were missing. Thus, I have to order these parts for deliver for next weekend. My plan is to change out all the links and most of the bushings and possibly pay my local mechanic to drop the current rear subframe out, swap out the current differential into the new subframe, and hook everything up---provided that the cost isn't too much :)
So this weekend, I decided to finish my trial body and painting efforts. A few months ago, I decided that the little front wipers needed to go, so I removed the lower valence underneath the headlights. This became the the trial piece of metal that would allow me to practice the following important techniques:
- Dry sanding
- Priming
- Wet sanding out bumps and imperfections
- Painting
- Clear coating
What it wouldn't allow me to try out is blending which will be a very difficult part of my painting efforts in the near future. But I have another area on the Benz that will allow me to try out the blending.
As always, the internet has been a great resource for learning techniques. Of note, Youtube.com has some great video tutorials on DIY car painting. Again, there are a ton of great resources to read, watch and learn how to paint your own vehicle. Here's the step by step I've documented on the process:
Buy a good respirator if you don't have one---it'll protect you from the dust from sanding as well as from the noxious fumes from the body filler and the paint. The one I have is a 3M 7500 with the pre-filters and the organic filters. The part numbers are on the filters themselves:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALRlzmXe2I/AAAAAAAAAo4/tabvxrASVAo/s320/3m_mask.jpg
The first thing I did was to use a good paint remover to get off the paint. For this piece, I used a spray on aircraft paint remover. However, I did not see any appreciable differences or advantages over common paint stripper products like Kleen Strip or Jasco. Personally, I like Jasco the best. Anyways, apply the product and let it sit for the recommended time. Then use a putty knife to scrape off the paint. You will probably have to do it about 2 to 3 more times to get everything off:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG6jmXesI/AAAAAAAAAno/3ttdRKtnRG0/s320/02_bubbly+paint.jpg
Next as you can see here, there are two holes from the wiper and the wiper fluid tube that I needed to cover:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG0DmXeqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/spo5zDmVSik/s320/04_coat+removed+rear.jpg
Instead of welding, I decided to cut out some 26 gauge metal and epoxy glue it to the valence. Below you can see I clamped it to the valence:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALG0DmXeqI/AAAAAAAAAnY/spo5zDmVSik/s320/04_coat+removed+rear.jpg
This will act as the backing for the body filler that will be added later. And here is how it looks from the back:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALGnzmXenI/AAAAAAAAAnA/k8u9-e5gQ6Q/s320/06_rear+test+fit.jpg
And here's what it looks from the front:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALGMjmXejI/AAAAAAAAAmg/slXgyz71GuQ/s320/09_expox%27d+front.jpg
Now before I applied the body filler, I sanded down the metal with 40 grit and then moved onto 80 grit. This scuffing will allow the primer coats to adhere to it better than if it was smooth.
Next, you will need to mix up some body filler to apply to the areas to be filler. Sorry folks, no pictures, but I got you guys covered :) The question most people ask, including myself, is "How much hardener to add to the body filler? Here's your video answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymnTUoC32Os&feature=related
It's a good idea to thoroughly mix the hardener in small quantities to practice and to see how quickly the hardener can set up (get hard). Practice before you actually start applying it to your real work pieces! A word on body fillers: I read quite a bit on body fillers. The two that had the best feedback (my assessment) was Rage Gold and USC Duraglas. But whatever you choose, make sure you use hydroponic body filler as it will not absorb water because it has pieces of fiberglass in it.
So here's a picture of the Duraglass applied to the work piece. As you can see, I sanded down the larger hole with 80 grit. Lesson learned: I sanded down way too much. Use the 80 grit to sand down the peaks, but then use a finer grit like 150 to sand it even further:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJiTmXezI/AAAAAAAAAog/tO0FxjphqkY/s320/03_partially_sanded.jpg
And here's the final sanding that was done with a 150 grit pad and 200 grit (not shown). If you look carefully, the cross shaped hole was sanded too far down. In the back of my mind I thought, "Ok Bob, a few coats of high build primer will take care of that." It didn't. So at this point, if it doesn't look perfect, it won't look perfect. So get it right here and you'll have a great looking end product:
http://bp3.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJfDmXeyI/AAAAAAAAAoY/J64AhQPWX2M/s320/04_150+grit.jpg
A note on sandpaper: about every auto parts store I went to had the 3M multi-pack of wet sandpaper. Buy it:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJbzmXexI/AAAAAAAAAoQ/eqLDH6i6ZNQ/s320/05_wet+sand.jpg
After sanding, clean off the work piece with some brake cleaner or some denatured alcohol. Allow it to dry and then follow up with a tack cloth. If you don't have one, buy one. They do a great job of removing any residual dust and crud---there's nothing better.
Now onto the primer: buy a high build primer. I did not and I can see why it is such an important part of a good end product. Nevertheless, you can still apply a few light coats of primer to achieve a similar effect. This is what it looks like after three light coats:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJVTmXevI/AAAAAAAAAoA/O3kFppcZUCc/s320/07_first_primer_coat.jpg
A word on paint and clear coat application by topic:
Priming: use very light coats, especially the first one
Distance: about 10 to 12 inches away
Timing: follow the instructions on the can. My primer said to wait about 5 to 10 minutes.
Temperature: 55 to 85F
Humidity: less than 50% humidity
Wet sanding: Use a very fine grit higher than 1000 grit
Ventilation: outward facing fan or ventilation fan
So what I did was to work in the morning or the late evening when the temperature and humidity was at the optimal conditions. I sprayed very light coats of primer, especially the first one. This is not a race or a contest to see how much primer you can put on in one coat. You need to allow that first coat of primer to adhere to the work piece. And future coats need to stick to the previous coats. During the drying time, I went around the garage looking for things to organize. When the primer dried, I would return to the work piece and spray another coat. Finally after applying the final primer coat, I wet sanded the primer with 1000 grit wet sand paper. Make sure you soak the wet sandpaper in water for 15 minutes. Have a small bucket of soapy water to clean off any residual material that sticks to the sandpaper. Do not put a lot pressure on the paint. I used a small piece and used my fingers.
Now onto the paint and clear coat: Like the coats of primer, THIN COATS. Again, THIN COATS. I know the temptation is to make it look like the end product the first time, but all that does is cause more problems like dripping and running. So here's a pic of the final product with two coats of paint and three coats of clear coat:
http://bp2.blogger.com/_UUoQRE-tWzs/SALJRzmXeuI/AAAAAAAAAn4/fVUuYxVFV5c/s320/08_finished.jpg
As you can see, the holes were sanded down a little too much and you can see the indentation. Hard lesson learned, but that's why you practice on a small, inconspicuous piece :D The good thing is that the paint I bought from Paintscratch.com is a very, very close match to the original Diamond Blue Metallic paint. Not to mention, I didn't boff the paint or clear coat job by applying too much material as I've done in the past. I am pleasantly surprised about the end product.
The next step is to allow it to dry for a good 3 or 4 days and buff the clearcoat with some rubbing compound. This step will bring out the gloss on the paint.