When too much rubbing is not enough

Airhead · 27 Jun 2001, 23:00 (Ref:110509)

On the weekend it's back out to the garage to continue with hand rubbing back my son's car in preparation for spraying. When is smooth - smooth?

While I'm at it, any helpful hints on spraying will be greatly appreciated. The last and only time I sprayed a car was when I was my son's age.

Ray Bell · 28 Jun 2001, 02:43 (Ref:110582)

One key in the spraying is to knock off at the end of each sweep so you don't overload the paint at the end of the runs... don't really know how smooth it has to be, but you're bound to find it will never be enough!

TimD · 28 Jun 2001, 08:39 (Ref:110647)

A guide coat of primer never hurts.

Once you think you've rubbed down as far as you need, give the whole thing a quick once-over of gray primer, and then when it's good and dry.... rub it all off again.

That way, you absolutely know you haven't missed anything.

This is from bitter experience. I had a job respraying a '67 Beetle one time, and I had got it as smooth as I thought it needed. Gave it the first proper colour coat... and the silicon car polish in the pressed contours of the front bonnet promptly reacted with the new paint, and bloomed into a lovely crop of bubbles.

Had to do the whole bonnet all over again, taking it right back to grey.

Also, if you've been using any replacement panels in factory black or brown primer, bear in mind that this is not properly keyed in, but is a temporary coat they squirt on to prevent surface rusting in storage. Get the factory primer off, rustproof to taste, and then give it a properly keyed primer coat before going to colour.

A friend sourced a pair of factory front wings for a Volvo 122S, used the factory primer as a basis for his respray - and found himself having to replace the wings again five years later.

Ray's quite correct about knocking off at the end of each spray stroke. I like to think of it in terms of panning a camera to take an action shot. You know you sweep across, following the racing car in the viewfinder before pressing the shutter? Well, by the same token, start panning with the spraygun before pressing the trigger, and release the trigger before you get to a stopping place. Otherwise there is a natural tendency to build up a little pool of paint when you stop moving. And that's where drips and runs form.

Airhead · 28 Jun 2001, 09:24 (Ref:110668)

Ray and Tim,

Thanks for the advice. Any ideas on the ratio of thinners to paint/primer?

KC · 28 Jun 2001, 14:54 (Ref:110752)

It will help greatly to use a dual action air gun as well. Spray straight air while panning the gun and feed the air in after you start moving. Also, move the gun in a flat pattern, do not allow your arm to arc around your shoulder. This will create thin spots in the paint at the end of your strokes.

Valve Bounce · 29 Jun 2001, 06:55 (Ref:111071)

Just as a point of interest, what model car are you renovating? It would not hurt to find out what the problem areas ae with that particular model regarding rust, and then make sue that the preventive measures are taken to avoid rust.
Not having painted a car before, I can only say that a quick visit to any spray pait shop to check out how the professionals do it might help.
I was watching "The Touch Up Guys" on the Gold Coast a month ago, and they certainly did a great job, and they had this heater that baked the enamel (is that how it's spelt?) afterwards.
Whatever you do, you must not paint while the weather is wet - so the paint shop guy told me.

Airhead · 29 Jun 2001, 08:27 (Ref:111082)

Hi Valve,

the car is a rear drive Mazda 626 four door. It is now rust free after much grinding, welding and application of body filler.

We will use an acrylic paint. The booths you saw were probably for 2 pac. Much better finnish and longer life but you need specialised gear like the booth to bake it.

Valve Bounce · 1 Jul 2001, 05:10 (Ref:111660)

Quote:

Originally posted by AMoffat
Hi Valve,

the car is a rear drive Mazda 626 four door. It is now rust free after much grinding, welding and application of body filler.

We will use an acrylic paint. The booths you saw were probably for 2 pac. Much better finnish and longer life but you need specialised gear like the booth to bake it.

Sequel to the Capella? Great cars; I had an RX2 in Melbourne, then bought a second hand Capella (normal engine) in PNG.
It does seem like you are doing all the right stuff to end up with a nice car. What colour are you going to paint it?

Airhead · 1 Jul 2001, 11:57 (Ref:111716)

Seeing as we used vinyl spray to redo the interior it could have been any colour. Originally it was/is orange and there aren't many orange cars anymore so orange in the original shade it is.

Airhead · 20 Aug 2001, 12:05 (Ref:132994)

Nothing more pathetic than replying to your own post/thread thingy right?

Well I'm feeling very satisfied after spending the day applying five coats of primer/spray putty and rubbing the whole lot back with 800 & 1500 wet and dry.

Looks really good and the colour is yet to come.

Ray Bell · 20 Aug 2001, 12:34 (Ref:133006)

You know, I was wondering how this job was coming on...

And I bet there are others out there who wouldn't ever tackle such a project... shame on them!

Airhead · 22 Aug 2001, 10:41 (Ref:134166)

Well (it's Wednesday night) I've only got the left rear to rub back now and am ready to spend $149 on 4 litres of orange acrylic to sray on the weekend.
I must say for a complete novice this has been great fun and very rewarding.

Ray Bell · 22 Aug 2001, 11:29 (Ref:134183)

Especially if you can avoid orange peel and runs in the paint...

Orange? Not Vermillion Fire?

Airhead · 22 Aug 2001, 11:42 (Ref:134192)

Ray,

It's orange to me. Mazda paint code RU - circa 1980.

My son now wants to go metallic orange, any paint code will do!

No thanks. Let's stay with the original scheme.

Airhead · 31 Aug 2001, 11:51 (Ref:138963)

Well it is now Friday night and provided it doesn't rain tomorrow the job will be done.

The Mazda is ready for the final wet down with PrepSol and then the colour coats can begin.

This thing is as smooth as Nicole Kidmans's bum. Wish I had the advantage of personal experience there.

Anyway. What I can Orange. Some Japanese dude in 1979 called "Joyfull Red".

Great isn't it!

Ray Bell · 31 Aug 2001, 13:03 (Ref:139006)

Quote:

Originally posted by AMoffat
This thing is as smooth as Nicole Kidmans's bum. Wish I had the advantage of personal experience there.

Anyway. What I can Orange. Some Japanese dude in 1979 called "Joyfull Red".

Great isn't it!

There's a pleasant thought, Moff... a real pleasant thought...

So the colour name defies the appearance, eh?

Airhead · 9 Sep 2001, 09:21 (Ref:143937)

Another weekend put to bed and the saga comes to a 'joyfull' conclusion.

1 more litre of colour and 2 of clear. I'm happy with the result. Now the final rub down and the buff up.

Airhead · 1 Jan 2002, 12:34 (Ref:192215)

And now it is rego time.

The left lower tie rod has been replaced as has the final universal joint and the bit of rust under the right rear quarter panel.

The CD player has been installed and the rear tyres replaced.

The shop opens on the 5th of Jan and then we are in business.

Airhead · 5 Jan 2002, 12:52 (Ref:194271)

Just to update - spent an hour with my son bleeding the clutch this afternoon.

Thing is the important bit is that to bleed the clutch the two of you need to work in unison.

That is the point of the whole project really.

Rego may be put back a bit because I'm buying new tires for the BMW this fortnight!

Ray Bell · 5 Jan 2002, 12:55 (Ref:194273)

Bleeding the clutch! Yes, the hardest job on a 504... there was one I spent two days trying to bleed, still couldn't get it...

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
rubbing	alf	Racers Forum	65	2 May 2006 13:09