miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I have most of the major hard parts already. Still need a few thousand dollars worth of parts to finish the motor. It won't be the motor of my dreams, but will be quite a bit better than my last motor.

My aesthetic goals are far more expensive and time consuming than I ever dreamed it would be. I see a faint light at the end of the tunnel though.

There are quite a few details done that I have not reported yet. Once I start really moving on assembly, I will reveal what I have been up to. Mostly that is, I can't just show my hand too early.

Jeffbucc

Ain't that the damn truth. Can't believe I've spent as much as I have getting it to the image in my minds eye. It's not a ton, but more than I originally planned to.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

well, your aesthetic goals would have been cheaper if you didn't paint things as frequently as you do. :P

just playing, I know what types of things you mean.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I probably deserved that.

At least I will come away from this knowing I learned something. I am getting better every time I shoot paint.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

Its worthwhile doing while its apart to have it the way you want it.

A lot like my fabrication, I usually see another way to do it after im done to change it up the next time. I feel your pain.

Full_Tilt_Boogie

iTrader: (1)

I thought it was in this thread but I cant find it...
Didnt you say somewhere that you were painting your bay with some kind of tractor enamel?

I need to paint the bay of my buddies car with something tough and his car is also black. I hope Im not thinking of a different car.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I recall a discussion about tractor paint in a thread somewhere, but I have no idea where I have seen it.


Having experience with the tractor business, when people say tractor enamel, it is often a code for cheap paint.


For an engine bay, I would use a single stage urethane.

Full_Tilt_Boogie

iTrader: (1)

Hmm
Were basically trying to find something tough as ****. The kind of paint you can band wrenches on without flinching.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

That is the reason I went with Urethane. Once it is fully cured, it is hard. It is also easier to fix if you scratch it.


Urethane costs more, but black is an inexpensive color.

jpreston

iTrader: (4)

Rustoleum appliance epoxy wouldn't be a bad option for an engine bay. I painted my entire car (well, minus engine bay) with the stuff and don't have any complaints. It takes a few weeks to harden, but it's pretty tough once it does. You can buy it at walmart or home depot for cheap, and it comes in black.

Jeffbucc

This. That stuff is very hard to damage. I painted my mixer at work with dark blue appliance enamel and cleaning it daily with degreaser, cheap rags, and wiping abrasive wheat flour off it everyday, and it still looks shiny and brand new. Stuff takes FOREVER to cure, but it will stay looking new as long as you don't hit it with something that will chip it off.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

Seems to me that the chemical reaction of mixing paint and a hardener is what really makes for a strong hard surface. Paint out of a spray can or the cheaper versions that are only reduced just can't do that.


But, I understand if you don't have the proper equipment, you do what you have to do.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I decided I am going to go ahead and do the top coat of paint myself. I have been working on a temporary paint booth. Details will come later.


My goal is to have it completely done (minus some cutting and buffing) by March 15th. The only thing that could hold me up is getting my hood done. I still think I can do it.

shlammed

iTrader: (8)

do base/clear. lets you do a good job even if your not a pro.

you dont need to lay the base on too heavy (easy) and if you lay clear on too heavy you can wetsand it out (forgiving)

its really not hard to do. clear is the most difficult being that its clear lol. just set up the fan pattern properly for what your spraying and it really simplifies things.

Pinky

iTrader: (1)

This. I'd go base/clear too, it's just a hell of a lot easier to work with than single stage. (With single stage it would be a lot more difficult to get every nook and cranny under hood adequately covered and wet enough to shine without having too much product in some places from your overspray; with b/c you can build up thin coats of base and then just sweat your clear.

I've said this before, but it's worth repeating; LIGHTING is key when shooting clear coat. Having a lamp that you can move around so that you always have something to gauge the reflection against makes it all easily visible.

jpreston

iTrader: (4)

I used spray can appliance epoxy. It's still pretty tough once it fully hardens.

sixshooter

iTrader: (12)

Your temporary paint booth is not wide enough and not well ventilated enough. Use a real paint booth. Seriously.

Pinky, talk to him. He thinks he can use an old shipping container to paint that car.

Pinky

iTrader: (1)

Oh, dude, you've been breathing fumes too long.

My booth is 22 x 30 and it's STILL tight in there. There's NO WAY you're going to be able to get a car in there and still have room to move around it, and without some way of filtering the incoming air, will probably end up with more **** in your paint than if you just painted it outside.

Just get the goddamned thing sanded out in primer and trailer it up here. We can tape it and shoot it and by the next day you can trailer it back home. While it's drying we can get rip snorting drunk and stagger around downtown Jax pulling Bettys. Bring Steve. Or hell, lets make a MT event out of it; Pinky's Paint And Pony Party.

But seriously, nix on the shipping container. Have a Snickers; you get a little loopy when you're hungry.

Pinky

iTrader: (1)

BTW, even if you somehow managed to get the car AND you in there, without adequate ventilation your paint job is going to be ****. ESPECIALLY if you're thinking about shooting Single Stage. As that paint fog sets back onto the flashing surface it's going to feel like 600 grit sandpaper, and even the most experienced guy wet-sanding and buffing the car would have a really difficult time getting it to ever look right.

My Ghetto Booth has a 12,000 CFM fan; it exchanges the air in the booth just about every minute. You want every molecule of paint that hasn't been sprayed on the surface to go away, with haste, before it settles back on your nice glossy surface.

Come to Jax, or find a booth somewhere, or do all the prep and have a real shop shoot it. There's a reason why people shoot in controlled environments; you will never get the same results in a half-assed setup.

miata2fast

iTrader: (2)

I can't tell you how pissed it makes me to write a detailed post only for it all to be wiped out because the ******* site timed me out. What the hell happened to the old way where I logged back in and my written post was still there?

Anyways, the short is I am painting pieces of the car in there to practice. Nose cone, then trunk lid, then hardtop etc. The shorter painting duration, I hope, will allow for better results in the not so ideal conditions.

Also working on a ventilations solution. If it doesn't work out, I will seriously consider taking the car to Pinky's booth. But for now, I am still learning, and I think this is a good way for me to practice.