mexico blue mini

[Mudhen]

I have yet to have to replace the rear side bins.  Looks fun though.

You're sick, you know that don't you...

[snack]

Dan,
Tell us about your spray booth.  Up and down quickly ?  Plastic re-unsaleable multiple times?  fans Filters?
Steve

[94touring]

Paint booth.  Very basic.  Pvc pipe and 6 mil plastic.  Kind of a poor mans way of doing it, but its effective.   I would recommend using 2 inch pipe and having a perimeter along the floor, minus the opening to push a car in and out of.  Also a couple pipes across the top to keep the plastic from sagging inward when the fans off.  Otherwise its kind of a bear to setup without a few people till you get the plastic wrapped on it.  It is rather flimsy at first with smaller pipe and no bottom for bracing till the plastic is on.  We used zip ties to stab through the plastic and attach to the pvc at the tops.  Home Depot sells zipper doors, which I use for the front to get in and out.  Very slick, you just stick them on the plastic, then cut out where the zipper is and instant door.  I have an air filter in the back, 24x24 and one in the front.  Both are taped up to the plastic to be sealed and sturdy in place.  We have one of those high speed shop fans pushing air in from the back.  With the doors closed and air coming in it expands the plastic and makes it pretty spacey in there, also keeps anything from getting in and the air coming in is clean.   The floor isn't attached so I can replace the plastic as needed.  The plastic that comes down from the walls extends onto the floor so the plastic floor overlays on top, creating a seal.  Aside from replacing the floor every so often depending what I'm doing in there, the rest of the plastic is holding up nicely.  Another benefit is with the shop lights in there it gets warm.  Its been literally freezing outside and I'm in there in a Tshirt.  If I end up doing more of these at some point I need to upgrade to the larger pipe and maybe have a portable AC unit for the summer.  I was going to build a wood frame initially and staple my plastic to that, but I needed something up quick so went with pvc.       

[biketesting]

Its a great idea this booth. I used to do similar things in my old garage. Box fans are surprisingly good at getting rid of the fumes. What lights do you like to use?

[94touring]

Box fans work, but the high speed shop fan really works!  Standard 500 watt shop lights.  I finally took off the grilled shields because it creates shadows which makes for tricky painting if you think you see dark/light areas that aren't there.

[94touring]

Back at it today/tonight.  Burning the midnight oil getting the roof fixed.  I had to fix both a white square and a black square where the stupid pvc fell on it.   



Started on the hood and fender flares.  Tomorrow I will do the stripes on the hood, ran out of steam tonight.  On plastic pieces I use a plastic adhesion promoter.  I also sand up the flares before hand.  Can't be too safe. 





Got the car masked up for body prep.  Since the roof is done for the second time, tomorrow after the hood stripes I will begin prepping it for paint.  Its a downhill battle now.   Also as a tip for masking, run pieces of tape across the openings like so.  First time trying this after seeing a youtube clip and it makes it easier and is more stable to work with.

[94touring]

Got this hood done today.  Double the stripes, double the fun. 





Coming together.  Back in a handful of days to continue on the body.  Have most of it ready for primer.

[Nicholasupton]

Looking good. You should get a masking machine to help mask up the car. Saves hours of time, as it rolls tape on one side of the paper as your pull it off.

[94touring]

Boy that would be nice, I spent half a day just masking so far.  Wish I had all these cool tools you have!

[wevebeenhad]

dan,
this is great an all. But hurry up and finish so we can see some progress on the pickup! geeeeesssssssh ;D

[Mudhen]

dan,
this is great an all. But hurry up and finish so we can see some progress on the pickup! geeeeesssssssh ;D

:D

[94touring]

Don't worry, the truck is nearing my list!  I am wanting to paint Johns car applejack as a rent payment for use of the shop first though.  His is an auto we imported several moons ago and is currently old lady green at best.

[MiniGene]

Man!  I love that blue color and the detail on the roof and bonnet stripes is great!  Nice work!

[joltfreak]

Can't wait to see the finished product!!!!!!!!

[94touring]

Not much to show off today, other than I got the body primered.  Tomorrow and the following week/weeks that I'm around to work on it is just sanding sanding sanding for paint.  I have doors to skin somewhere in the middle of this too. 

[Mudhen]

I think maybe someone stole the inside of your wing...

[94touring]

Started in on the block sanding and fit some flares to check gaps and such.

 

[94touring]

I think maybe someone stole the inside of your wing...

Thats where the vtec goes!

[Mudhen]

I think maybe someone stole the inside of your wing...

Thats where the vtec goes!

Oh ya, I forgot it's going to be one of those.

[unsubscribe]

[snack]

Project is looking great.  I'm really liking that Mexico blue paint. With the white stripes it's going to be sharp.

When you finish repairing a section do you use epoxy primer on the repair and then move to the next repair section?  If not what do you do for metal protection while you are working your way around the car?  Once all your repairs are made do you shoot the whole car with epoxy primer again before you lay down paint?  Lastly do you put anything over the epoxy primer before topcoats?

I ask because I've been using etching primer on metal repair and shooting a rattle can primer on top of that
As I read more on what people are doing I think I may be creating a situation where I will need to sand of f all the rattle can primer and shoot a better primer.

[Mudhen]

Ooooo....[resubscribe]  ;D

Been meaning to ask that very question since it seems like it's a taking a long time for me between repair stages/sections.  For my underside rust repairs I'm primering with POR-15 which is incredibly tough stuff and (according to them) you can scuff up and paint right over.  But no clue what to do with the rest of it.

[94touring]

Good questions.  I no longer use etching primer,as the epoxy sealer is meant for bare metal that has been scuffed/roughened up.  Plus with the etch primer you hve to prime over within the flash period as you're not really suppose to sand it later as I recall reading somewhere.  At any rate the epoxy is tough stuff, there's also urethane sealer which is NOT meant for bare metal.  I use both, epoxy bare metal and urethane over primered/painted surfaces.  You can use epoxy for both however. 

When it comes to repairing sections if I have a little metal exposed (as is the case on the front right corner right now) its not a big deal to me if it sits exposed for a period of time.  The area is small enough and it onlly takes a few swipes with scotch bright or 320 gritt to remove what little surface rust may pop up.  Kind of have to use your best judgement as to wether or not you need to primer the whole car/section or if what you have is minor and can be scuffed in 30 second later.  I still have some body filler in the rear to block down and would rather spray the whole car in one shot rather than spend the time to mix small amounts for each section.  Saves time and materials this way.  But if the entire wing was exposed metal, it makes more sense to seal it so I don't have to spent 15-30 minutes wire wheeling it or hand scuffing to remove surface rust. 

[snack]

Thanks Dan, that is good info I guess you'll spend the same time one way or the other.( Cleaning the gun or cleaning up with a Scotch Brite or something later).  Are you a body filler on bare metal or epoxy fist and then filler advocate?

[94touring]

Also I should meantion in the case of something that needs a lot of attention I will sealer primer, flash, and filler primer in one go.  Saves roughing up the sealer only to filler primer anyways. 

[94touring]

Thanks Dan, that is good info I guess you'll spend the same time one way or the other.( Cleaning the gun or cleaning up with a Scotch Brite or something later).  Are you a body filler on bare metal or epoxy fist and then filler advocate?

We posted at the same time...and I'm on my phone so its tricky to begin with.

Either or for body filler, doesn't really matter.  I would say usually I probably seal first though.

Also I missed a question about the top coat.  Sealer primer is meant to be painted directly over with or without sanding.  I always sand it regardless to make the surface just that much better, unless of course its floors or undersides within the flash period.  Outisde the flash period scuff and paint.  Always think adhesion.  What will make this paint stick best.