Painting my 450

A couple of comments Pete old chum.

When cleaning the work before paint, always wear vinyl or rubber gloves. Any oils from your skin can cause problems with the paint.

To make it easier to paint the pieces, make up some "stands" from pieces of left over lumber. You can pick them up and move them around as necessary without getting anywhere near the paint. Just make sure the pieces are secure to the stands and won't fall off when moved.

Contrary to what I've read here, you don't need to immediately clear coat after the base. I have, on several occasions, left the clear for up to several weeks. A couple of times I wet sanded the base with 1000 grit prior to the clear but on others I just wiped it down with cleaner and shot the clear. No difference that I could see.

If you need to speed the cure, you can use those halogen lights. Just position them about a foot to 18" inches from the work for an hour or so.

For cleanup after finishing a coat run some thinner/cleaner through the gun. I shoot it into a plastic washer fluid jug and take it to our local recycling center. If you leave the gun uncleaned for too long the 2 part paint will harden and clog the gun. When you're done for the day "field strip" the gun and immerse everything in cleaner for at least an hour or so.

If you're using a "booth" make sure you use old clothes and wear a hat and goggles along with your respirator. Paint fog is sticky. Fog also travels so make sure everything within about 10 feet is covered (even if you use a "booth")unless you want it painted too.

Last but not least, think safety......no flames around your supplies or when you're shooting so if the hot water heater or furnace is close, turn off the pilot flame.

As the guys say preparation is the key. Have everything close at hand and setup ready to go before you pull the trigger. Don't rush as that's when the accidents and mistakes happen. It seems like a lot of work and more effort than its worth but when you see what you can do you'll be chuffed I'm sure. Did I mention have fun with it?

So, we're waiting to see what you can do.

Cheers,
Spyug

Pete,,here are the thumbnail sketches I mentioned.Sorry that they are so rough!.I really agree with nvr2old, leave the paint for the time he suggested, what I think the guy spoke to you from the paint company assumed was that you had an oven to "bake" the paint,(most pro paintshops use these and if you bake it then you can tape after 25-30 minutes)It is absoloutley safe to leave the paint overnight before applying the clear coat,I've done it numerous times with no ill effects and you don't have to deal with high humidity that we do here in Ireland.When I was learning I was given the rule of paintspraying"this job is 95% preperation and 5% skill" paitence is just one of the skills you have to perfect.take your time and when you are done bask in the glory of knowing that you have a new skill.Johnny

[nvr2old]

That would work, Pete. You just need to spray the clear over the stripes and the base color within 24 hrs of their application. If you can't do that, then I suggest spraying the base color and then putting a couple of coats of clear over that to protect the maroon metallic so you can sand it later. Then it can sit for as long as you want, you'd just need to sand it a bit before putting the stripes and more clear on.

[pete]

You can re-coat the next day if it's within 24 hrs. Beyond that you'd have to sand the finish. If you sprayed the maroon, say, in the evening and came back the next morning and started masking the stripes, that would be perfect in my opinion. Let em set for 1/2 hr. pull the tape and immediately start your clear coats.

Hmmmm ok... this is gonna sound stupid and painful but the latest in the day I can put a coat on would be about 3pm... I'll be doing it in the garage which is part of the house so I need to try to make sure I've got fumes and noises gone before my wife gets home or the house will stink (carb cleaning was fun).

However, if I can do it that way then that means I should be able to do the stripes and clear coat early the next day and it will be well and truly within 24 hours so that should be all good in that regard.

I might be pushing it to get the prep. work done the same morning as the base coat, so I might have to do the whole thing over three days instead of two so it's not rushed.

[nvr2old]

You can re-coat the next day if it's within 24 hrs. Beyond that you'd have to sand the finish. If you sprayed the maroon, say, in the evening and came back the next morning and started masking the stripes, that would be perfect in my opinion. Let em set for 1/2 hr. pull the tape and immediately start your clear coats.

[pete]

I don't know, Pete...I would wait for, at the very least, a few hrs. before you lay any kind of tape down on fresh paint. It really needs to dry for awhile. If it's too fresh, it'll leave a mark, or even worse, might lift the maroon off. Fineline tape is plastic and will stick really well with just the pressure applied by your fingertips and leave a nice crisp edge, that's it's purpose. You always seem to have to lay tape down and "adjust" it several times to get it right, so you want the base color to be dry before applying, pulling, and reapplying the Fineline tape. You also really need to pull it off at the angle it's layed down..parallel (even on curves) with the stripe, not away to one side or the other. You can let it set for, again, at least 1/2 hr. before removing it. It'll still be pliable. You don't want to do it while it's still wet. The paint might come off the tape your pulling and stick to the fresh stripe. Tacky is OK, but not wet. You want to be able to brush it off if it goes somewhere it's not supposed to. If the paint is too fresh, you can't do that. Patience, my friend, patience. At this stage of the game you don't want to have to redo the base color or the stripes because you were in too much of a hurry to get it all done at one session.

Ok cool, that does make sense...

I was hoping to stick with all the painting in one day as I was sure that was the best way to do it. As in base colour, wait, mask, top colour, flash coat, clear. Is it safe to leave the colours over night and do the clear the next day? Just tack cloth over it before starting?

I want to take it careful and be patient for sure and I'm going to do everything in my power to not hurry...

[nvr2old]

I don't know, Pete...I would wait for, at the very least, a few hrs. before you lay any kind of tape down on fresh paint. It really needs to dry for awhile. If it's too fresh, it'll leave a mark, or even worse, might lift the maroon off. Fineline tape is plastic and will stick really well with just the pressure applied by your fingertips and leave a nice crisp edge, that's it's purpose. You always seem to have to lay tape down and "adjust" it several times to get it right, so you want the base color to be dry before applying, pulling, and reapplying the Fineline tape. Spray the white on pretty dry in several light coats (just enough to cover) and you won't have a bleeding problem. Bleeding only happens when it's sprayed too wet. You also really need to pull it off at the angle it's layed down..parallel (even on curves) with the stripe, not away to one side or the other. You can let it set for, again, at least 1/2 hr. before removing it. It'll still be pliable. You don't want to do it while it's still wet. The paint might come off the tape your pulling and stick to the fresh stripe. Tacky is OK, but not wet. You want to be able to brush it off if it goes somewhere it's not supposed to. If the paint is too fresh, you can't do that. Patience, my friend, patience. At this stage of the game you don't want to have to redo the base color or the stripes because you were in too much of a hurry to get it all done at one session.

[pete]

Pete, be careful with the pinstriping tape if the main(maroon) coat has only been on for 4-5 hours,it's designed to stay where it is placed therefore will tear any paint not fully cured ie. 24-36 hours old,the only other thing I can suggest is getting a stoppers rubber(this is a piece of 4-6mm thick rubber sheet used for putting on a fine filler that takes out scratches and imperfections in body filler).Put your beige masking tape on the place that you want masked, then apply pressure from the OUTSIDE of the edge inwards to remove any air bubbles(I will get a few sketches done and put up here if I can-it makes describing this easier for me) if you paint the white first and when you go to remove the masking don't pull the tape straight off take it off AWAY from the freshly painted edge, this lessens the chance of the edge tearing.hope this helps not confuses you!.Johnny

Hmm ok... I am a little confused... but mainly because I was going to leave the maroon to sit for tape time only which is 20 - 45 min's.

The fine line tape I saw I thought was masking tape, but I did walk straight past so didn't read the packet...

I think I get what you mean about the bubbles though. Push the bubbles away from the edge that you don't want to bleed.

White is going over maroon so I'm masking the left and right sides of the tank and the centre strip to stop the white bleeding into the maroon. On the left side, push the bubbles left, right vice versa, and centre push each side towards the centre. Did I get that right?

And while the paint's still wet, take the tape off but make sure to take it from the side I pushed the bubbles away from...

Pete, be careful with the pinstriping tape if the main(maroon) coat has only been on for 4-5 hours,it's designed to stay where it is placed therefore will tear any paint not fully cured ie. 24-36 hours old,the only other thing I can suggest is getting a stoppers rubber(this is a piece of 4-6mm thick rubber sheet used for putting on a fine filler that takes out scratches and imperfections in body filler).Put your beige masking tape on the place that you want masked, then apply pressure from the OUTSIDE of the edge inwards to remove any air bubbles(I will get a few sketches done and put up here if I can-it makes describing this easier for me) if you paint the white first and when you go to remove the masking don't pull the tape straight off take it off AWAY from the freshly painted edge, this lessens the chance of the edge tearing.hope this helps not confuses you!.Johnny

[pete]

It's worked well for me the past 30+ years. no reason to doubt it wouldn't work for you as well.

Haha I had no doubt in the idea Dale, my ability is a different story though... haha

I'm real glad it's working out now though, I really hate the thought of it cracking because of that putty after doing all the paint and having to start again... that would really have gotten my goat!

I'm hitting the sack in a minute because I want to get up nice and early tomorrow and take care of what I need to take care of so I can get stuck into the sanding and body filling...

[rustybronco]

I didn't get to start sanding the tail piece tonight but the fibreglass concoction certainly seems to have done the trick Dale.

It's worked well for me the past 30+ years. no reason to doubt it wouldn't work for you as well.

[pete]

Somethings to remember: Primer will fill a scratch left by 380 grit paper, paint will fill a 800 grit scratch.

Wash a prep all surfaces with a dewaxer/greaser and prime all surfaces, evenr the old paint.

Buy a polisher and good polishes to get rid of the orange peel and dust.

Cool, I shall remember

Everything's definitely being primed and I'll be stripping the tank paint as well.

I have an angle grinder with polishing pads and I haven't gotten polish yet partially on purpose so I can leave it for the two days without being tempted to touch it... that's also why I haven't gotten some of the really fine sand paper too

I didn't get to start sanding the tail piece tonight but the fibreglass concoction certainly seems to have done the trick Dale.

Somethings to remember: Primer will fill a scratch left by 380 grit paper, paint will fill a 800 grit scratch.

Wash a prep all surfaces with a dewaxer/greaser and prime all surfaces, evenr the old paint.

Buy a polisher and good polishes to get rid of the orange peel and dust.

[pete]

I've some fineline tape, but I don't think it will make it in time if I mailed it.

Feel free to picture me slapping myself upside the head... walked straight past the fine line tape beside the body filler in the auto shop yesterday...

Plenty of time for me to buy it still

[rustybronco]

I've some fineline tape, but I don't think it will make it in time if I mailed it.