Painting for Beginners

[John_B]

One of the skills I'd love to have a go at and try to develop some mildly passable skills with is automotive painting. I've done the odd part here and there with a rattle can, like wing mirror covers and bases, but I have never attempted a panel, let alone a full car, and never with a proper spray gun! However a few stars have aligned and I feel like it's time to get my hands on some equipment and give it a bash.

I saw a photo of a Z3 at the weekend from the states, who've gone for a slightly yellower hue of British racing green, and my jaw hit the floor. But sadly I'm lacking the £2-3k burning a hole in my pocket to pay for a bodyshop to do it for me. Additionally I'm not sure I could justify spending that on a 180k mile 1.9 However I have the enthusiasm, the willingness to learn and a recently cleared out garage that is a few dust sheets away from being a lovely little temporary paint booth. Oh, and a couple of old wing panels to practice on!

My question to the lovely Z family folk is are there any recommendations for specific equipment that are going to be suitable for a novice to learn on, but capable of producing a passable end results, preferably without breaking the bank. Or if not specific brands/models, what sort of features/specifications should I be looking for? I expect that my best 'bang for buck' will be to look for second hand equipment from someone who is upgrading, rather than new.

(I feel it is worth clarifying that I am fully expecting to be this Z3's final owner, I do not care about resale value and I am not going to be entering it into any shows. I said from Day 0 that this was my project to learn new skills with and not be afraid to try stuff with)

Thanks!

 

[mikeyH]

The best of luck to you, I wish I was brave enough to give it a go as this is something I have also wished I had learnt to do

 

[ExMX5owner]

Painting is not difficult with the right equipment, a passable result should be within you capability, If you did ok with a rattle can, keeping a wet edge with a spray gun is way easier. Compressor capacity 1st thing, enough cfm to keep up with the gun your using. Low volume low pressure, or LVLP. saves on compressor size. Clean air too no oil in it from the compressor. I have heard good things about advancements in airless, though never used it. But preparation is everything, you'll spend far more time prepping and masking up than you will actually painting. A good space to work in with good light, and no air pollutants including bugs, that love to land on your final clearcoat.. . And of course practice on the wife's car first, even if it doesn't need it...

 

[John_B]

Thanks MX5! Some good info there to consider when I'm looking for equipment.

The wife has a Nissan Navara, so plenty of surface area to practice on...

 

[Brian James]

Apart from the technical aspects concerning the preparation and the painting itself, I would advise not to underestimate the toxicity of the chemicals you will be using.
I am willing to be corrected on this point, but I understand that paints contain isocyanates which can severely damage one's lungs and in severe cases kill you. There is also the flammibility aspect to be considered if one then used more traditional paints (God forbid) such as "cellulose"

Please do not interpret my comments as scaremongering, its just that I wanted to do the same some years ago but refrained simply because of the safe working practices that have to be in place which of course adds up to the cost. The capital cost does not diminish if its a "one off jobbie" but of course does so when one tackles further projects (as the capital outlay can be spread over such jobs).

If you can, I would seek out a technical course at your local education authority or seek professional advice from a good paint supplier or alternatively pay a person (privately) who is experienced in such matters and ideally teaches the subject.

 

[ExMX5owner]

Of course as Brian mentioned, proper PPE, is a gimme, Disposable overalls are good, and a good respirator with the appropriate filters. That information is or should be on the paint and solvents MSDS, as is info on flammability risks. But none of it is prohibitively expensive given the cost of paying someone else to do it, and your keen to give it a go.. Safety first as Brian said..
Nothing more satisfying that doing a good job yourself, and saving a few quid doing it. Nobody seems to do anything for themselves anymore, my first car a Mk1 Cortina, came with a manual that showed me how to adjust the tappets, Now you get a little booklet telling you not to drink the contents of your battery, and how to unlock the glove box..

 

[John_B]

Please do not interpret my comments as scaremongering...

Not at all, I appreciate the advice, thank you A technical course is a really great shout, I'll definitely look into that

 

[Zephyr]

In all seriousnes, roll painting worked like a charm for me.
Sanded an entire Mercedes hood, applied primer with a spray can, waited two days, sanded again and then roll painted with a quarter of automotive paint, sanded with a 2000, waited two days, cleaned, let dry, wipe and sprayed thick clearcoat two times.
Sanded with 800-1000-2000-3000 and then buffed with 3M Fast Cut and Perfect-It.
It may be more expensive than a spray job and takes time to sand and buff, but you can correct any runs, drips, bugs, hair or whatever sticks to the paint and have a deep glossy result.
but again, that was my wifes thirty year old car. Would never try it on my new one.

 

[the Nefyn cat]

And of course practice on the wife's car first, even if it doesn't need it...

Oh goodie, another chance to wheel it out.

 

[DomiMik]

Painting is not difficult with the right equipment, a passable result should be within you capability, If you did ok with a rattle can, keeping a wet edge with a spray gun is way easier. Compressor capacity 1st thing, enough cfm to keep up with the gun your using. Low volume low pressure, or LVLP. saves on compressor size. Clean air too no oil in it from the compressor. I have heard good things about advancements in airless, though never used it. But preparation is everything, you'll spend far more time prepping and masking up than you will actually painting. A good space to work in with good light, and no air pollutants including bugs, that love to land on your final clearcoat.. . And of course practice on the wife's car first, even if it doesn't need it...

Great write-up
I can recommend Devilbiss paint guns for the beginning, they offer a good value for the money. Also I would buy only decent equipment; good quality masking tape, sanding paper, primer, lacquer and so on. Maybe you can save a couple of £s when buying cheap stuff, but as the painting itself will only take several minutes while you will spend hours for preparation, working with cheap stuff will cost you nerves.