Topic: spray painting (no rattlecans)

[rbmgf7]

i'm painting the tank on my current project using my cheap chinese $40 hvlp gun from grizzly and leftover paint from another bike. the color is just plain black and it's the dupont centauri acryl. enamel monocoat. i've already primered the tank, wet sanded the primer, and laid down a single coat. the finish came out not so great as i had some prange peel action going on throughout. i went back and wetsanded the coat until the orange peel was gone.

my question is, with this monocoat stuff, can you lay another layer of paint on top of an existing layer or do i have to primer and try again?

also, i'm sure a wetsanding is in order once i lay my final coat. but when i sand it, it leaves a satin finish. will polishing with polishing compund bring back the luster? i've read the rattlecan posts but i don't know if this acryl. enamel will react the same as the rustoleum enamel.

i bought the stuff from o'reilly's and they're closed and so are all the local paint shops. i've tried talking to the paint shops around here before but they're too stuck up to try and give any help. they look at me like some dumb kid who has no clue what to do (of course, that's why i come to you and asked for help).

thanks

[strangedaze39]

There shouldn't be a problem spraying over the monocoat paint, it actually sounds like a really bad invention    Just rough the monocoat layer up like normal and it should be fine.

Just so I understand this right, monocoat paint is meant to be used for a one coat job?

Most good paint jobs involve MANY layers so it just mind boggling to see why they have monocoat paints like that.

[CBGhia]

Just lay another coat, then wetsand the roughness out and spray one more.  After the 3rd coat, you should be able to wet sand then polish to a pretty good shine.   Single stage will never shine like a good base coat clear coat will, but you should be able to get a pretty decent shine out of it

[rbmgf7]

the monocoat (single stage) means it's just paint. not like two stage where it's the base coat then a top or clear coat. the monocoat has hardener (well, you add the hardener) make it shiny and appear like it has clear coat once it cures.

i'm just not sure if it's safe to lay another coat on and existing layer once the paint is fully cured.

it's pretty good stuff. held up great on my first tank and pretty hard stuff. really resistant to gasoline except around the filler neck. if you have the layered edge inside the cap seap, vapors start to creap into the paint and release it from the tank. just need to be carefull when filling up not to splash gas all over the edge of the paint.

[rbmgf7]

Just lay another coat, then wetsand the roughness out and spray one more.  After the 3rd coat, you should be able to wet sand then polish to a pretty good shine.   Single stage will never shine like a good base coat clear coat will, but you should be able to get a pretty decent shine out of it

awesome, thanks. i'll get right to it.

[greenjeans]

single stage black paint will look good.....
After  you do your final wet sand  w/ 1000 or 1200 grit,  go find some 3M finess-it  rubbing compound and a foam dimpled
polisher (kinda looks like a small egg crate) that will go into an electric drill  (about 1700 rpms or so)  and have at it.   You can usually find them at most auto parts stores.  They are easier to work with than the fuzzy / wool bonnets etc.
It will polish it up to a mirror finish.
You can sometimes find the 3M stuff at Wal-mart or some auto parts stores.   Pretty much every body shop supply house will have it.   If it has a hardener (pretty sure it should) you should be able to wet sand it with some 600 and respray.    Then after it's cured you can hit it with the 600, 800 and 1200 before polishing with the 3M.
Good thing about black...it WILL polish up.  Make sure you use a small rubber block when sanding and take your time.  Black shows imperfections more than any other paint, but it sure looks good when polished.
Most of the show cars that are black are single stage paints - you can get a deeper color with single stage blacks

[rbmgf7]

thanks green. that's the info i needed.

i almost had it right with this second coat. once you figure out the mix, gun, and tecnique, it'll get a little easier. with this stuff you have to lay it down thick enough to get a nice flat finish, but not too much when it'll start to run. too little and it'll orange peel.

this stuff is real hard when cured, i was using 320 on a finishing sander and the paint was giving that hell.

i have the foam dimple disc you refered to. found it lying around and wondered what the heck this would be good for.

third times the charm 

[wildcatmahone]

give her a sand down with 600 grit wet and dry to smoothen out that orange peel but before the next spray give it a generous wipe with mineral spirits or acetone to remove any grease remaining that acrylic enamel doesnt like grease  . Should be ok to lay down a couple more coats, especially if you want a deep gloss you really need to. Once you have layed down your final coat let it dry per the instructions times that by two and your ready to sand with 1500 grit. Look out for the low spots they will still be glossy while you dull the tank with the 1500 grit also make sure you have a good light to work with sunlight is best. Keep sanding till the glossy spots are gone then you can be sure you have a smooth surface. I used the 3M system on my tank it came out unbelievable here's what you need to get it looking like glass use from left to right...good luck!