Topic: more paint talk... less traditional processes

[heffay]

don't try to talk me out of it  because i'm pretty convinced, that with my slight of hand and practice w/ my house spraying rig, i could paint auto/bike parts.  it atomizes the paint just like it should, it doesn't seem to lay down paint much differently than auto/bike guns... i simply am asking for suggestions on paint.

i have little experience w/ quality auto paint and need a thick paint (i can thin it if needed), hopefully self leveling, fuel resistant.  i can spray oil based so that's not so much of a problem. 

maybe that brush on stuff?  was that dupont?

[Caaveman82]

I refinish aluminum wheels. We strip them all the way down and repaint them using auto paint. I used the stuff to paint my bike and it worked really good. The company we get our paint from is called Sikkens. I don't know if they distribute out there or not. They are however the best quality for the money.

If you need any tips for prepping the metal I can share with you some secrets we use to make your paint job go the extra mile.

[heffay]

checking over the website now....
were any qualities of the paint what i'm looking for?  what rig were you using?



here's my rig.    http://magnum.graco.com/products/M_Pages.nsf/Webpages/0MagnumXR7

if you've ever been to home depot, you've most likely seen it.   



secrets are welcome here.   

[heffay]

i think i'll need a shorter hose.   

[Grumpol]

Its a little different and takes a little longer but its cheap as chips

http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/50dollarpaint.html

[heffay]

great site... and the car's not bad either.   

[alltherightpills]

I'm gonna try and talk you out of it anyway...

I think you might want to go get a hvlp sprayer rather than try and use that thing.  But if you are hell bent on yer graco, find a small tip like a 3.14 or a 4.12 and mess with the pressure to get your spray pattern down right.  I would also use new tips so that if you get lines, you know it's your fault and not a sh!tty tip.   Those sprayers are just too powerful for detail work.  Hell, when we have to paint trim or stain and varnish doors or cabinets, we use a hvlp sprayer because all of our airless sprayers are too inconsistent and unruly for painting stuff where the finish matters.    And painting trim is much more forgiving than painting metal. 

Just my professional house painterly opinion

[heffay]

i have one... this is an experiment which is why you're not gonna talk me out of it.   

[heffay]

i want to be the one on here that finally went against all odds and either comes back w/ good results or bad results, i don't really care... its just i haven't found anyone that has actually tried it. 

i'd rather have the experience than only an opinion, ya know?  i've always recommended against it too, but i think it can be done with the right paint.  prep work/finish work will most likely be what makes or breaks it, i think.

[alltherightpills]

Do it to it then, pilgrim.  And let us know how it works out.  I am not sure what kind of paint you should use though.  It almost seems like you will need to use some sort of industrial paint rather than automotive paint (I'm not sure if auto paint is designed to be used airlessly.)  Sherwin Williams has a whole line of industrial enamels that work pretty well.  We've used direct-to-metal (DTM) paint before when painting gutters and other random metal things and it seems like its pretty bomb proof.  Whatever you do decide to use, you will need a lot of it because those hoses hold over a quart of paint.  Because it is an airless sprayer, I would be concerned about being able to do light enough coats and whether the paint will sag or run.  Spitting is a problem with those guns, so make sure all of your seals and orings are in good shape. 

I also changed my mind about the tip sizes.  I think you would want a wide spray pattern, but small bore.  The Graco RAC X fine finish 6.08 tip would work well.  That way you have fewer overlaps.

Maybe some of the automotive guys can chime in with paint options. 

[heffay]

those are good suggestions and you're experienced input is helpful.
a wider pattern will apply less paint which, ultimately, is what we're after here... at least w/ this type of machine.
the fuel resistant paint is the major problem... i just won't paint something to have it get destroyed instantly w/ a minor slip at the pump.

[Caaveman82]

We have a pretty spendy set up...

Best results will be high pressure low spray...

I have repainted my entire Honda (Del Sol, not the bike, bike too but that's not what I'm talking about, shut up, no you shut up..) using our paint here at work and it turned out just fine...

What all are you trying to paint?

[Rocking-M]

If you want to give it a try Hef pick up a pint of Omni Coat paint from a DuPont paint dealer (automotive).
It's one of there lower lines and not as expensive. You'll want to use a base coat clear which is highly resistant
to gas. I would think your house rig would spray the base coat fine but he clear might give you a problem.

You'll want to spray it wet, just to the point of running it. If you end up with a bit of orange peal you
can always wet sand (colour sand) and then buff it out slick.