my work w/spray gun...

[VanishingImage]

Well some might know I just bought a new spray gun,well I started primering my passenger side side-skirt....Use Dupont Hi-Build primer,its a 2 part epoxy,fills in and creates a nice clean surface......Dad took a pic while I was working.Also have a few pics of the side skirt after I was done,pretty pleased with the turn out,not too much trouble with the gun and seemed pretty easy to get a good feel for it.

[VanishingImage]

pics of the side skirt primered...

[VanishingImage]

#2...

[VanishingImage]

and last,#3.....

[nice96gt]

Looks good from the pics so far. Did you find it hard to get an even coat? I know it's just the primer so if you botch it up a little bit no big deal compared to the base and clear. Just wondering... :)

[VanishingImage]

Thats the thing with this primer,you could get a little too much,not a whole lot,but some and it wouldn't run.I'll have to practice between now and next weekend when I put on the color.Using a single stage paint,has base and clear mixed in.I really didn't have much trouble at all with it,I did notice that there wasn't a lot of paint but figured out I was squeezing down on the trigger all the way:lol:

[nice96gt]

lol...well you gotta learn somehow. :lol: Glad you picked it up though. I wish I had the time to pick up painting on the side. Can't wait to see pics of the final product...good luck!

[VanishingImage]

Weekends,I don't work on the weekends so its plenty of time to pick up something.....Its definately something that has grabbed my interest and seems to have me stuck to it....Im hoping the finished project comes out as easy as the primer did:)

[JoeyK]

What kind of gun did you get?

[Artic]

check this link it tell ya :) http://www.gaownersclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=32904

[JoeyK]

Ahh, ok. That'll do for a novice. Atleast is HVLP which is almost a must for metalics. I can lay metalics w/ a conventional but it's a b**ch compaired to an HVLP. Looks like his paint is white so that helps too. Not only is it solid color but it's also "hide-all-white!":D

[VanishingImage]

Gotta love white cars:D I just hope I can do a good enough job and not end up doing it twice,but thats the whole fact of me doing it,practicing and learning how to do it,it can always be sanded back down and start all over:(

[Pte Socks]

Thats cool.. how much did the gun cost you? Ive been doing some work on my ga. I have rust problems but my biggest hardship is trying to find paint that matches the rest of my car. The code isnt exactly right and the stuff I get in cans seem a bit to "silvery" as in it sparkles too much, any ideas?

[JoeyK]

Do you have WA U 519F for a paint code?

[Pte Socks]

nope, my code is WA 331D. hmmm.. maybe thats my problem.

[JoeyK]

I'll look it up tomorrow if I get a chance to make sure it's the right code for silver in '99. Never know, could be wrong. I went to paint a gold buick the other day & it had the 519F code. The factory screws up every now & then when they print those labels. I'd say I run accross 1 a week, some because of the parts the code was affixed to were from a donor car & some becuase of factory mistakes.

[VanishingImage]

Originally posted by Neo-Blue99GASE
Thats cool.. how much did the gun cost you? Ive been doing some work on my ga. I have rust problems but my biggest hardship is trying to find paint that matches the rest of my car. The code isnt exactly right and the stuff I get in cans seem a bit to "silvery" as in it sparkles too much, any ideas?

The gun ran me around 120 bucks:) But of course theres a sh!t load of them out there that range from 100 to like 500 bucks,prolly more but I stopped looking when I saw the 500,lol.

[JoeyK]

lol,... yes,.. alot more. One of mine run around $750 & the other $900 I also have various others @ various prices.

[Pte Socks]

Anything new on that paint code there JoeyK?

[Pte Socks]

Hmm im curious? What comes with the gun? And what would I need to do some of the work that you have done? (like would I need an air compressor, filters, what type of nozzles?, etc)

[JoeyK]

Originally posted by Neo-Blue99GASE
Anything new on that paint code there JoeyK?

Ahhhh, yes! glad you posted. I lost track of where this thread was.:banghead:

1st off, silver is one of the hardest colors to match properly, mainly becuase of the varying metalic content.
2ndly, spray cans never are accurate.
So in closeing I recommend going with an hvlp gun & a good paint brand like Dupont or PPG,... PPG also owns ICI which is usually a bit cheaper but is pretty much the same quality & of the same tinting system.
Keep this in mind when going to a local supply for paint; there are 4 different variations for WA 331D Silvermist.
1- Prime the on (target example of that color)
2-B (Bluer shade)
3- L (Lighter flop) [ Flop means the degree of color change at various angles]
4- G (greyer shade)

Have your supplier get the color chip book out & compare to your paint, mainly around the area(s) you intend to apply the paint becuase you never know, your car may have had a partial repaint & blended at one time or another so what might match on one area of your car might not on another area. Pay particular attention to the comparison at varying angles. what might look great dead on might look lighter or darker off to the side (This is generally called flop) Then if/when you do have paint mixed for you spray a small piece of metal or something that will not absorb the paint itself to compare to your car. It's not uncommon for a supplier to be off the mark when mixing it, some are careless. Your color has 3 different metallics tints in it. which is pretty much 3 different sizes of metal flakes to each of those tints. You have "bright shining aluminum" which is a very fine metal flake, "Med. fine" which is what it says, a standrd silver medium sized metal flake content & "Graphite flake" which is close to the Med. fine but is a darker metal flake. & even then there are 2 other ingredients that can greatly effect the color if they don't mix it correctly- "Tone controller" which is like a binding agent & ensures a stable, uniform color & "Flip controller" which helps keep the metal flakes on end, which is how metalcs are supposed to lay. If they lay down you'll get a darker tone & have a mottled or spotty, splotchy appearence. (There's several other tints in it also, /"Goldflash", "Transoxide yellow", & "Blue/violot".)

So when they mix it if it says lets say 140 grams (This is a example figure/ I didn't take note on the measurments) of Bright shining aluminum that's exactly what it takes more than .02 grams under or over on any one of these tints will effect the color so mixing is important & you wanna check a test spray before you use a $60 quart & then later find out it's off. (Did I mention silvers aren't the cheapest color in the world?)

Then when you go to spray make sure you follow the directions, the amount of air pressure, application distance & technique & even the temp & humidity can effect things.

So there's the low down on Silvermist, let me know if you need any more help!:)

[Pte Socks]

Hehe well it looks like quite a bit of work. Ill have to do some learning on the painting idea and get back to you. That, or just take it in to repaint my front and rear bumpers. Ill end up repainting my entire car anyways ( with 170, 000 kms on it, it definatly has some wear and tear on it ). Thx for all the advice though, ill have to keep this all in mind and start looking around for shops that can give me what I need.