Wanting to paint my car myself

[CyborgGT]

So my car's got several panels that need re-painting. Not only would I love to save a ton of money, but this is a skill I'd very much like to develop. I know I'd get use out of it well beyond this particular project. I'm thinking I'll start small with the equipment and steadily work my way up to 'the real stuff.'

Sanding and bondo I think I'm comfortable enough with, I think I have a good eye for detail, and I'm extremely patient. I'd have a body shop pull major dents for me for now, then do as much else as possible by myself. I've gotten pretty good at laying down even coats with rattle cans on small pieces, improving each time...







But there's no way that's going to look good on something as large and flat as a car door. While doing a quick search in DIYs, I found this:

http://www.eastwood.com/earlex-hvlp-...00-system.html



About Earlex HVLP Turbine 5500 System

The new Earlex Spray Station 5500 is the choice of tradesmen & serious DIY enthusiasts. Completely redesigned with improved atomization, more CFM, more PSI and increased air flow. Simply plug in the unit, fill the cup with almost any type of paint, select your flow, fan orientation & spray width (up to12"), and start painting! The HVLP gun sprays lacquers, enamels, urethanes,high build primers, & more. Features a powerful 650w tapered fan turbine motor delivering 42 cfm for a even spray pattern, Teflon coated cup, 2.0mm stainless steel needle/nozzle set, 13' air hose, 5' 6" power

Contents
Model 5500 Earle Spray Station

Accessories
51390 C 1.5 Fluid Needle
51390 D 2.0 Fluid Needle51390 E 2.5 Fluid Needle
51390 F Complete Spray Gun
51390 G Spare Parts kit

For the moment, this is what I'm wondering: does anyone happen to have experience with an all-in-one unit like this? I guess this one's got an air drying system built-in. Being budget-minded, it looks like a good way to start out, getting practice on larger surfaces, before investing in compressor tanks, air guns, etc.

[cb9love]

I'm not going to tell you not to get the all-in-one system, are you not doing a full rebuild on your project?
Getting a air compressor will give you the option of getting air tools. Air sanders, air grinders, air impact, well the list goes on and on.
The air guns are pretty cheap at least you can get cheap ones at harbor freight.
maybe like this
http://www.harborfreight.com/17-gal-...sor-68066.html
and this
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-pc-pr...kit-60239.html

[CyborgGT]

That is very true, I didn't think of the other tools. I've been relying so much on power tools until now. Drills, impact gun, angle grinder... dremel, lol. I guess my main worry with air tools has always been that I would need a huge compressor for proper automotive use. And now, looking through Harbor Freight, that all-in-one's kinda pricey for just doing one job.

Have you used HF spray guns before? Guns in general seem to get pretty expensive, and I don't usually go HF unless I'm in the middle of a job and need something immediately. I do remember once watching a TV show or something where the guy made a point of using a gun with a two-stage trigger, for air then paint... I need to read up on the terminology.

Looking at some different guns on Eastwood, I can't tell if gun tips can be swapped out or if you need different gun designs for primer/base, paint, and clear coats. See, this is what I was thinking. If I want to at least match a Maaco-on-a-good-day finish, I have to spend just as much on equipment before I even get to the liquids. Future versatility, I suppose.

[deevergote]

I've been interested in this myself. My own plan was economical and low-risk, though most people tend to laugh at the idea: Plastidip.

DipYourCar.com offers a package for under $500 that includes a spray gun (electric), enough paint for an entire car, and most of the extra tools you'd need (such as a drill-mounted stirring thing.)
For $500, the cost of a decent respirator, plus maybe $50 in tarps and poles to create a makeshift outdoor paint booth (to keep wind at bay, and prevent debris from landing on my freshly painted panels), it seems like a good option.
Plus the little stuff... masking tape, trash bags, razor blades...

My choice of Plastidip isn't due to the fact that it's the trendy thing right now, but due to the fact that it's temporary. It's a good medium for learning, because you can undo your mistakes. You can practice your technique without doing anything permanent.
With paint, if you do a crap job, you have to sand it down before you can paint over it, or it'll show through. With Plastidip, just put enough coats on, and you can just peel it right off once it dries.

It might be worth considering. You could always sell off the equipment when the time comes to upgrade, as it's not high-end gear. However, all of the cars featured on the DYC website are painted using the spray gun included in that kit. The guys are professionals, so they have the necessary skill... but the results are incredible. IMO, there's no need for "better" equipment if your skill level doesn't exceed the limitations of the cheaper stuff!

[CyborgGT]

A friend messes around a bit with Plastidip, I can't say I'm a fan. It looks alright from a distance, but I'm after the quality and finish of paint. Even their Glossifier looks too dull for what I want. To get practice and experimentation, I'm thinking I could grab a few body panels of varying styles from a junkyard, before moving on to my car when I think I'm ready.

Picked up a book today though (sure the info's free on the internet, but I love having a book in my hand, lol!). Looks to have very detailed info on everything related to the job.

[lbus9168]

Mike,

In my experience painting items I've found plastidip is actually applied a lot different to paint. Whilst it may give you an okay basis on the actual painting, I think sprwypainting a bike or two would teach you the same amount.

If it was me, I'd get the compressor, do it properly, but I'd start by painting test panels. If you can, pick up a spare quarter panel from a junk yard. I'd get a cb accord one so that I know the shape.

Then, beat it up.

Then using techniques you can easily find on the internet, straighten it and paint it in a desired colour. That would be a good way to practice I.m.o.

Just my .2c

[Theos92VR4]

compressor and hplv gun for sure. You can actually get a pretty decent gun at the home depot for around $50. Compressor is around 3-400 but as others have said you can use it for several things, not just painting.

[deevergote]

If you go the compressor route, get something that is decently sized. My friend has a little pancake compressor that isn't good for much more than filling tires. You definitely don't want the air pressure to drop while painting!
Get the largest compressor you can afford and store. It'll be worth the investment, especially since it'd be good for other things as well, as mentioned.

I wasn't suggesting Plastidip as a final product. It's cool enough for a temporary color change, or to get creative... but definitely not a replacement for paint (though they've gotten it pretty damn close... This is plastidip, believe it or not. Though results like that, while possible with the kit you can purchase from DYC, will require near-professional levels of skill. Fonzie from DYC says so quite candidly in the video displaying Plastidip's new high gloss option.)
My reason for suggesting it was mainly just to get accustomed to using a paint sprayer... getting used to the nozzle settings, getting used to the weight of the sprayer, getting used to making smooth passes while maintaining a consistent distance. Plastidip isn't a paint replacement, but the fact that it's removable makes it a very good learning medium.

My own car has been painted twice by Maaco, and there is now buildup in some areas that will need to be removed if I ever paint again.
Plastidip would give you an affordable, non-permanent way to learn the mechanics of painting, and to practice doing it, without leaving yourself with a good deal of extra work between practice runs. Unless you feel you'll be able to get it right the first time, after only practicing on scraps and such (I know I wouldn't feel confident of that myself...)

[cp[mike]]

find somebody whos car has body damage and offer to paint it. i had my brother's GF buy parts and paint, and I did the labor, mainly using it as practice wasn't perfect, but she was happy, and i got the experience.

[CyborgGT]

Actually, a friend's got an Explorer that could use some attention and I'm sure he'd love a cheap paint job if it turns out I'm good at this. Still, I'd screw up on my own car before I let myself do it to someone else's.

Basing a purchase off what I can "afford" is tricky. I refuse to get a credit card because I don't mind taking the time to save up; theoretically I can wait quite a while if I really wanted a compressor that would take up an entire corner of the garage.

I've been trying to find compressors and guns that compliment each other without having to go for a stationary 60gal tank right away (it looks like that's the only way to get the needed cfm for a quality gun, and I'm on rented property right now). Mobile tanks around 30gal can provide up to about 7cfm, but the horsepower's only about 1.5 - how important is the hp? Does it only affect how quickly it refills the tank? Because I don't think I'd mind having to stop for a minute every now and then to let it recharge. My book mentions a 5hp/35gal tank as an 'appropriate' example for hobbyist-level painting compared to a relatively useless 5hp/20gal, but I'm just not seeing any mobile-sized tanks with that power output.

[lbus9168]

To my understanding, the HP is how quickly your compressor recharges, and the size is how much it'll hold.

A fast compressor on a small tank may even give similar results to a slow compressor on a big tank.

Realistically, the best setup would be a large tank with a motor that can recharge at the same rate or higher than your use, or at least close to it.
Figure out how much your gun uses, and see if you can match your compressor to supply that. Most paint guns require loads of air, and you will need to get a pretty good compressor to do it. Waiting around for your compressor I'd the worst thing for painting I.m.o.

Also mike re: plastidip, totally understand your view, I just reckon its worth learning to just straight up paint and the in remove it using sandpaper hahaha.

[CyborgGT]

Eastwood's Concours HVLP gun is interesting at 4cfm/29psi. The reviews I'm seeing around hot rod forums are mixed though. Think it might be worth a shot, since a typical 30ish gal tank provides more than enough cfm and psi.

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-concours-...ps-2-cups.html

[lbus9168]

For what you want to do, that gun looks spot on.

[KeeleDesign]

do it

[Raf99]

I am in the same boat. I went out and bought a gun, pressure gauge, filters, and other little items. The compressor I have is a small 5 gallon compressor like this. I don't think it will work well for painting a whole car, but I do want to try to paint the acura front bumper.

But I have yet to test my setup out. I don't have the room in the garage to use it and outside is now 32F outside and dropping lower each day I can't do it outside either. I'm thinking I'll buy a roll of plastic and make a room with a window or vent to the outside may do the trick.