Probably gonna start painting tomorrow (equipment list)

[Pookster]

Got my:
Spray gun: Sharpe Finex, HPLV 1.4mm tip, gravity fed
Paint: PPG Deltron DBU Universal basecoat (the website says I should use DRR Reactive Reducer) and one of these clear coats http://www.ppg.com/refinishftpsite/docs/p-152.pdf

Its a good thing I didnt start painting, because i would have not only screwd my paint (with the wrong reducer) but also would have wasted paint by not having the clear coat handy.

Any comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I guess tomorrow is a "make sure bondo and primer are done" day!

 

[ryoken]

most reducers for a given style of product will be very similar... but it is best to use whats reccomended.. not to say i haven't done it in a pinch at work... it evaporates out of the paint anyway...

one little tidbit, its good to make sure all your substrate (bondo, primer, etc) are fully cured.. if not, once it all dries in, you'll have sandscratchs showing thru...

and sure, lessons are available. /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif

 

[Pookster]

Eggcelent- let me know when. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I like Coors Personally. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Yeah, the primer and bondos cured. About 5 months. Lol. I have to touch up a few areas, there's only one area thats not so good, and thats cause I took a short cut (I lazied out on doing more metal work).

I got my own protective equipment (Organic vapor mask).

 

[JK5]

I hope you plan on using the reactive reducer...
DBU is a different kind of color...
in that it requires a hardener in the reducer.
The hardener in the reducer...helps lock-in the color...
so...the clear doesn't move the metalics around..

So...don't try experimenting with this product...
because you will just make a mess.

Years ago...I tried mixing some DT 870 reducer...
and with some DAU 2 hardener...
it worked in a pinch...

 

[Pookster]

Reactive reducer it is!

Here's another question- I know the reducer is just supposed to be the medium of which to spray the paint-
and that you should get several good coats-

The question is, I dont have enough time/space to spray everything at once- I can probably do about 50% at a time.

Is it ok to mix batches seperately? my thought is, since the reducer evaporates anyways, its really the original paint color which stays, it doesnt matter if one drips 8 times or 10 times a second.

Is this incorrect thinking?

 

[JK5]

[ QUOTE ]
The question is, I dont have enough time/space to spray everything at once- I can probably do about 50% at a time.


[/ QUOTE ]

In that case...
I'd spray a side at a time..
color coat and clear...lay some plastic over that...
then spray the other side...
and maybe spray the hood off the vehicle...
I've had to do something like that myself. /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Is it ok to mix batches seperately? my thought is, since the reducer evaporates anyways, its really the original paint color which stays, it doesnt matter if one drips 8 times or 10 times a second.


[/ QUOTE ]

Well...
Be carefull with mixing batches..
Mixing reactive reducer into the color...
starts a hardening process...
mix only what you are going to use that day...
DBU...mixed with DRR reactive reducer has a 24 hour pot life.. (Depending on temp maybe less)

Also be carefull with the mixing stick...
it's easy to contaminate a fresh gallon of color..
I've seen a whole gallon gel-up.

What color are you spraying???
Reds can be rough to get coverage..
It's sometimes it's important to use a colored sealer...
to get good hiding..

What clear???

 

[ryoken]

just to add to JK's post...

keep in mind, be consistent with your reduction with your basecoat and clear if doing it in batchs.. difference in clear will affect orange peel. and basecoat can vary color with different reductions, more of a product of how the color lays out than anything else, especially metallics...

different spray techniques, ie speed, distance, etc, can vary all that too...

 

[Pookster]

thanks JK & Ryoken. Ok, here's my steps so far.

I went to the autobody store- Got the Reactive reducer, a mid grade clear coat, and the hardner.

I can spray the sides of the truck without too much issue, since Im painting the door shell before I mount it. So its bedside, tailgate, door, and front fender.

The only problem I have is of course, that mine is an extended cab- Which means, I have to paint the cab as part of the combination.

In regards to the clear- I only have one spray gun, so Im gonna have to spray all the panels/ Door, and then, clean the gun out, and then spray the clear. /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif

Well, Learning experience indeed.

 

[JK5]

[ QUOTE ]
In regards to the clear- I only have one spray gun, so Im gonna have to spray all the panels/ Door, and then, clean the gun out, and then spray the clear

[/ QUOTE ]

I really like DCU 2042 Clear...
I've been using DT 870 and DCX 61 hardener...
and it's out of dust pretty quick...
if you use DT 860..it dries even quicker...
Also...you can use the "Supercharger" DFX 11..
that is...if you want it to dry like lacquer..
the product has many options...

Don't let'm talk you into using 2082 Clear...
it sprays like crap...and you get lots of orange peel..

FYI:
Also...Does your paint store sell Omni????
I just used Omni AU clear over DBU...it looks great..
Omni...is a cheaper band of PPG paint...at half the cost..

 

[Pookster]

acutally, I found a good local paint store- They were acutally not that "talkative" but they did push me to the omni AU! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Guess I will be visiting them again!

I got a gallon of it, with two bottles of hardner.

How do you clean your gun? Just acitone? Thinner? Sometihng? And then do you rinse it after, or just let it evaporate?

 

[JK5]

/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I use cheap lacquer thinner...to clean my guns.