Noobie painting thread
 

So I have always wanted to paint a car and my wife's 2003 Denali XL has a little bit of bubbles starting around the one rear wheel well. There are some rock chips and a few small bubbles on the hood and a small one on a front fender. A couple small dents elsewhere also.

We want to keep this truck for 3 more years, so it is time to take care of it before it gets bad. I will end up painting the rear hatch (aluminum), both rear quarters, the hood and one front fender. I am tempted to paint the other front fender just so it matches the hood.

I picked up a spray gun set that has great reviews from Harbor. This is the exact item number you need, they sell 3 of them that are interchangable but the others are not as good.

http://www.harborfreight.com/air-too...kit-94572.html

I already had a DA sander and a good variety of disks. I picked up some wire wheels and scotchbrite pads to help out also. I also got a small sanding block.

I have glaze to fill the small imperfections. There shouldn't be anything over 1/8" so no body filler needed. I will be picking up the paint and all supplies from Welle. They aren't the cheapest, but they are really helpful and have great stuff. I am using PPG's value line and will be doing base/clear.

I just got all my buffing supplies today, they will be used on all the cars. Pretty pumped to polish the BMW after I get this project done!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z...007_174439.jpg

I'll be updating the thread with pictures as I go along. It should be an adventure!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Hot damn!!
Looking forward to this, paint/body work scares me.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

bring back the cheap paint gun. You need to spend some good money on a paint gun to get anything that is worth a shit.
good luck on your first paint job

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

This is the Devilbiss Starting Line but without the price tag, parts are interchangeable and they are made at the same factory. In the reviews many pros love them and use them over their big $$$ guns. I did my research and was planning on buying a Devilbiss until I found this one. Why not save $100?

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I don't know, a lot of harbor freight reviews are mostly from guys who love to buy harbor freight tools. One of my buddy bought one and said it was a piece of crap. Spray pattern was horrible and he threw it away after using it.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I had one of the nicer devilbiss guns a few years ago and threw it away after a couple uses. My super old SATA gun I got from another painter who had it for probably 10 years still sprays better.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Harbor has 21 different paint guns, he probably wasn't using this set. There are 45 reviews on it and only 3 are under a 4.0 out of 5. I also read reviews on quite a few forums where the guys love them and some professional guys using them too because if something goes wrong they toss it instead of having to try and fix a more expensive gun. Anyway, not here to argue about guns, I made my decision on that. Just trying to share my adventure for anyone else that has thought of doing bodywork but never gave it a shot.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I have a wagoner paint sprayer that my parents used to paint their fence ;)

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

My last job was at Wagner and I hired Spaz and Grappler when I was there :P

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I am almost willing to guarantee failure with a hvlp low quality gun. Been there done that, it is all good tell it ruins a paint job. If u insist on staying cheap I would shop Eastwood if I were u. They sell a better quality then harbor freight and are still somewhat affordable. Obviously the better the gun the better your experience will be. All the prep in the world won't mean anything if your gun is dripping well spraying or the spray pattern makes it impossible to avoid proper layering of paint. Just my 2 cents but hvlp needs to be a quality gun otherwise u are better of just using a cheap siphon gun.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Jet, you should know better than to try and share or ask anything here without getting ridiculed by the peanut gallery!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

:wave:


I do like the direction this thread is going I'm in for updates :D

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

what color is your denali or do you know the paint code? Chances are, unless its black there will probably be a few variances of that color. Let me know if you need some help, i am not a genius when it comes to this but I have been an estimator at a high volume body shop for the past four years and know a good amount about auto body and paint work.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Thank you, finally a constructive comment! I am about to say F this thread with all the stupid ass gun comments by people that haven't even researched it. How can you say the gun is crap when you have zero knowledge of it? It IS a Devilbiss gun without the name on it. Some people actually got the gun with the name ground off.

Code is 805k and Welle said there are no variations on that one. That is why I decided to go with the PPG value line instead of the premium. The value line does not offer variations, but the premium does.

I have done a little body work before, but have always sprayed from a can (custom mixed PPG cans at Welle) and it actually looked as good as the factory paint just out of a can! I find that prep work is 90% of the paint job. This will be my biggest job by far, so I am sure there will be a bit of a learning curve there. My biggest concern is probably avoiding fish eyes and orange peel. It seems like cleaning is the big key there. Any insight or tips are appreciated!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

At least he's not using a roller. \_(. . )_/

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Yeah definitely preperation is key and painting in a clean environment is important. Wash the truck good and make sure their isnt any hidden dirt. We disassemble everything to avoid dirt hidden in wheel liners ect. also to not have any tape lines and to make sure the product comes out 100% and will last. Avoid ANY products that have some sort of silicone base because this will cause fish eyes.

I looked up the paint code - looks like a black metallic? we have a few variations but thats more than likely is because we spray with waterborne which is a different ball game entirely.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Sorry man didn't mean to sound like .

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Having a good quality paint gun is important, I do not know much about paint guns, our painters use SATA and so does my brother who is a painter also. When you do it every day, having a nice gun and spending the $$ on it is a no brainer.

For someone who will do one or two jobs maybe, i dont see spending an uber amount of money on it. If you did the research and people have had good luck with it, id say give it a shot. Maybe do a couple panels first and see how it turns out. you never know until you try.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

In my experience of learning to paint, I found that a surface that hasn't been properly cleaned can result in an uneven color pattern, fish eyes, orange peel. I bought Eastwood PRE Painting Prep based on it's reviews and it does a good job of cleaning up.


I find the Harbor Freight reviews to be extremely useful and reliable. I bought the same paint gun as the OP and found it to do a good job. It did end up leaking at the trigger, but I had no trouble returning it for one that didn't have that problem.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Thanks guys, this thread is headed where I wanted it to go. I want this to be informative for someone looking to do this themselves later on. Not a total how-to, but a good initial read to get them pointed in the right direction.

It is a metallic charcoal grey. After doing some more research I am probably going with the premium line. They say the value line has less solids in it so it takes more coats. Here is the recommended list that I put together, may go a little cheaper if I won't sacrifice quality.

DP50LF epoxy primer for the initial coat
DPS3055 sandable primer over that, probably 2 coats
Deltron base coat with DX57 hardener, 2 coats
2021 clear coat, 3 coats

I have an extra clear coat on there and may or may not do that, but I wanted to leave a little extra in case I have to wet sand afterwards. This dark metallic paint actually looks like it will be pretty forgiving.

I was worried about a couple of scratches on the one door so I busted out the new polisher last night and the Meguiars 105. 10 minutes later the scratches were gone and it looks great! I was pretty shocked it took out that big of scratches. Now I don't have to paint any doors, huge bonus!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Well i hope everything turns out well, make sure to post some pictures!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I didn't mean to sound like I was bashing your decision or anything, it's just that with my experience in doing body and paint work for the last 10 years, my experience with Devilbiss guns is less than stellar. What size tip did it come with? That can play a huge part on how the color and clear lays down. Most painters use different guns for primer, color and clear. To get a quality finish, I'd at least recommend having a 1.4 tip for primer and clear and a 1.2 or 1.3 for color. The bigger tip allows the thicker paint to come out better atomized and lay out better, while the smaller tip will help the metallics and pearls orient in the base coat.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

No problem, just the whole thread was getting taken up with people trashing the gun choice when I had already researched and made my decision. I am not looking for show car finish, it is just the wife's daily driver truck. I just want it to match stock. It comes with 1.8 for primer and 1.4 for top/clear. The detail gun comes with 1.0, but most people say that gun isn't that good. I will just be using the big one for this project.

I should be doing a test fender I have laying around on Sat. I am going to start the project Friday night since my car is being a bitch with the turbo swap.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Ive had to paint a few repairs from time to time, and i painted a buddies wagon with the rustoleum method (but i shot it through a gun). I got a HF paint gun sitting around somewhere. So I like this thread, im always interested to see home garage paint jobs.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Dang, a 1.8 tip is freaking huge! I've only ever used a tip that big for spraying poly primer (basically sprayable body filler).

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Project got postponed 2 weeks due to my back going out Friday night. Damn car accident is still kicking my ass 2 years later...

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I painted my Eclipse about 10 years ago mostly by myself, but with my Dad's help, who's been a hobbyist for a few years before that. I did it all in a weekend and am pretty happy with the results, but it's starting to show it's age now that I've been daily driving it every summer. I'd like to do the roof and front again, as well as some things on my Tahoe. It's not that hard, like others said, it's a lot of prep work and some practice with settings on the gun. You can color sand and buff out mistakes like runs and light fish eye.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

And so the project has begun! And like most rust work, I have found quite a bit more than I thought there was. While taking off the body molding I found quite a bit more rust, then I found some under the doors in the back of the rocker panel and took the running board off to find more.

It is odd that all of the rust is on the right side, there is none on the left side. The stuff under the plastic is going to be remove as much as possible and POR 15 put over it.

The bubbles weren't too bad under it, I did find a little body filler though. Looks like a minor front right accident. Overall project is going well and I hope to get most of the sanding done tonight and start filling tomorrow and get some primer on it.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A...024_010901.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-R...024_010912.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...024_010944.jpg

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Well I didn't update this thread very good and didn't take enough pics to do what I intended to do. This pic is with the front end sanded and filled. Most of it is masked off too and I have the plastic up that I used for my makeshift paint booth.

I ended up finding WAY more rust than I expected. There was quite a bit forming under the running board on the pass side too that I had no idea about. I got all of the rust out there and the rear 1/4 behind the wheel was pretty bad where the exhaust comes out. I got rid of everything I could, but it is going to return there at some point because there were a few small holes on the very bottom. It must be a common problems because they sell that small piece as replacement sheetmetal.

My back also had issues doing the work (lost 2 weeks+) and the place putting my snow tires on cracked a wheel so I scrambled to fix that since we were already down a vehicle. Anyway, she is all painted now and I can say that I was way too meticulous about it. I am a perfectionist and should have went quicker.

Tips for anyone else:
Clean the gun really good every time! It is easy to do and the very first time I didn't get it cleaned out right away as I ran in to some issues.
Make sure you have a good paint respirator. Mine was great, 3M one from Home Depot for organic paints.
I would recommend getting a paint and primer gun if you are going to do this. The primer is a bitch to clean out.
You need LOTS of light. I got some sweet LED trouble lights at Lowes for $20 each and they are bright as hell.
Keep your eye on the damn hose! My work space was a bit tighter than I thought it would be and brushed the hose against the paint twice. Pissed me off! It sanded out easy enough, but still a pain.
I would really recommend doing a test panel. I was planning on it and I didn't. My 3rd coat I put on I was drastically better then the 1st. By the end I was doing pretty damn good.
Ventilation is key! Especially when clear coating. By the time my 3rd coat of clear was going on I couldn't hardly see the freaking truck. It is only 5-10 min between coats of clear and I put 3 on. I got a few runs from that, none on the 1st 2 coats or the base coats.

Another before pic of the front:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9...024_010932.jpg

Paint booth and front sanded/glazed

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-F...109_165426.jpg

Paint gun setup - HF gun, HF regulator, inline filter and smaller flexible hose.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i...110_001544.jpg

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

So the truck turned out awesome except for the couple of runs I got on the last coat. The Harbor Freight gun was great and I don't think you could have asked for more from a gun. Check out the finished product below. This is freshly dried clear coat, no sanding or buffing yet.

Pic of the hood (right side is reflection of the plastic for the paint booth)

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A...130_165319.jpg


Another

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e...130_213117.jpg


Rear 1/4 was repainted, rear door is stock paint. Reflection of the ladder is split between them. Wife wanted to know how to make the stock paint look as good as the new stuff!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...130_213203.jpg

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Looks great! A little tip I learned though is to blend paint into the next panel instead of stopping at a door edge, it's almost impossible to get a perfect match and that helps, especially with a lot of metallic like that. Time to get out and do my projects!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

I didn't want to have to paint the doors, so I didn't want to blend. It looks really good though. This paint is a little different variant, but really close. New paint has a slight greenish tint to the flake, but not noticeable unless you are really looking for it. I am really happy with it, another project where the timeline was totally F'd up from my bad back though. It is slowly getting better, but it sucks in the meantime!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Looks good. Im glad the paint gun worked well for you. I have the same one but haven't really used it much yet. You'll have to buff the rest of the truck now.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Yeah, this inspires me to get out and work on my crap. Great to see DIY stuff like this, getting paint work done is too expensive, or they do a shitty job.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Awesome job man !

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

That's terrible and you can tell it's that horrible gun. :wink:

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

This is very inspiring! Totally gonna try my luck come summer.....i got a cheap freight gun...for small stuff painted a set of wheels....and for as terrible of a painter i am i was suprised how nice they looked! Little trial and error im settimg the gun up...but hey all that matters is the end product :) Good Job!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Wow! Nice work, very impressed. You did an awesome job.

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Thanks guys! It definitely was more work than I was expecting, LOTS of sanding. I have some more sanding to do, then buff and wax and reassemble. It should look like a new truck!

Re: Noobie painting thread
 

Want to do some wheels? 17"