Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Don it must be something in the air in florida, i have been having some of the same problems with primer this week, i have been using the featherfill product, and it did the hardening act on me too, 3 or 4 minutes into it it started kicking, luckily it was a cheap gun, so it went in the trash. Yesterday it was drying on the surface before i could finish spraying a line. Hopefully we will have better results this week, now if i can keep from catching the car on fire again ill be in good shape.

Thanks guys. Yeah, it's going to be bright, that's for sure. Every so often I look at the orange and think maybe it's too loud, but I did want this car to be different than others I have had, so we'll see. If worst comes to worst, I'll put some 22 inch wheels on it and pick up some extra money pimpin'. lol

I really hope someone knows what is going on with the primers. I am thinking about switching back to the Dupont UroPrime system I always used (Centari) I never had any problems with it, but I have used Nasons on the last couple of jobs and had no issues there either, so I have no idea what has changed. I have never seen a gun shoot out strings of primer before like that. In the marine industry, there is a process called webbing, and they sell a product that is designed to do that. It puts that squiggly lined pattern in the interior gelcoat of fishing boats that you have probably seen. This primer was doing exactly that.

BTW, now that I have seen the frame that came out slightly glossier than I wanted, I kind of like it, and am thinking about doing the body in gloss black. A buddy of mine has a body shop, and I may have him prep and shoot the body in base coat clear coat gloss black. I still haven't ruled out the satin black, but it is one possiblility.

Don

John, you were having trouble too? I wondered if the humidity or something was affecting it. Maybe you have hit on something. BTW, what do you mean catch it on fire? I missed that story.

Don

I think with the color you have picked for the body, the contrast will look really good. I'm not a painter, I have painted a lot years ago, but I was never a painter, if you know what I mean. But just a suggestion, when I start a new project I have my bodies chemically striped then they use a primer powder coating that is painter friendly. I know that doesn't apply to you but then I have them make up a half dozen spray cans with this stuff in it. It really works good. I wouldn't want to spray can a whole frame but for the smaller stuff it is easier than mixing everything up then cleaning everything up. I think I read in one of your post that you have a friend at a powder coater. If you think it is worth while maybe he could do the same for you.
Ken

Good suggestion Ken. It really is a pain mixing up a few ounces of primer or paint, and then going through the gun cleaning ritual. My hands are sporting several shades of paint and primer right now.

Dan has decided to take his '29 to my buddy with the body shop and let him prep and paint it. Dan's working 5 days and playing another 2-3 nights, so he has no time to do it. This way he can drop off the body and bed and pick it up a week later. He has me almost talked into doing the same with mine, and it is so hard to get a good job without a spray booth.

Don

what do you mean catch it on fire? I missed that story.


Well i did not tell that story hehe.

Well i was doing a little welding on the door frame yesterday trying to close up the door gap some when i guess a spark landed in the body cavity in the back, well i forgot a had placed a piece of foam to act as a sound barrier back there, and im sure you can guess what happened next, whoosh, flames shooting three feet out the back window. Luckily i got it put out before the whole thing went up, but i did get a little primer bubbling on the back panel, but no big deal i had to redo that area anyway, im just glad that the body metal did not buckle or warp, or worse loose the car and the garage.

Just another reminder of safety!

That's a h*** of a way to get a flame job on the Merc. Glad you were able to put it out. That is my one fear when welding or grinding, that some stray spark goes in the wrong place.

That reminds me that I have to pickup a couple more extinquishers for the shop. We have a few now, but more wouldn't hurt.


Don

That's a h*** of a way to get a flame job on the Merc


Yeah i was going for the true flame look.

With the fires you guys are having down there in Fla, you better be careful or you will have a real flame job to clear coat.
Brad

That reminds me i have to get a new extinguisher

Hey Don, what is the humidity like down there? Last week I was setting tile on a patio, the air was incredibly dry, and the thinset (setting morter) was going off in the bucket. Usually you have 30-40 minutes of working time, and we were getting about 5. Could be since you were spraying outside that might be the problem.


Ron

Looking good Don. I can hardly wait to see the frame with all the running gear in place.

I have had nothing but headaches with catalyzed primers. I have tried several different brands. They usually worked for a while and then went berzerk. I had some that caused fisheyes in the paint; I had some that discolored the paint; I had some that peeled and wrinkled when the paint was applied over it; I had some that caused the paint not to dry. Finally, I went back to good old lacquer primer. As long as I allow plenty of dry time before topcoating (24-48 hrs), I don't have any problems.

Ron: It has been a little drier than normal, I think. Maybe that is part of the problem.

James: Thanks bud, by next weekend I should have most of the suspension pieces painted and under there. I can't wait either. Dan almost had me talked into slipping the engine and tranny into the frame the other night, but then I remembered I have to paint the engine mounts. I was almost going to do it though.

So you have had trouble with catalyzed primers too? You described my problem perfectly. I have never had an issue, and all of a sudden I can't do anything right. I have had primer and additive laying around for a year, used it and had no trouble. Now it seems to go bad really fast. But that doesn't explain the brand new setup that I just popped the lids on last night. That spider webbing was really odd. Tomorrow AM I am going to be at their door, and if they give me no satisfaction I am going to the Nason rep.

I've considered going back to regular primer too, but I'm using urethane enamel over it, will it adhere ok?

Don

Don,
I do most of my painting with DuPont Chromabase and Five Star X-treme clear (all acrylic urethanes) and I haven't had any adhesion problems. If you are using lacquer primer, you just have to let it get completely dry before applying the urethane topcoat so that you don't trap any of the lacquer solvents under the paint. That's why I said it has to dry 24-48 hours before topcoating. If you trap solvent under the paint, it will cause blistering and / or peeling.


Another annoying problem I have had is with body filler causing urethane paints to discolor. This doesn't show up right away, but comes on gradually over a few months after applying the paint. It is worst on light colors (white, yellow, light blue) and any colors containing red pigment. I have tried different fillers, from cheap stuff to premium, and still had the problem. I almost religiously use some kind of sealer before painting to combat this problem.

Just got in from the paint store, and know less now than I knew before about the problem with the primer shooting spiderwebs. They say they have never seen that, and the one guy ventured the opinion that it was because I am not using a primer gun. I told him I have shot the same paint with these two guns, and never had a problem before.

Coincidently, my buddy who owns the body shop was shopping at the same time, and he couldn't come up with anything either. Reluctantly, the store gave me a refund for the primer, and I dropped another $ 300 on more Fusion Orange, primer ( I switched to a different one this time) wash thiiner, etc. I really can now appreciate why a good paint job, or any paint job for that matter, costs so much. Not only is the work very labor intensive, but the materials are very expensive. When you add up sandpaper, thinner, primer, paint, catalysts, plastic buckets, filler, etc, etc., it adds up real quick. I think I am at about $1000 so far, and haven't gotten to the body yet.

Tonight I am having dinner with my old boss, and after that am going to the shop and get the rear axle and more front suspension parts primed. Then tomorrow night I should be able to shoot some orange on those parts. I have some more stuff coming from Speedway, so the timing should be good to maybe get it sitting on wheels by the end of this coming weekend.

Don