who has taught themselves to do panel n paint..

**ozbox** · 03-07-2010, 05:45 PM

i started 35 years ago when you had to go to a library to get information or volunteer to work for nothin rubbin down or washin cars in a panel shop to learn...i was 16

later on i also hassled my mates that were tradesmen to teach me..cost me a lot of beer n billies back then..:knockout:
by the time i was 20 i was the best bash n bog man there was and also i could out clean anyone but i couldnt weld and wanted to learn how to form and beat/repair so i went to night tech to get schoolin in that..

by mid 20s i was doing lots of little jobs and a mate employed me to dodge up car yard stuff...learnt heaps of short cuts there..:lol:
by late 20s i was doin some resto work and complete repaints in akran or straight enamel or acrylic..all depended on how much money you had or how much you liked your car.
by early 30s i had moved out of sydney and had a young family to support so a ticketed mate and myself started a panel/paint shop..that was ok for a couple of years until it all turned to shit..partnerships suck...

anyhows i went off and started workin in wreckin yards and i still am...

now with all the technology out there to make research simple and disposable incomes to buy the cheap arse chinese tools on the market it amazes me that more enthusiasts dont have a go at doing there work themselves...

i constantly here horror stories about panelbeaters so why dont people have a go themselves????

**Absinth** · 03-07-2010, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by ozbox

I constantly hear horror stories about panelbeaters so why don't people have a go themselves????

Beats me.... it ain't rocket science.

Even 30 yrs ago when I started mucking around with cars there were plenty of books on sprayin and beatin. I bought the books and read them from cover to cover, went out and bought the tools and got to practicing.... My twin cousins are a spraypainter and panelbeater by trade and when they bought their own panel shop I was down there every chance I got watching, asking questions and learning. I got pretty good at Arc welding and Oxy welding/cutting.

Later on another mate was working building aluminium boats at Yandina so every weekend he was there so was I, he showed me how to Mig weld alloy and I got plenty of practice helping him build boats. I bought myself a decent mig welder and tried my hand with steel..... after welding alloy steel was a piece of cake.

With the amount of good books, dvd's and the web nowadays anyone can find all the info they need to have a go.

It does help a lot however if you are naturally good with your hands.....

**adam perth** · 03-07-2010, 11:04 PM

[
true.
i do most of my prep work and take it as a rubbed back roller into a spray painter because he has the spray booth and the PPE to use the Cyanide based 2PAK primer / fillers.
i ask him to flick 1 litre of black acyrlic down the beauty lines and then take it home and rub out all the imperfections.
then i take it back and get him to paint the bolts, inner door jams, inner doors, cowl etc and another 1.2 litre of black down the sides again
i take it home again and assemble and hang all panels

then i take it back and get final coat.

no chips from hanging panels

ok i have taken it to him 3 times, but the spray painter treats it like a job, not a job on the backburner
and its a quick turn around cause he wants it out of the spray booth and you book it into his spray booth in advance.

if you don't spoon feed these spraypainters and make it easy for them it won't get done, or it will get done and cost the earth

my cost normally $3000 this way

**ozbox** · 03-07-2010, 11:28 PM

i use to love sucking the isocyanates into my lungs...:lol:.

...then they told me it was bad...:eek:

these days i just use acrylic with a mask for most work..

but for 2 pac paints these days i would hire a booth...

**adam perth** · 03-07-2010, 11:30 PM

Originally Posted by ozbox

i use to love sucking the isocyanates into my lungs...:lol:.

...then they told me it was bad...:eek:

these days i just use acrylic with a mask for most work..

but for 2 pac paints these days i would hire a booth...

you can't beat those 2 PAk primer / puttys for fill!
or can you??
my next one will be acrylic, not happy with 2 PAK finish on old cars

probably go for acrylic over @ 2pak primer

**ozbox** · 03-07-2010, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by adam perth

you can't beat those 2 PAk primer / puttys for fill!
or can you??
my next one will be acrylic, not happy with 2 PAK finish on old cars

prepwork has to be more critical with acrylic coz the primer fillers dont really fill and because there is no baking as most acrylics these days are done in the garage or outside on a sunny day....(shit..hope no environmentalists read this) and not in a booth..therefore lotsa shrinkback if its to thick or repairs arent perfectly feathered when there is still old paint....lots more rubbing with acrylic and time involved for curing before buffing if you are after the perfect glass type finish...

but on a plus side with acrylic you can be a shit painter and as long as you have put enough paint on you can rub your mistakes and most bugs out...even big arse runs....

**adam perth** · 03-07-2010, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by ozbox

prepwork has to be more critical with acrylic coz the primer fillers dont really fill and because there is no baking as most acrylics these days are done in the garage or outside on a sunny day....(shit..hope no environmentalists read this) and not in a booth..therefore lotsa shrinkback if its to thick or repairs arent perfectly feathered when there is still old paint....lots more rubbing with acrylic and time involved for curing before buffing if you are after the perfect glass type finish...

but on a plus side with acrylic you can be a shit painter and as long as you have put enough paint on you can rub your mistakes and most bugs out...even big arse runs....

are there any problems using acrylic over @2pak primers?

**ozbox** · 03-07-2010, 11:43 PM

Originally Posted by adam perth

are there any problems using acrylic over @2pak primers?

not that i know of but im not an expert...2 pacs revolved from acrylics they just added lotsa harmfull chemicals so you had to buy masks...

**Sandgirl** · 04-07-2010, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by adam perth

are there any problems using acrylic over @2pak primers?

My husband says acrylic over two pak will not adhere properly and ends up flaking off. The trick is to rub down the two pack with
320 wet this is to coarse to apply colour over but will leave plenty of bite for an acrylic primer to key in you then rub the acrylic primer with 600 wet in preparation for the acrylic colour.

**adam perth** · 05-07-2010, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by Sandgirl

My husband says acrylic over two pak will not adhere properly and ends up flaking off. The trick is to rub down the two pack with
320 wet this is to coarse to apply colour over but will leave plenty of bite for an acrylic primer to key in you then rub the acrylic primer with 600 wet in preparation for the acrylic colour.

thanks, the paint + associated products are always changing / evolving.