Thread: Painting Guide

Originally Posted by Epic_Dragon

If it's urathane under the rubber strip, just slice as close to panel as possible thst stuff doesn't come off. You end up just painting over it

Awesome, will have a crack at that tonight. Was one of the first questions I was going to ask you.

What about the pinstripes and flaking clear?

Sand the flaking clear, sand thr whole panel. Wet rub sanding is my favourite. Even if rubs through to bare metal, that is perfectly fine, have a can of etch primer on hand to spot spray over those bits. You can start with 400 grit and finish with 800 grit sand paper, splash it in a bucket of water to wet the sand paper and wet rub. Then dip it in the water often as it keeps the sand paper clean and prolongs use of each sheet. Have a small sponge in the bucket too for wiping off what we call lollie water. It's the chalk like stains left behind from wet rub. Don't let those dry on the panel as it clogs panel pores and stains and causes adhere issues. So keep it clean as you go. Put something on the floor under the panel during this process if you don't want floor to stain

The pin stripes if you have a rubber wheel for a drill, thst will get the pin stripe off. Go gently as the heat of the rubber can easily melt the paint as the old acrylic paint on the old cars is sensitive to heat and can melt. (More sanding if it happens) other options is sanding it down but this takes ages and can leave a raised area.

Originally Posted by Konradical

Awesome, will have a crack at that tonight. Was one of the first questions I was going to ask you.

What about the pinstripes and flaking clear?

and here I was thinking it's going to be a few rattle cans of dulux metalshield hammertone finish

Originally Posted by Epic_Dragon

Sand the flaking clear, sand thr whole panel. Wet rub sanding is my favourite. Even if rubs through to bare metal, that is perfectly fine, have a can of etch primer on hand to spot spray over those bits. You can start with 400 grit and finish with 800 grit sand paper, splash it in a bucket of water to wet the sand paper and wet rub. Then dip it in the water often as it keeps the sand paper clean and prolongs use of each sheet. Have a small sponge in the bucket too for wiping off what we call lollie water. It's the chalk like stains left behind from wet rub. Don't let those dry on the panel as it clogs panel pores and stains and causes adhere issues. So keep it clean as you go. Put something on the floor under the panel during this process if you don't want floor to stain

The pin stripes if you have a rubber wheel for a drill, thst will get the pin stripe off. Go gently as the heat of the rubber can easily melt the paint as the old acrylic paint on the old cars is sensitive to heat and can melt. (More sanding if it happens) other options is sanding it down but this takes ages and can leave a raised area.

So late last week and on Saturday I managed to do a little bit. I then ended up moving my mum on the Sat arvo and Sunday, then back to work this week. So attached is the progress I did make.

I was lucky enough that the bumper strip was only held on with double sided tape. I think a repair has been completed prior. To remove the pin strip, I did a Google search and found a isopropyl thinner would work. I had to use this method as I do not have one of those fance rubber wheels Epic was talking about. With the isopropyl I used a gasket scraper and gently removed the pin striping.
IMG_20220114_161533.jpg
Next I sanded the flaking clear. I did however use P600 instead of P400 (I had it lying around), but went over everything at least four times. I made sure the little edges of the flaking clear were smooth and in parts, that needed to, took the paint back to primer.
IMG_20220115_150209.jpg
I used a wax and grease remover and some turps in places to remove the coatings on the inside part of the door.
IMG_20220115_133821.jpg
Whilst doing so, I found some pretty average parts with a sand like substance stuck to the door and a couple of rust bubbles.
IMG_20220115_133832.jpgIMG_20220115_133850.jpg

I finished off the sanding with the P800 and the door came up really smooth.

Now for the next step!!

I would have thoght 800 is too smooth. You need to run a speed file over that door. The area where the paint is breaking down (under the stripe) needs to be sanded back to sound material and refilled. I can tell in the picture there is at least one scratch and mark in the paint that needs to be filled (better would be to sand it down level with a speed file). Or at least sand with a longish board.

This is a speed file.

EEZER SPEED FILE BLOCK Sandpaper Sanding Block SPEEDFILE HOLDER PANEL BEATER | eBay

any low spot will be highlight as still shiny paint if you sand over the panel with one. I'd use something like this to block down the area where the strip was attached. Where is rusty and peeling on the back of the door you will need to sand back to bare metal. especially the rusted area (and treat).

to get a decent paint finish you must be the most fastidious, frustrating pedantic person ever with the prep.

eg:
see how straight and shiny these panels look



Ready for primer....



if you can feel anything under your hand when you run it over it..... start again

Originally Posted by DoubleChevron

...................

if you can feel anything under your hand when you run it over it..... start again

Truer words have never been spoken.

Also 'rust never sleeps'.

'Treating' it means what? IME it's gone completely or it's gonna come back, like cancer.

DL

Originally Posted by 350RRC

Truer words have never been spoken.

Also 'rust never sleeps'.

'Treating' it means what? IME it's gone completely or it's gonna come back, like cancer.

DL

Cutting it out and replacing it is probably the only "forever" fix. It doesnt' look like its rusted from the inside through, so I'm sure wiring brushing it .... and using a converter of some sort on it before priming/painting should provide a reasonable repair. Its really hard to tell unless your there yourself.

I'm keen to here what Epic_dragon thinks ...... I'm just a tinkerer ... Someone in industry will be doing this stuff endlessly so will know what works and what doesn't

A friend of mine ran an industry publication called bodyshop news for years - it's amazing how the more things change, the less emphasis on getting the basic stuff right has become.

Plenty of technology works in areas of the auto repair industry to ensure cost-effictive insurance repairs (i.e. profit margin) but when it comes to a self-owned repair or restoration project, it's always a case of back to square one and the traditional well established (i.e. time consuming) processes prevail.

makes you wonder doesn't it?