So begins "operation learn to spray". I've spent the last week touching up the bodywork, no major issues and she's now all ready for primer. I've just had a practice using filler primer.
Spray filler is very hydroscopic, so make sure you dry out the panels (space heater in your workshop) before painting.
Are you going for a solid colour in 2K paint?
With a lot of advice and help from the guys who spray film cars next to my barn, I've learned to paint reasonably well, and have sprayed big chunks of several cars now. the results are usually OK, with the odd re-do moment. The actual painting bit is the easiest part.
My painter neighbour on the barn tells me I need to use etch primer on fibreglass, and apart from that just paint as normal. Preparation, patience and a clean environment are keys to a successful finish.
Check the spray filler you used and check that it's compatible with etch primer. The stuff I've used isn't compatible.
Tips and tricks include (assuming you're not painting in a proper paint shop with extraction)
- put poly masking sheet across the roof to stop muck landing on the paint as it dries.
- wet the workshop floor with a couple of buckets of water to keep the dust down.
- Don't sand in the same place where you paint, if at all possible.
- Don't be tempted to sweep up just before you start painting - it takes ages for he dust to settle and it'll stick to the paint.
- Use damp proof membrane stapled round the door to block air gaps and reduce the number of flies and other beasties attracted to the light.
- Paint or seal the workshop walls and floor if they're not already done.
- Degrease the panels with panel wipe at least twice before you paint.
- Make sure the workshop is well lit. You'll need it to help see through the paint fog.
- Always start with a thin 'dust coat' of paint, and let it tack off till it's nearly dry, as it helps later coats stick and reduces the chance of a reaction.
- Learn how to mask a soft edge (fold over one side of the tape to make a flap, and don't try to paint right up to the edge - it'll find its way in anyway.
- If you're painting around rubber seals, run a piece of electrical cable under the seal to lift it, and avoid a hard line where you masked. It will reduce overspray onto the top of the rubber as well, but you can always remove that with a razor blade, and use a plastic filler spreader to protect the paint from the blade.
It'll take you more time than a pro painter, both in preparation and in flatting and polishing afterwards, but you can get good results.
If you've never painted before, practice on a sheet of primed steel, a spare panel, or even the rear deck lid, before you try the whole shell. Be prepared to strip it back and start again.
Don't do metallic for your first job, unless you like the idea of sanding it all off and starting again. Always spray a thin 'drop coat' to get an even flake finish, on the last coat of metallic. Don't do what I once did and run out of paint half way through the last coat, as you end up with a big 'stripe' in the metal flake
