There is actually a really good and fairly active paint and body forum here but from my perusal, it seems like it is more posts from members who already have fairly deep knowledge asking questions about more advanced subjects regarding materials, etc. My intention with this thread is more basic info?

Thanks for the replies so far!

I "unstuck" it for now...looked odd. My mistake.

I'll work it next week and bump as required.

The thread is excellent and I have some tractor painting in the near future, so...

It is always about me:cool:

All good! :)

Tractor painting would be a great place to start, my goal here is learn which spray gun to get, which tips, which primer to use, etc. I have a couple of low value cars with absolutely burned off paint that I could paint with a brush and roller and it would be an improvement, so perfect canvases to learn on.

Devilbiss Tekna 1.3 https://www.autorefinishdevilbiss.com/products/tekna-/tekna-prolite-premium-spray-gun.aspx

That Devilbiss is really nice but, a decent knock off set up right should do the trick for somebody who is not spraying cars all day for a living. I have two old school syphon feed Binks model 62 that always did the job well. Need to make sure you properly clean the spray gun after use, remove the nozzle and soak in reducer.

For primers, I try to stay with the same brand as the paint, usually can use the same reducer and hardening agent, does not always work out that way. It is really easy to end up with a bunch of different flammable cans sitting on the shelf.

That's the one I have. And I'm just a DIY/Hobbyist sorta guy. I've ended up using it for all sorts of paint work other than the car stuff I originally bought if for. I always use PPG paints. Mainly because they are not too expensive and the quality is good. Plus they all work together without chemical fry-up happening :eek:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722827985.JPG

Excellent advice. Keep it coming. ++

For me... spraying the paint is the "easy" part. Sanding and body work is the part I hate and am not very good/efficient at. I HATE SANDING.... I have succesfully painted several cars, airplanes and motorcycles over the years.

Small stuff like motorcycles have all come out perfect as sprayed. But most of my larger stuff has required additional sanding and buffing after painting to eliminate orange peel. I HATE SANDING.... I HATE BUFFING....

Bikes come out perfectly smooth and glossy with no sanding buffing required... Cars... not so much. lol
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722865260.jpg


I have used various brands of expensive primers/paints both single stage like the old Imron and Nason along with a bit of base/clear on a couple occasions. I have tried expensive borrowed guns but most times I have ended up using a cheap gravity type gun from Harbor Freight.

I consider myself fairly decent at being able to learn to tackle any DIY task, but body work is definitely my weakest DIY skill. PS Did I mention?... I HATE SANDING!

Spiuserforum.com. Best paint and body site on the web. A ton of good, correct info. Many Pro's on there as well who are willing to help. Any topic or question you may have has been covered in detail by guys who have done it and done it well. You can search the site using google and view threads (don't have to be a member to view threads)

SPI is a paint manufacturer in Georgia. They are well known for their epoxy primer and polyurethane clear they make. Very popular in Restoration circles and priced much more affordably than any of the majors like PPG's products.

Search the site using google.

site:spiuserforum.com your keywords

Google search example using "getting started" as keywords

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1&sca_esv=ce2bee5ef594bfe7&sxsrf=ADLYWIKYu6i1p1ntU 4Amil0wOlE638pjtA%3A1722870277361&q=site%3Aspiuser forum.com+getting+started&oq=site%3Aspiuserforum.c om+getting+started&aqs=heirloom-srp..

Have you thought about an HVLP setup like Fuji?

I have a 4 stage that I use on my cabinets. Came out really well. I think you can get a good finish (with enough stages) and you don't have to worry about moisture in the system.

I have a quart of 22 line Glasurit that I am willing to trade for a twin engine Cessna.

I have used single stage urethane with hardener for many cars and painted a D1100 International with Guards Red (BASF) Limco SS with hardener. I like the Challenger BC CC that is part of Axalta (old DuPont). It's a fairly expensive economy line behind their high end Chromabase.

I know all about the sanding and buffing. See picture up by upper right of window seal. Orange peel in the Limco that I did not sand out enough but it shines like a bowse.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722871538.jpg

I prepped my 89 cab with the intention of priming and painting it myself. One panel of eggshell primer was enough to tell me I was in over my head. I dropped it off at a shop the next day.

I will eventually go back and try again, but before I do I think I will work on my painting skills using Tremclad, thinner, and a hardener with a Harbor Freight gun. Learning shouldn't be done with expensive automotive paint. And it shouldn't be done on a good car.

I would think about learning spray skills on something other than the Mercedes. And I would consider doing the prep and paying a painter to finish it.

As for substrate, I would get rid of the clear by sanding, but not obsess about the base. A good primer will adhere to the base.

I meant to post these sooner, the dent. The relationship to the hinges is that the dent is basically on the other side of where I'm holding my fingers...it's just to the rear of the *wall* of the door behind where hinges attach:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722964015.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722964015.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1722964015.jpg

A stud gun would be the best thing to repair that with. If you aren't familiar with one, it welds pins to the surface and then you pull on those pins to work out the dent. That in combination with lightly tapping on the edge of the door (while putting tension on the pins will bring the door edge down and the dent out.

If you post this on the forum I linked to earlier, you will get a lot of help on how to go about repairing it. From repairing the dent to what products to use for a long lasting job when painting, and how to do it correctly.

You only get good correct info there. Myself or one of the other guys will try to walk you through it. Many of us are Professionals (myself included) over there.

spiuserforum.com

To be clear, I have no affiliation with the company and am receiving no benefit whatsoever by promoting the forum or the company. Just a satisfied customer who believes in the products and enjoys helping others.

Nothing to loose by trying to pull the dent out. How much access from behind the door panel? One thing that has snagged me is having a small metal section that ends up slightly high that shows up after filling and sanding nice and straight. Need to hammer it down and start again.

Thanks, Chris. I will definitely make my way over to that forum soon…right now I only have time to look at this one on my phone occasionally. It sounds like an excellent board!