ropensaddle
Feel Lucky
Wow I did not know it was illegal to paint!?/////
We ended up purchasing a Kobalt sprayer. Gravity fed, top of the line ( as far as Loew's is concerned ) for 97 bucks. It seems a decent unit, we'll see tomorrow. I have a gallon of primer ( acrylic ) with 1 gal. thinner and 2 gallons of "Oliver green" industrial paint from TSC. The guy at napa said epoxy paint was the best but we'd do just fine with acrylic. Guess we'll see.
Good luck and have fun. A guy I know bought a cobalt sprayer to touch up his snow plow and it worked good for him. Don't expect it to last very long though. His seal pack failed after three uses. I only owned Binks spray guns that were rather pricey but you can get a good job out of your cobalt.
Variables like your paint, temperature, and humidity will dictate but a good rule of thumb is that your paint should be reduced till it slightly splashes from your mixing stick into your paint cup as it drips.
gotta go, let's see the pics when you're done.
Fun? Ha ha ha! What a PITA! We finished our metal work, degreased, sanded and primered today. The gun works decent, I can't complain for just a hundred bones. I would've liked a nicer one but couldn't find any for sale last night. Oh well, we're going to shoot our fist coat of paint in the am and hopefully the sun'll cook it enough to spray another afternoon. My bandit dealer will be sending the new decals along with some other odds and ends next week so it should be looking good soon. I'll be sure to post some before and after shots when we're done.
:camera: Man, this thread needs some pictures.
Maybe a summary as well for the layman equipment painter that is listed in numbers and embellished by others to a final thought.
Anybody game for that.
Here's my dummy sequence.
1. Take truck etc to a truck wash and spray it with Simple Green then scrub and wash to get all grease and dirt off.
2. Take to lot and tape and paper it and cover wheels with a tarp.
3. Sand all shiny old paint with any kind of sand paper and primer (cheap spray can) all bare metal. Wipe off sanded material.
4. Roller paint and brush where nec and then re roll to prevent runs. We use an additive they said will keep the paint from stiffening and help with humidity...... Wait a day and half and pull the tape.
5. Tire shine the tires and then spray the wheels gloss black out of a can.
Total time for a chip truck usually a day and a half.
What is the value of a hardening agent?
I have found a spray gun and pot (separate) combination in the Grainger catalogue that holds a full gallon. One of my many problems, beside having little patience, was that it really was a bother to refill the pot. I had a quart pot separate from the gun (that I ruined) that was a Binks Debylis (?guess) and it seemed better than spraying with the pot on the gun either below or above it just from the standpoint of weight on the spray arm while moving back and forth. What is your preference if spraying a huge truck?
We painted my old bandit 200+ with the epoxy primer and imron (dark green) paint about 13 years ago now. I sold it last winter and the kid that bought it still keeps a shine on it. Properly applied (liberally and prepped well) that paint is absolutely amazing. My dump still looks good too, same paint, twelve years latter.
Hopefully next winter I'll get to finally painting the new 250 company colors. I figure so what if it takes three months (laid back beer drinking months mind you) if it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one.
The factory imron paint jobs dont hold up as well unfortunately, my newer chipper has the imron option, its in its fith year and the 200+ almost looks as good after 13. Maybe they watered down the imron sinse I last used it?? I think they changed the epoxy sealer along the way too.
I haven't played with Imron paint in 20 years. I loved it and hated it. It sprayed on real nice and was supertough. Applying it to NYSEG utility bodies was brutal because all that nasty overspray came right back in your face when spraying the insides of the cabinets and the pull out parts drawers. My eyebrows and eyelashes would be orange for a week. To compare, regular paint overspray would wash out immediately.
Don't get me wrong it's a great material but I don't think a novice without proper equipment should apply it and the painting surface must be meticulously prepared. This stuff costs a lot and if it flies off in the breeze it's money wasted. And as with all urethane and polyurethane it is very very dangerous to breathe. Think, "chainsaw operation without chaps." A regular respirator is not good enough.
I got out of painting as rules became stricter and water-based paints became the norm for regular automotive. Perhaps Imron is now safer and more earth friendly but whatever made it so nasty probably made it so good.
We painted my old bandit 200+ with the epoxy primer and imron (dark green) paint about 13 years ago now. I sold it last winter and the kid that bought it still keeps a shine on it. Properly applied (liberally and prepped well) that paint is absolutely amazing. My dump still looks good too, same paint, twelve years latter.
Hopefully next winter I'll get to finally painting the new 250 company colors. I figure so what if it takes three months (laid back beer drinking months mind you) if it lasts anywhere near as long as the last one.
The factory imron paint jobs dont hold up as well unfortunately, my newer chipper has the imron option, its in its fith year and the 200+ almost looks as good after 13. Maybe they watered down the imron sinse I last used it?? I think they changed the epoxy sealer along the way too.
I haven't played with Imron paint in 20 years. I loved it and hated it. It sprayed on real nice and was supertough. Applying it to NYSEG utility bodies was brutal because all that nasty overspray came right back in your face when spraying the insides of the cabinets and the pull out parts drawers. My eyebrows and eyelashes would be orange for a week. To compare, regular paint overspray would wash out immediately.
Don't get me wrong it's a great material but I don't think a novice without proper equipment should apply it and the painting surface must be meticulously prepared. This stuff costs a lot and if it flies off in the breeze it's money wasted. And as with all urethane and polyurethane it is very very dangerous to breathe. Think, "chainsaw operation without chaps." A regular respirator is not good enough.
I got out of painting as rules became stricter and water-based paints became the norm for regular automotive. Perhaps Imron is now safer and more earth friendly but whatever made it so nasty probably made it so good.
I don't know what kind of paint you are using but if it is acrylic enamel, 15 minutes between re-coats would be good enough. If you are enjoying the same weather as we are near Buffalo this low humidity is great for spraying.
The other day I intended to walk you through how I would paint equipment but was called away. I guess by now you have figured it out for yourself. The biggest trick to laying paint is using the trigger correctly, distance, and timing. The trigger is two stage. The first stage is just air and the second stage sprays the paint. At the end of each sweep with the gun let the trigger off to release only air so the nozzle can clear itself and not leave too much paint at the end of each run. Depending on paint and wind your aircap should be about 8 to 10 inches away from the painting surface - do not let the gun arc. Timing is important when you cannot see the paint as it lays on - a hard angle, high low angle, or the sun's glare.
If you used a hardening additive be sure to clean the gun immediately after use. If it dries overnight the spray gun will never be serviceable again.
Not having fun? Obviously the neighborhood cats are the same color today as they were yesterday. (Easy PETA d-bags, I'm just joking.)
The trick at the trigger being....you pull it and air only is expelled. Then you span a sprayed area with more trigger emitting paint. Then at the end of the span you let off trigger and the paint is cleared from the lines and you have just air again to start the next span with just air. Is this the trick?
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