Need paint prep help
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Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 30
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Need paint prep help
I have a 1987 Ford F-150 that is blue with orange (the orange of course is large rust spots). One of my former students said he would paint it for me relatively cheap. I need to do the prep work. What type of sandpaper do I need? What kind of primer? What other things do I need to know that will help me in advance? If this works well then I will do it with my 1965 Ford F-150. Any help would be appreciated.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 191
Likes: 0
From: Portland Oregon
You are asking a question that can not be answered because of the breadth of
issues that can arise in prep for a paint job. For one thing realize that the
quality of any paint job is 90 to 95 percent in the preperation. Basically what
you need to do is try to educate yourself on the broad topic of paint and
paint systems to do a adequate job of preperation. The fun part is the more
you learn the more you realize there is to learn. This forum and the archives
a long with a couple of how to paint books will get you pointed in the right
direction.
Specificaly with regard to sandpaper there are various types and catagories. The
grit rating or "scratch" is or can be rated on the American scale (just a number)
the European scale (the P- scale) or the Japanese scale. Once you get what you
want there are a million variables on how you use it.
If you had a shop full of skilled body guys or paint prep guys they would all
be doing things just a little different based on there experience and prejudices.
The one tool you would see in use quite a bit is a DA or double acting
pnuematic or electric sander. One of the major paint suppliers says that
a skilled prep man can get a door panel ready with a DA in 6 minutes.
Good luck!
issues that can arise in prep for a paint job. For one thing realize that the
quality of any paint job is 90 to 95 percent in the preperation. Basically what
you need to do is try to educate yourself on the broad topic of paint and
paint systems to do a adequate job of preperation. The fun part is the more
you learn the more you realize there is to learn. This forum and the archives
a long with a couple of how to paint books will get you pointed in the right
direction.
Specificaly with regard to sandpaper there are various types and catagories. The
grit rating or "scratch" is or can be rated on the American scale (just a number)
the European scale (the P- scale) or the Japanese scale. Once you get what you
want there are a million variables on how you use it.
If you had a shop full of skilled body guys or paint prep guys they would all
be doing things just a little different based on there experience and prejudices.
The one tool you would see in use quite a bit is a DA or double acting
pnuematic or electric sander. One of the major paint suppliers says that
a skilled prep man can get a door panel ready with a DA in 6 minutes.
Good luck!
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
The DA is the greatest thing. I would highly recommend buying one. I've only been doing a few backyard projects and I would say that the DA is hands down the best money spent...but you need an air compressor that will keep up. Anyway, prep is the part of the paint process I hate most and the DA made the prep that much easier for me. Just my experience.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,068
Likes: 0
From: western montana
you can get some air tools for cheap these days...not the best quality but if your not prepping a bunch of cars who cares. I would NOT get a DA sander unless you have a big air compressor. they need major cfm to be any good. A regular air sander isn't so bad but DA's suck if you have little air. You can use a cheap orbital electric sander for a single job almost as quickly if you use 80 or even 40 grit paper. You can't wet sand with it (unless auditioning for the new jackass movie) but they will get the paint off quickly and cheaply. Buy a lot of extra sand paper and learn when to change it for best results. what about dents? for the rusty areas- I take it's surface rust that you will need to get it down to metal- then still coat with ospho or something. If it goes through the metal...uh oh.
You will need to know what he will use to paint ie if he will lay down some epoxy primer and then some latex type fill primer you will be able to use rougher paper as sand scatches will be better dealt with.
Your former student is getting the fun part...spraying. Prep is everything but if you use the right color etc you can get a decent paint job that will protect your rig and if thats all you want...don't get too worked up over exacting detail.
You will need to know what he will use to paint ie if he will lay down some epoxy primer and then some latex type fill primer you will be able to use rougher paper as sand scatches will be better dealt with.
Your former student is getting the fun part...spraying. Prep is everything but if you use the right color etc you can get a decent paint job that will protect your rig and if thats all you want...don't get too worked up over exacting detail.
