Hey guys im having some issues. First ill start with some background. Im 24 years old building a street rod 1949 ford F1. I have a 302 with a c4, 9 inch rear. I had big plans to go a full restore and so far the motor is in and the trans is being rebuilt. Any way im getting the itch and want to drive it so bad that i was thinking after i get the drive train up and running putting it in primer and drive it for a bit and save my money so i can finish whatever else i feel needs to be done. The truck was running and solid when i got it so by the time i get it up and running everything is safe and operating. My question is this, i want to do the body work and prime it myself, mabe even paint it, how can i learn how to do everything myself as this is my first build?

 

By doing it. Thats how I learned, lol. Glad to see you going for it, its a VERY rewarding experience!

Painting a car is really 95% sanding. You'll spend dozens of hours sanding and only a couple hours actually putting paint down. It's all about prep work, paint hides NOTHING but shows ALL mistakes.

If you just want to get it ready to drive around, I suggest stripping it down to the bare metal and putting some epoxy primer on it. This will protect it from rusting. Later on you can sand off the primer or even just sand the primer enough to give it the teeth needed for the filler to hold. Course if you want to hammer it all out you could do that with the primer on as well (might need to be reapplied afterwards though).

A duel action sander, aka orbital, is the BEST thing you can buy when painting a car, do not buy a cheap one, you will use this more than anything else! There is a lot that will come up when you go to paint it, its a lot of information but not difficult, just a lot to learn so to speak, but once you do you'll find it very easy.

When you get ready to lay down some paint I would practice a little bit on something scrap. A little practice will go a long ways, gaining the muscle memory of how to say the same distance away, how to keep the gun straight, applying the pressure right as well as when to hold or release the trigger will help considerably when painting. However, to just prime it, no worries. You have to sand primer, no matter what. An epoxy primer is usually considered the best for a first primer. House of Kolor makes a nice epoxy primer that can also be sanded, in which I mean it also fills nicely and sands easy enough. They have what are more filler primers, these are easier to sand and go on thicker "filling" SMALL shallow areas. When you get ready to paint you'll want to look into them.

I would suggest removing all the old paint, making it nice and clean, putting an epoxy primer down then putting on a seal coat. The Sealer is made to go between the primer and paint, usually you have to time this as the paint needs to go over the sealer within a short time frame, however if you are waiting on painting the sealer coat will better protect whats underneath, give it a nice satin black (or white) finish to it, as well as when you go to block sand to prepare for painting it will show you ever little dip or high spot very easily.

I learned to paint off the internet, there is enough information abound to teach you anything anymore. Course nothing beats the first time you lay paint down. For your first job I would NOT suggest a candy or pearl, mainly because you need to be very even with the gun, however in all honesty with enough coats of candy you really don't get a "tiger stripe" problem, least that I've found.

I suggest House of Kolor paints because they have worked well for me, however there are other brands that are really good as well and perhaps a little less expensive. I personally just love HoK's intensity and ease.

Since there is a lot to learn (but don't be discouraged, its VERY fun!) I would suggest just asking the questions as they come to you rather than try to bite it all off at once like I did and wore my brain out, lol. Priming in a different time period than painting will help this as well, to just get it primed takes a lot less than to get the paint pretty.

 

This hobby is all about learning new things..bodywork is no different.Go to the library and check out a few books. Go to the paint and body forum on this site..lots of good info there..and ask questions!
What type paint you decide on using determines the finish procedure.If you decide to go the bc/cc(basecoat/clearcoat) method,.I can higly recommend "Advanced Custom Painting Tecniques" written by Jon Kosmoski, of "House of Color".a very informative,colorful ,step-by-step explaination of the painting process.
As much work goes into preparing the body for paint..as does painting..metalwork/metalshaping,welding,body alignment etc,etc..

And so your adventure begins...Good Luck! Learn alot and keep it fun!!

 

Check out your local vo-tech or jr. college. They usally offer night classes 1 night a week. Good way to use equip. and learn.

 

That's what I was going to suggest. We have a CCOC (adult ed) here that offers body and paint classes for a semester once a week for about 3 hours each class day. It's only about $250 here for the full semester. I haven't taken it, yet. I'm trying to get my employer to pay for the class so I could attend.

Also check with the Job Corps.

 

One suggestion: pick a professional brand of paint for the finish coat, then buy all your undercoat (primer, surfacer, sealer, etc) finishing products from that same manufacturer's line of compatable products. That will save you a lot of grief down the road. Buy from a local pro body shop supplier that sells nothing but paint and body shop supplies rather than by mail order or from chain auto parts store and go in when they are not busy (typically in the later afternoon, but well before closing) and ask them for advice first. Don't be embarassed to admit you are a beginner. If they are not willing/able to spend some time with you suggesting products/procedures, try another store, then buy where you find the most knowlegable and helpful people.
The most common novice mistakes:
1. Trying to use too small a compressor. No 110V compressor will supply enough air!
2. Using too thick paint. Thin to manufacturer's spec with manufacturer's recommended thinner.
3. Using wrong gun/tip. Don't use just any old spray gun! Dedicate a gun to nothing but primer, keep it surgically clean.
4. spraying in too close quarters without proper mask/ventilation. Many of the new finishes can/will kill you! Be sure to buy a mask with the proper filters for the paint you are using (use paint store's advice, masks are a LOT cheaper than death/lifelong breathing problems).

Hint: there are some new direct to metal primers that can/are recommended to be applied with a foam roller rather than sprayed. Ask your paint supplier. Primer is extremely forgiving (runs etc are easily sanded out and touched up), so it is an ideal way to learn.

 

24 years old, amen brother. You can do whatever you want too, confidence is the key. Find everyone that you knows that can paint and ask questions and more questions.

 

There are a number of good instructional DVDs available that cover all aspects of automotive finishing...all the way from metal shaping to custom graphics and everything inbetween. I use Smart Flix (http://smartflix.com/) as a source for just about any how-to video you could imagine. That said, it is a long road between the "knowledge in the head" to the "skill in the hands" but without the knowledge, the skill will never come. I worked in a body shop when I was in high school and I learned a lot even though I was mostly sweeping floors and tearing down wrecks. There were no such things as videos back then so everything you learned had to be at the side of someone smarter than you...sometimes they helped and sometimes they didn't, all depends on how they felt about you and how hungover they may have been on that day. Maybe you can find a good mentor in your area to help you along. Good luck!

 

thanks guys it looks like i have some research to do lol