I love these threads

Thanks Mike,
so what are the correct ratios for an acrylic backyard spraypainter

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"All I want is less to do, more time to do it, and higher pay for not getting it done.''

2 pac aint bad for you!! hahaha well mabey - i grown up in a paint shop and been around it my whole life.... hmmm mabey why i have that twitch........

and just read the can, most painters i know (myself included) just mix the paint and pour a bit of thinners in as you go till just enough bubbles form on top (unthinned paint has very little) but this is after mixing hundreds of litres lol.....

also on a colder day make it a bit thicker... may show up with a bit of peel effect but you wont get big hangers running down your panels

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backyard performance............. Aint it the best

I kinda disagree on a few things. Having painted many concourse cars and hotrods that have taken out multiple trophys I have a few points to add. The texture of acrylic is a much finer paint. If it is cared for properly you will get a far superior finish in acrylic than 2pac. Anyone who has been in the business a while will tell you the change to 2k is a financial one. It is easy to apply, covers well and saves hours in buffing time and rub-throughs. If you want show finish on 2k you still have to rub back and buff anyway. You dont have to clear coat the acrylic in fact I have seen more stuffups on the clear coat than anything else. Consider this as an option. I was taught by an old school rodder. Try this, lay your acrylic on a bit heavy, up your ratio of colour to thinner to 1:1. Go slowly with your strokes so that the paint looks heavy as you lay it. Not too close or it will bloom. You will get a feel for how much you can lay on at a time. Dont wait too long between coats as this will allow the fresh coat to slightly wet the previous coat. It will blend better. If you can get it as wet as possible without the runs you are on track. Even with acrylic it should look very glossy off the gun. DO NOT rub back between coats. this is an old wives tale, instead lay on many coats. Generally I use the rule 3x3. Three coats wet then let it set for 15 minutes, then repeat . 3 coats wet then let it set. A total of 9 coats per panel. It will give you a very thick luster to the edges of the doors etc, looks amazing. Let it harden for at least a week. Go to Dulux and special order 2000wet and dry paper. When rubbing down use a large hand sander wherever possible and in your water put in some dishwashing liquid. It prevents the paper from clogging as badly as the paper is very fine. Head to repco and order the full professional range of polish from Maguires. Start with heavy cut, then move to medium, then fine cut then swirl remover then medallion finish. With each product polish the paint hard 3 times in circles and finish off by using a light polish with that grade running horizontal to the car ie from front to back (this prevents swirls under fluoro lights). Yes this takes about 2 weeks to do but I guarantee you will have the most amazing finish, and all from a backyarder. Everywhere I go people ask me about my paint. Who did it, what brand of paint etc. This is the secret, not hard just take your time. Any problems PM me. PS pictures of lown blown are on here before it was cut back should be able to see what it looks like off the gun.

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1970 Cooper S ex-Bathurst & ATCC
1964 Austin Cooper S ex-Group C race car
1967 Morris Cooper S ex-Group B
1962 Mini Speed sports sedan
1968-71 ex-Peter Manton Shell car

Low n' Blown, I agree fully, you are fully on the mark just better at explaining than me!

My acrylic wasn't shiney when first painted but came up really well, too bad about me panel beating skills.... but that's unrelated to paint. I don't like clear coat very much, it does give a shine without buffing but after buffing it's the same really, plus I had to sand back an entire side of my car from clear coat, it seems much easier to stuff up than paint so yeah standard colour is my way, then hours of cutting and polishing but it's worth it, look at my sig. Home done, looks great, appart from the dents and such.

Also it's a matter of opinion I like acrylic look better than 2-pac. Just a personal opinion on that.

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Yup what he said... For the correct ratios read the can... Different paints companies have different ratios... Acrlyic isnt a bad paint however you have to car for it a whole lot more.. It goes chalky quickly espesially reds and generally fades faster... This is why you have to look after it... If you keep it clean and polish it every other week it will last forever..

Mike

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If it cant be fixed with a hammer it cant be FIXED!!

Great advice guys, I have taken all this on board and you will see my results soon.

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"All I want is less to do, more time to do it, and higher pay for not getting it done.''

if your putting that many coats of paint on be carefull around door edges ect... if it builds up too much and your gaps are quite fine you may destroy your new paint!!

personally i still prefer my 2K, although a nice enamel paint is ok i really like to clear my cars over (often with not so clear clear coat) just to make it different from every1 else

but all depends on your experience and preferences



I did this on the weekend with a $60 tin of enamel, 3 coats came up pretty sweet.... and very shiney, even if it is an ugly mitsy

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backyard performance............. Aint it the best

I used enamel on work experience to paint an MGB motor and it came up great. Very high gloss, no clear. But for maximun goodness (for lack of a better term) don't you need to bake it or heat it in anyway? Volkswagons did but the dip painted not spray painted....

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T

Is that a Colt?

Adeee would love it!

enamel isnt really good for cars.. trailers maybe but its not designed to be applied on cars..

2k wont kill you in a hurry slinkey inc.. only if you dont use a mask and sit in a sealed room.. even then ittle take a while.. i was talking to my boss today.. about the differences between the two paints and it is strongly in favour of 2k, if it wasnt superior we wouldnt use it in the industry.. theres no quality sacrafice, if there was it wouldnt be used.. people are too picky with their cars to have imperfections. weve painted heaps of show winning cars and all have been in 2k.. acrylic just takes so much work to get a good finish.. most cars ive seen painted with it have little patches of faded paint where the owner couldnt sand... etc.. and from a home job thats what you need to expect to see but it just looks untidy and makes a nice car look crap. if you can.. paint it with 2pac... ittle just make the whole job seem so much better. and if your not painted a metalic colour you dont even need to apply alot of clear.

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Potato

Its simple... What do the car manufactures paint with? 2pac.... Thats why the industry changed paints.. Mate we cant even use a normal mig welder anymore.. We have to use a inverter mig . Cost about 10Gs.. As the car manufactures change. So do we..

Mike

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If it cant be fixed with a hammer it cant be FIXED!!

A guy my dad knew of in the Air Force who used 2 pack as it was used on planes before cars, who died from one day with a broken air supply, he was completely breathing the fumes...and died!

IMO all paints have their advantage and disadvatages. Acrylic is for back ayrd open air painters, 2pak is for cars that are intended to be painted and left that way and done in a controlled environment. I didn't like the width of my stripes on my car the first time I painted them, so out came the sand paper, then the next day painted outside, BTW I live on a 10 acre property so yeah, no neighbours for a few hundred metres.

<edit> Meeni, I re-read your posts, I agree with the final bit, paint 2-pac if you can,. that is they key here, afterall I'm not really saying 2pac doesn't look as good as 2pac, nah 2pak looks better straight off. Due to my lack of equipment and money adn the need to say "I did everything" on the car, acrylic was the way for me, but my car ain't a show car, I drive it everyday and love it!

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1964 Morris 850, 1330 Supercharged - 81.8hp atws.
1975 Leyland Mini S 1100S powered - Nice and reliable.
1977 Leyland Mini LS - Project LS-T