painting help

[rod7515]

Well here you go, another paint thread where the poster has never painted before. I am starting to prepare myself for painting my 66 Dart. I have experimented with paint cans to find the paint scheme I want. I will post all pics at the end of this opening post since I have never found success in putting pics in the middle as I talk about them. Anyway I am going to be going with a 3 color scheme and I will be using Nason which I am told is a dupont off brand. I've ordered the paint and it's going to be basecoat/clearcoat. The base is "Ful-base B/C basecoat" as on the data sheet. The clear will be "selectclear 465-00 clearcoat as per data sheet. I will need to get a better gun to do the finished clearcoat.
I will start my experience in the engine compartment some time in the next few days. I have the front fenders off the car and all suspension and k-frame is removed. It has been sanded down to bare metal and I plan on priming it with the gun I have now. It was a friends that used to paint for a living so I know it will be good for primer. I am going to need to get a decent gun for the color and clear coat. I bought a grease/wax remover to wipe it down before any painting and I understand the importance of the prep.
Now for the first questions, My data sheet for the base coat says in the mixing reducing "8:1/2:4.
8 Parts ful base
1/2 part ful-base 483-30 activator
4 parts ful-base 441-2X reducers. "

1. My question is how much would you recommend I mix to do an engine compartment. I dont want to waste paint by mixing to much then having to throw it away because the pot life says 4 hours. I have purchased 3 qts of the white, 2 quarts of the red, and 2 quarts of the black. They are going to put all colors in quart containers so I only have to open as I need to.
2. When mixing what does the term spray viscosity "20-21" #2 zahn cup mean?
3. Also how do I know what tip will give me the best coating? it lists 1.3mm to 1.6mm depending on the type of gun.
next it says to apply 2 medium wet coats or to hiding? allow each coat to flash dull/dry.
4. Recoating: anytime

Then lastly it says drying time: allow basecoat to set up for 15 minutes prior to clear coating.

Now when doing the clear coat what should I do differently to get a nice gloss/shine. As I said the engine compartment will be the first area and I dont really want to have to wetsand and buff in there. Is that possible to not have to do by applying the clear thicker or differently?

Now i dont see a problem with doing the engine compartment but how do I get all this done in the timeline when I go to do the whole body? how long can the basecoat wait while I change and spray my other colors. I wont be painting the car until the spring but I wanted to get all materials now before the laws change on what we can buy/spray as I live in Pa and the neighboring Maryland must have already changed what can be used. This way I have everything I need.

Im not trying to build a showcar so all i need is a nice finish. I realize that the exterior of the car will need wet sanded and buffed. That alone will be another first time task. I have a thread started in the restoration forum under "66 Dodge Dart" if you want to check out my build as I go.

I know I probably left many questions not asked, and I know I will screw some of this up and have to redo some or all. Guess that will be the learning curve. I appreciate any suggestions, information and tips on what I need to do. Body work will be done by someone else at this time unless he doesnt move fast enough to get me ready for a spring painting, but thats really something I dont want to tackle on my own. He owes me some money and would rather work off his debt!

Sorry for the long post but I am sure this is only the beginning of my questions.
Thanks Rod
View attachment DSCN2961.jpg

View attachment DSCN2963.jpg

View attachment DSCN3092.jpg

 

[adiffrentcity]

Phew...... Down the rabbit hole you go!

1. I am unfamiliar with nason, but I would guess close to a pint ready to spray for the engine bay. This is from me assuming you're going to do it white, looking at your color scheme. I know it may seem like a lot, but in my experience any "value line" is going to take more to achieve hiding. This of course will also be affected by the color of the primer or sealer you use. A white sealer or light grey primer will cover faster than something darker

2. This refers to the "thickness" of the base coat. 20-21 is time in seconds it takes to drain out of the standard measurement cup "zhan cup". Not something you need to worry about, mixing according to the ratio will ensure proper viscosity.

3. I would go with a 1.3/1.4, to ensure good atomization. Check around on the net for tips setting up whatever gun you use. Fwiw a guy who works for my company uses a gun he bought from northern tool every day on customer cars with great success. It is a roll of the dice, but sometimes the cheap stuff works good. It is important to let the paint dry between coats, that dull look is a good indicator of dryness, also you can touch paint you'll sand later like the tops of the fenders. Give it a good press with your thumb and twist, if it doesn't smudge or wipe off you're good to go. Should take 5-10 minutes depending on temp in the shop and reducer speed.

4. Don't try to put the clear on thick, this will lead to runs. To keep from having too much orange peel/texture, try to find the sweet spot for distance of the tip from the panel you're painting, usually 6 to 8 inches. But depends on air pressure, how fast you're moving, and the thickness of the clear.

As far as painting the whole car, the base coat will be fine during the time it takes to tape up the different color sections, even if it takes most of the day.

The best thing to do to make sure it turns out the way you want is practice. Even if it's on a coffe can or bowling pin or junk fender or whatever. Paint is expensive, but the shop I buy from usually has some mis-mixed base or old stock that they mark way down, maybe you could find something similar where you bought your paint.

A couple important things: you want the temp to be consistent as possible when you paint the car, and you'll need a lot of compressed air, if your compressor is struggling to keep up it'll be next to impossible to get the atomization you need for a good finish. Use a tack rag between coats of base and before your first coat of clear. Also invest in an air dryer, those toilet paper types are probably the best value, just make sure to change rolls a couple times during the job.

As always, this stuff is based on my personal experience and your results may vary. With the attention to detail you are showing and a little practice you should do just fine!