Clean Metal

Clean Metal

This report describes our way of painting.We don't claim this to be the ultimate and most professional method, but giving you the best possible result for the least cost. If the genuine paint is in perfect condition it is actually rather easy to apply a new lacquer. Simply sand the paint down to the primer or at least sufficiently for the new paint to adhere to. In our case we need to remove the paint down to the bare metal which will also give the best result. There are various different ways how to do that. You may use: sandblasting, sander, wire brush, just to name a few. Do not forget to remove rust and repair any dents you don't want to be visible when the painting is complete. What you miss doing at this step will not be possible to be repaired after the paint is on.

Degrease

Degrease

One of the most important preparation steps. Whenever you have a dry and of course cleaner resistant layer you wish to process, make sure it is absolutely free of grease and oil. Of course, if you have just added primer and you want to imediately add another layer of primer, paint or coat, you should not touch the 'young' surface but you may directly apply the new material. Clean all surfaces thoroughly. We prefer using silicon remover but any other dregreasing liquid will basically do the job. Just make sure that the liquid used doesn't harm the primer, filler or paint. You have to do this in order to make sure no oils and grease (including body oils from fingers and hands) are on the object. Be also careful when removing any dust or other dirt partciles from the object using an air gun. Most often the air from those compressors (especially the one for non-professional home use) contains some invisible amount of water/humidity and even oil.

Rust Protection

Rust Protection

Sometimes you may have marks left from where corrocion took place. We cover those areas by adding rust protection before priming. We recommend something called BRUNOX Epoxy Rust Converter. The big advantage of this liquid is that it has no best before date, theoretically you don't have to sand it after it's been dried and you don't have to flush it with tons of water just like compared to FERTAN. It also acts as a kind of pre-primer because of the epoxy inside. Nevertheless you should prime the surface properly. Wherever you applied the BRUNOX you will see the color turning to purple-black after some minutes.

Primer

Primer

Prime all surface with a corrosion resistant primer. That goes for all areas where you have removed all paint down to bare metal but also to such parts you have applied filler to. Use enough filler if you have areas on which you should fill any scratches or small pits. Allow the primer to cure thoroughly. Check for manufacturers information. Primer curing times may differ. Some primers may even require recoating (for example applying final paint layer) in a certain time period after the application.

Apply Body Filler

Apply Body Filler

As explained before, after the basic preparation you prime all of the surface before adding any filler. The reason for is simply that most of the fillers are hydrophilic. The rule of thumb is that body filler shall not exceed 3mm of thickness. Otherwise there is a high risk of cracks and flakes braking off. If you need more material than 3mm height, we recommend using tin. It might be helpful to mark all areas you wish to apply filler to. Simply use a pencil, that won't harm the filler. Having a clear understanding of all areas you want to fill is extremely helpful when you have started to mix the hardener because time will be your biggest challenge here. Once you mixed filler and hardener (secure the correct mixture ratio as stated by the vendor) you have limited time (a few minutes) left before it becomes tough and basically unusable. Do not try to add, move, spread or smoothen tough filler! It won't work and in the worst case you will have to remove the whole section and start all over again. If it is your first time using body filler you better get used to it and run some test on any neutral material you don't need any longer. Use a scraper that has the appropriate size and is completely clean from any dirt or old and hard filling paste. Apply enough filling paste to the designated area. YOu have to sand it down again in order to get a smooth transition. Allow the filler enough time to cure. At least over night.

Sand Body Filler

Sand Body Filler

Various different methods exist. We explain the one we usually conduct. Firstly we sand the upper filler layer with an electrical sander using sandpaper 120 grit. This simply helps reducing the amount of time needed before you can begin to smoothen the surface. You may now use a 400 grit and manually remove the last bits and pieces of rough material. For the finishing touch we use waterproof sandpaper 800-1000 grit. All of these steps require a lot of patience, self-control and accuracy. All you screw up during this process will be visible later on when the finish paint is on. Test for uneven transitions using your finger tips. As soon as you believe that all is smooth and nice, check for any newly exposed metal, carefully clean and degrease the surface and apply a last layer of primer to cover all. After the primer has cured you may find some last missed out sections. If not, continue with the next step. If yes, you have to start reworking those arease again.

Filler Spray

Filler Spray

As soon as you have finalized the sanding job you may apply some filler spray to the whole of the chassis. Of course the vendors inside plus the floorboard bottom may be left out. As for all spray jobs: make sure that no particles are left on the surface and that it is complately degreased. We sand the filler spray with waterproof 1000 grit sandpaper. This will help you to remove the last tiny scratches and have an absolute smooth and even surface. You can spray several layers of filler in order to get a thicker basis. But always spray thin layers and allow each layer to cure. Don't spray thick and rather fluid layers of filler as it won't really cure very well and even leave some soft spots behind which will cause you only but extra work. Some filler spray even work as primer and you may safe the effort of adding primer after you are done with the filling.

Paint Job

Paint Job

Clean the surface after priming to remove any dust or oil that has accumulated during the filling and priming process. Use grease remover, silicon remover or acetone. either use a spray gun or spray cans. In any case prepare the paint for spraying according to manufacturer's directions. Spray cans must be shaken well for at least 3 minutes in order to secure a proper mix of color pigments and aerosol. Also pay attention to the recommended temperature for spray paint. It should be at least 50°F/10°C but the ideal temperature is around 70°F/21°. The surrounding area should be as dust-free as possible. Start applying thin layers in a crossed pattern. Excellent paint finishes have to be built up from several layers of paint. Apply each layer on still tacky surface. After each layer give the paint about 3 minutes of time to 'respire'. The previous layer should still be uncured and soft and the new layer is supposed to re-melt with the last coat. The final layer can be but doesn't neceessarily need to be done in a way that the final surface appears shiny and sort of 'wet'. But be extremely cautious to not produce any runs. Also 'orange peel' or 'cracking paint' may result from too much paint spray in one layer. When that happens, just stop and let the paint dry. Sorry to say but you have to sand everything smooth and re-coat it again. If shit really hits the fan you have to strip the whole area down again to the bare surface. If you have all steps done in the right way you will have created a smooth and nice surface. Eventually you apply some clear coat to give your paint job the very final touch. There are two different ways of doing so. Either you let the fresh and final layer of finish paint cure for about 15 minutes and directly apply the clear coat on top of the tacky surface. Or you wait until your paint has fully cured, then softly sand the complete surface with grit 1000-1500 sandpaper and clean the whole surface again before applying the clear coat. In both cases make sure you follow the same pattern as for the ordinary colour paint. For clear coat it is even more important to start with some thin layers before adding the final coat.

Summary

Sand Down to Bare Surface
   Degrease
Rust Protection
   Degrease
Primer
   Degrease
Filler
Sanding (Grit 400 Dry - Grit 1000 Wet)
   Degrease
Filler Spray
Sanding (Grit 1000 Wet)
   Degrease
Paint Job
Clear Coat