It has begun,but will it continue...?

[NosFEratu]

I won't repeat everything above but I'm assuming you're pretty happy with how it's all coming together. And if you're not, I hope you realise that you're well within driving distance to give a good smack around the head to!   

[TTV6FC]

No trick photography here Paul but I guess I should have mentioned that the door and boot lid had just been blocked back and are still wet.That is one way to be able to see just how straight they are and there is no real reason why they won't end up looking like this once clear coated and buffed.I hope that doesn't put a downer on everyones expectations of my ability  ...

[brads59]

Jamie, just stumbled upon your thread and spent over an hour from page 1 to 12.
Honestly mate this is an absolute credit to you, simply bloody amazing craftmanship and if i had a poofteenth(tech term) of the skills you obviously have,id be happy.
I have a black FC std that hasnt as much rust as yours did,but mine will be nowhere as good as yours mate, well done.
Im in Adelaide also maybe should catch up for a beer.
Again congrats mate truly outstanding.
Cheers  Brad

[TTV6FC]

Thanks Brad.It really helps to get these kind of comments because anyone who has done this kind of rebuild will understand how hard it is to stay motivated.I have spent a few more hours this week blocking and rubbing the car back again after re-HiFilling.I bought a cheap STAR Hi-Fill spray putty gun which I should have bought right at the start.It's not rocket science but I didn't realise how much better a gun with a 2.8mm tip will lay down Hi-Fill than a 1.8mm tip.You learn from your mistakes and other peoples advice.All the pits are now gone from the roof and I only have to go around and "dust" over a few rub throughs on edges before "Betty" is ready to paint.Thanks for all your support guys and girls,it helps!Jamie.

[hrpremier]

Jamie

While your offering adivise I was wondering what makes a good paint gun.  Bit of research tonight has only confused me more.  Obvious a grovity fed gun with a interchangeable tip.  Should I be looking for a gun which as multi stage triggers.  What size canister for panels should be a minimum and the specs Ive been looking at brag about psi ratings is this really important, or just a sales pitch, and again what is a minmum if important.

What model is yours pictured on previous pages.  I know it comes down to the operator but looking at your finish seems to be a credit to the guns and your ability.

What Filler and Hi Filler are you using also.  Went to a local Paint wholesaler today to get an idea but was curious what others prefer to use.

Hope this is not to much to ask.  Your input is valued.

Jase

You can email me at kerrmit@bigpond.com if its easier

[TTV6FC]

Ok Jase,here we go...Firstly I am barely a novice at this painting thing and have only learned bits and pieces from doing some research and I agree it can be confusing.The gun I am using is an Iwata W-400 and was around $500.I only justified buying it after selling a whole heap of surplus crap I had lying around.I figured I would buy the best gun I could afford so I couldn't blame the equipment.If you go to websites like the Anest Iwata site it has a table which tells you exactly what type of gun to use for which type of paint (primers,Acrylic,clears,2Pak etc).The tip size is determined by which paint you are using so you need to know this first for example Acrylic has an ideal tip size of 1.8-2.0mm.My gun came standard with a 1.4mm tip for 2pak and I bought an extra tip for Acrylic.Gravity guns are also not the be all and end all.They make it easier when you are doing the roof because you don't have the pot swinging around in the way but gravity guns have a limited pot capacity compared to suction guns.I recently also bought a gun specifically for doing HiFill which has a 2.8mm tip and although it was cheap by comparison to the Iwata (about $150) it does a great job at spraying the primer without having to thin it down at all which saves you a lot of time not having to do so many coats especially if you have a lot of pitting.The psi rating is normally a maximum pressure rating for the gun and most people I have talked to spray at between 25-45 PSI but this varies a bit depending on what type of paint you are using and other factors.The canisters or pots on the gravity guns are usually 600ml and some suction guns are 1L.The advice I was given by many professional painters was try to use all the same brand of products ie thinners,primers,top coat,clear and metal preps.I have been using ProTec for everything except the Light polyester filler which is Wurth brand.At the end of the day,the results you get will take practise and I still have a long way to go but I have learned a hell of a lot so far and am starting to achieve some reasonable results.I also don't have high expectations so that when something turns out well,I am pleasantly surprised.... If anyone else has any input (ED  ),feel free to post as we could all do with the advice.Hope this helps,Jamie.

[GOA350]

I painted my FE in acrylic with a cheap standard gun, and it turned out well enough to win 2006 Nationals Grand Champion Modified. The one thing with Acrylic paint, is that it give you alot of leaniency when you make a mistake. All it means is that you have to do more rubbing, and take it from me, you will get sick of rubbing.
 But i must admit, i would love to buy a couple of new guns, to try and make the job a bit easier. If you talk to someone who does it all the time you will get the best advice of which equipment to buy.

[Ed]

Hey there Jamie,

I'm a self taught painter too I read a magazine article in Street Machine in 1988 and thought.. hey sounds easy....Like most others on here I just gave it a go.

The best thing to do is just to practice, practice and ask questions to the right people.  My local paint shop and pro painters always share their knowledge with me because they can see I'm interested... I just ask them questions.

my fave gun is my suction feed touch up gun (Star).. it was cheap but it atomises the best out of all my guns. If you keep them clean they will last a long time.  The rest of my guns are all Star gravity guns with various fluid tips as described.

I'm also finding the more jobs I do, the easier it gets, the better my eye and feel of the panels becomes.

as with anything like welding or painting etc, you will find the setup that best suits your style of painting... and if it gets the result you're after...nice.

I'm using Protec paint too now. I like it and the supplier is only 5 mins away.

Cheers

Ed

[TTV6FC]

I have four guns in total now,the Iwata W-400 Gravity,A Star S-106 gravity,a Star S-710 suction and a real cheap Spear and Jackson touch up suction (which actually works remarkably well).By no means am I suggesting you can't get good results from a cheaper gun,I painted the BSA with the S-710 and it turned out great.

[TTV6FC]

Managed to get a bit more done over the last few days since I'm on afternoon shift.Sorry but a few of the photos are a bit crappy.Hope to get the body painted in the next week before the weather turns to crap.Jamie.





Will be removing the old masking plastic before painting the body as it has a lot of built up paint residue on it from rubbing back and I don't want that in the top coat.Cheers,Jamie.

[EffCee]

Jamie,

Certainly looking good, good to see that you are still able to make some progress on it

Keith

[FC_fer_me]

Great work Jamie, I wish I was at the painting stage but being a 1 armed bandit at the moment all I can do is wander around the shed and dream! Hopefully I'll have my arm out of this pain in the butt sling in a couple of weeks and be able to use it again even if it is just to pat my FC affectionately. Hey Jack .might still need that lift to Orange will let you know in a couple of weeks! Cheers for now, Jack.

[fc2360]

wish iwas up to your stage its looking good
reguards Geoff

[jack_fc]

Hey Jack .might still need that lift to Orange will let you know in a couple of weeks! Cheers for now, Jack.

no probs, mate! Always room for you in our car  Let us know how you go; I hope you're fit enough to drive
'old faithful' to Orange, but if not, we'll pick you up on the way past.
cheers, jack

[TTV6FC]

I know there's possibly not a lot of interest with the Nats being on and all but I just thought I'd let you all know I've done the first three base coats.Betty is Black again!



More soon Jamie.P.S Hope everone is having fun in Orange!

[stock]

Stunning mate... What great progress, all things considered!!

I must say, my green man is coming out, given that mine is still sitting in the same spot it was 6 months ago when I got it blasted and etch primed it (the week before we went to Gazzanats - that's why the blasting was on the DVD!!)

I bet when you think back to all the times your enthusism started to wane, it all pales into insignificance now.

Once again, well done mate. I'll be head if the queue to utilise your experience (and your Iwata) when I finally get around to painting mine!! I hope they let us work on it in the nursing home .

Catch you soon mate.

[smithy]

hey jamie, its people like you, the people like us who couldnt make it to the nats are interested in. (i spent some of the weekend carpeting my boot )
mate the finish looks great keep at it.

best part about is at the end YOU can stand back and say I di it

i still think the best respnose you can have from any car you did is when you park it, walk away then turn around and say to yourself f**k that looks nice.  

well done mate, cant wait till panels are hung.

dean

[Paul In Ireland]

Great job and I too will still be watching progress. And I am not at the Nats either.... 

[Old_Mt_Isa_Boy]

Looks fantastic Jamie. I think us poor bastards not at the Nats have appreciated the update. Well done.

Regards Wayne

[pedro]

Looks great Jamie, you're on the home straight now, maybe you should have called this build "Back in black" .
       Pedro