Car canopy and painting

[1-3-2-4]

Thinking about painting my Legacy next year over the summer and I'm trying to think wanting to avoid painting in the direct open how about a car canopy? I think I might be using PPG Omini paint and will be soda blasting the car.

 

Anyways the question is is the canopy decent enough?

 

Anyone curious it's the HF item 98253

[Scoobywagon]

A car canopy isn't a bad idea. The biggest thing is surface prep. After that, its all about keeping the air clean while you spray. What kind of surface will you be working on? Dirt? Concrete? Asphalt?

[1-3-2-4]

dirt but I plan on parking the car on a large plastic tarp.

 

As for the prep I plan to take too weeks off or a possible 3 weeks..

 

My main question is how long after the painting could I drive the car? This will be done about 600 miles from home.

[Scoobywagon]

If you're working on dirt, wet the ground first. Once you've got the whole area good and wet, then put down your plastic sheet and wet everything down again. Then pull the car in.

 

As for drive away time, that really depends on the paint you're spraying, how heavily you're applying it and ambient temperature. I'm not familiar with the PPG Omni product, but the shop where you buy it should be able to advise you. I will tell you this... I've shot a LOT of things with Nason Fast Dry. It is a cheap paint that is intended for use on heavy equipment. It dries REALLY fast. As a matter of fact, if you don't set your gun properly, it is possible to apply it as a powder. It basically comes out of the gun and dries in the air at which point it doesn't stick to anything. But, if I shoot it with my siphon feed gun, it takes a good 4-6 hours to dry properly. On the other hand, I've also shot with Centari. That stuff takes a little while to dry. Takes at least 30 minutes between coats for sanding. AT LEAST 24 hours to dry hard enough to drive.

 

I certainly would not plan on driving the car for AT LEAST 24 - 36 hours. I'd let it go at least a full 2 days if possible.

[1-3-2-4]

yeah i'd be in no rush to drive just curious about dry time.. I know the time of the year I will be going it might be humid some days too.

[heartless]

a canopy for painting would be ok, but plan on enclosing as much as possible with either tarps or plastic (large roll of 2-3 mil clear plastic would be a good choice) - will help to keep the dust & bugs out.

 

Scoobywagon gave good advice on wetting things down first. And do your "blasting" as far away from where you will painting as possible to prevent contamination.

 

Humidity will definitely affect your drying time - again - ask the paint dealer about all of that - the more info you can get the better off you will be.

 

Good luck!

[1-3-2-4]

Yeah I plan on sealing up any opening to keep it out.. However one question is about having fresh air.. How would I go about that?

 

I just want to plan this way in advance so I wont miss anything.. I don't need a top showroom finish but the paint is tired and I have at least 2 rust bubbles I need to check out (gas tank door), roof right above the windshield glass.

 

here is a picture from about 2 months ago

 

I hope subaru has a replacement door molding I plain on just painting the car flat black.

 

[Scoobywagon]

If you're just going to paint the car flat black, save your money. Use Nason Fast Dry and add a flatter. Stuff is both cheap and TOUGH!

[1-3-2-4]

If you're just going to paint the car flat black, save your money. Use Nason Fast Dry and add a flatter. Stuff is both cheap and TOUGH!

 

I need to buy the kit? and tough? How long can I expect it to last?

[Scoobywagon]

I need to buy the kit? and tough? How long can I expect it to last?

 

There's not a kit, per se. Any paint you buy is going to consist of several parts. There's going to be paint, reducer and (in some cases) hardener.

 

I'm not familiar with the Omni product, so I looked it up. It seems to be targeted at the auto rebuild market. It is a 2-stage system, meaning basecoat/clearcoat. It also consists of primer and, of course, the requisite reducers and hardeners.

 

Nason Fast Dry, on the other hand, is a single stage system. All you need to shoot it is the paint and the reducer. In your case, since you want flat black, you'll also want flattener. The paint mixes 4:1 with the reducer and the flattener is mixed in at not more than 10%. So, if you want to mix up 4 oz of paint, you add 1 oz of reducer and not more than .4 oz of flattener. A gallon of fast dry in black runs about $100. A quart of reducer is about $10. The flattener is kind of spendy. Runs about $5 per ounce. For your application, you're likely to need 2-3 quarts. I'd go ahead and get the gallon can, as there is usually a bit of a price break there and it gives you plenty of paint in case you screw something up. In that case, you'd need maybe 7 oz of flattener. So you're looking at about $145 in paint.

 

My guess is that you'd be looking at closer to $250 in the Omni paint.

 

The Nason is intended for use on heavy equipment, so it tends to be fairly hard once set and resists UV pretty well, too. I've always been happy with the stuff I've shot with it. Just my 2 cents, but that's the way I'd do it.

[1-3-2-4]

There's not a kit, per se. Any paint you buy is going to consist of several parts. There's going to be paint, reducer and (in some cases) hardener.

 

I'm not familiar with the Omni product, so I looked it up. It seems to be targeted at the auto rebuild market. It is a 2-stage system, meaning basecoat/clearcoat. It also consists of primer and, of course, the requisite reducers and hardeners.

 

Nason Fast Dry, on the other hand, is a single stage system. All you need to shoot it is the paint and the reducer. In your case, since you want flat black, you'll also want flattener. The paint mixes 4:1 with the reducer and the flattener is mixed in at not more than 10%. So, if you want to mix up 4 oz of paint, you add 1 oz of reducer and not more than .4 oz of flattener. A gallon of fast dry in black runs about $100. A quart of reducer is about $10. The flattener is kind of spendy. Runs about $5 per ounce. For your application, you're likely to need 2-3 quarts. I'd go ahead and get the gallon can, as there is usually a bit of a price break there and it gives you plenty of paint in case you screw something up. In that case, you'd need maybe 7 oz of flattener. So you're looking at about $145 in paint.

 

My guess is that you'd be looking at closer to $250 in the Omni paint.

 

The Nason is intended for use on heavy equipment, so it tends to be fairly hard once set and resists UV pretty well, too. I've always been happy with the stuff I've shot with it. Just my 2 cents, but that's the way I'd do it.

 

Yeah I checked out the Nason and a lot of people liked it dealing with hotrods. This past winter my hood looks like crap but I plan on locating a GT hood

 

Also does this type of paint have a self life unopened?

Edited June 24, 2010 by 1-3-2-4

[Scoobywagon]

A few tips for painting. Invest in a breather. THose little filter mask things aren't going to get it. Also, a good set of goggles. Paint in your eye is no fun.

 

Make sure you have plenty of ventilation. If I were you, I would invest in at least 4 box fans. Cheap ones are ok. I'd also get enough of that bulk furnace filter media to cover them. I'd install 2 up high and blowing into the canopy through filters. The other 2 you be down low at the other end of the canopy and blowing out, also through filters. That should get you enough air flow to let you work without kicking up a bunch of dust and dirt to get stuck in your paint.

[Scoobywagon]

It undoubtedly has a shelf life, but I've never run into it. If you find that you've mixed up too much, you're kinda hosed, though. You'll end up throwing it out, so be careful about how much you mix. Then again, this stuff is cheap enough that if you throw out a few ounces...meh...

[1-3-2-4]

yeah I plan on getting a breather it would be crazy to spray without it!

 

Now for the fans wont I need to cut a opening for them?

[Scoobywagon]

Either cut openings for them or build a jig to hold them. Just something to make sure that the air only goes one direction and that it doesn't stir up a bunch of crap in the air to get all in your paint.

[1-3-2-4]

yeah that would be bad if that happened!

 

I hope when I paint the car I don't have as many birds poop on my car anymore..

 

For some reason they love to poop on brown and green a lot.. woke up yesterday to no less then 6 droppings on the car.

[1-3-2-4]

question does soda blasting work on things like the plastic bumpers?

[Scoobywagon]

I'd imagine that it does, but I have no experience with it. I'm not sure I would bother. I'd just sand carefully. But if you have access to the equipment, sounds like a good plan. Just be careful so as to not burn a hole in the plastic.

[1-3-2-4]

I think it should be ok it wont heat the plastic.

[Scoobywagon]

No, it won't heat up the plastic, but the plastic is very soft and it will be VERY easy to go right through the plastic or even just dish it or deform it.

[1-3-2-4]

I understand I see that setup garage is going to be on sale However I noticed the size of it.. 16 ft. 9" L x 8 ft. 10" W x 7 ft. 1/2" H

 

that would be a tight squeeze with the wagon in it, no?

[Scoobywagon]

That's a little tight for working space, but it could be done.

[1-3-2-4]

hmm now looking at it more painting should be done 8-16 inches away?

 

I wonder if building a box from 2 inch PVC piping might be better? and I think cheaper? only thing is not real sure how to anchor it.

 

As it being square I wonder how much of a load it can support..