saddlebags

[kboehringer]

Strainers & Respirator

I bought some strainers for the paint, is that nessesary?

Tim,
The strainers will be a little more important in a month or two when you start working on your other parts (tank, side covers, etc.) All your cans/supplies are new so little dried up crap around the edges of your cans and little dried flecks around the cap of your hardener are not an issue today. Also, those little vibrator strainers in the bottom of the dispensing cup do a nice job of keeping out any trash. You got 'em, so it's certainly not going to hurt anything, use them.....

I didn't mention it in the last few posts but I hope you purchased a RESPIRATOR? Since you are going to be in an enclosed area you will really need to be using that respirator.

KURT

[timktm]

Yes I got the respirator. I built the stand for holding the boxes and lids. I used saw horses with 2x4 in a "T" screwed to them. Will I be ok not masking the insides of them? Also, debating to use plastic hung from the ceiling around the perimeter of the shop or just cover my tools and other things. And debating whether to put my compressor in the other room. The last time we had issues with it drawing in paint. Oh, I am doing the side panels too.
Tim

[kboehringer]

Remove it from the room if its valuable.

just cover my tools and other things

Tim,
In my opinion, no matter how well you do with constructing a mock paint booth, the primer and paint will end up places you don't want it or never imagined it would end up. There are multiple reasons why the pros have a real properly sealed booth; proper drying, containment of overspray, eliminates contamination from dust & dirt, etc. I wouldn't even attempt to construct a mock paint booth it's a waste of time as it will NOT contain the overspray.

I have an attached garage which folks have often mistaken for a living room. It was converted to a living space and I converted it back leaving some of the cool features a living room offers for my "Man Cave". I will NEVER paint in there again! If you have a more traditional detached GARAGE you may not be as concerned about the overspray. BUT, I would remove from the garage or thoroughly cover anything you don't want paint on.

Typically, if the temps are good and the mix is right, the overspray will be nothing more than DUST at a distance of 10' and can be vacuumed off whatever it falls on. If the temps are too cool it will still be wet paint and it's there to stay!

If your garage is VERY clean and disturbing resident dust is not an issue, you could use a SMALL fan placed 10+ feet away from you to PULL the dust from the project area and eject it out a door. This could minimize the "CLOUD". DO NOT direct the fan toward your project or yourself it must be pulling AWAY from you! P.S. The fans blades are going to be covered with paint dust so don't use one your wife likes!

ADDITIONAL PPE:
As mentioned and we agreed, the respirator is a no-brainer in this situation.
You should also be wearing: some new latex or similar gloves, and a long sleeve shirt to protect your arms from overspray. I do a lot of painting and I have a full monkey suit too. I only wear that if I'm doing a large portion of one of the cars and spraying a large quantity of paint.

Although some would disagree, I don't think the exposure of my/our skin to the small amount of overspray from a small bike project is that big a deal or that much of a hazard. However, your hands will be in regular contact with chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. The MSDS (now called SDS) indicates gloves are required for these items. Also, if you need to slightly reposition an item the gloves will keep the oils from your skin off the project.

KURT

[timktm]

Well I laid down some primer today finally. It went well, except I have a few holes I need to go back and fill. I should explain holes. It looks to me like it is a hole where there was filler and there was an air pocket, very noticeable. What is the procedure for that? Also, any tips on the wet sanding?
Thanks,
Tim

[timktm]

Well, well, she has color! I fixed up those areas and put down some black. Looks pretty good. Some orange peel, no runs. Quite a bit of dust but overall not bad. What steps need to be taken to clean up some of that?
Oh, my clumsy hands managed to spill almost half the can of paint!! I have learned a lot from this, thanks Kurt. Painters get the glory for all the bodymans hard work.
Tim

[kboehringer]

Orange Peel - Wet Sand & Buff - TWO WEEKS!

Some orange peel, no runs. Quite a bit of dust but overall not bad. What steps need to be taken to clean up some of that?

Tim,
That sounds great. I'm happy that you are happy with your results. Kinda hard to provide written instructions for this kind of thing. You will find that you get faster and better every time you do one of these projects. You will get a FEEL for the gun and the paint(s) and gain confidence as well.

The next step IN TWO WEEKS will be to wet sand and BUFF the finished product. That will eliminate much of your orange peel and most (if not all) of any dust particles that may have gotten in the paint. The reason for the wait is to assure that all the carrier is evaporated off and the paint is HARD! The professionals can cure their paint in just a few hours in a hot booth.... you've got to give it TIME!

The final buff can turn your good work into TRASH if not done correctly and with the CORRECT tools. Don't go running over to HF to grab that POS buffer/polisher they have. It's a mislabeled "grinder" that will DESTROY your paint and all your hard work. I HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT!!!



A good selection of the PROPER equipment can be very expensive. You don't NEED all of this. The Makita Buffer #9227C (arguably the best there is) was a heck of a deal I got on evil-bay. The Makita is a TRUE variable speed device. Mine was barely used, came with several of the supplies shown and was much less than 1/4 the retail price. You can get by with one of those inexpensive single speed car buffers. I'll post a photo of one of them too.

When time permits, I will ad a post with specific instructions anyone can follow for good results..... Honestly, I've been too busy to sand and buff my Mayberry and my DEAD DUCK. Their paints look pretty darn good but a little sanding and buffing would make them look even better. Maybe I'll do them and take some pics along the way?

For now, leave the parts sit if you can do it.....

KURT

[timktm]

Btw, I ended up buying the best gun they had at hf. I used it for primer and paint. The $9.99 ones were different from one another and the holes for the filters were different sizes. Anyway the one I bought sprayed OK. So, what grit sand paper am I looking to use? Also, I got some replacement latches from amazon that look like perfect fit. How would you secure them, rivets or screws? I will mount those after I polish for sure.
Tim

[kboehringer]

1000+

So, what grit sand paper am I looking to use?
Tim

Tim,
I usually use 1000 or higher for the final wet-sand and polish. If you use any lower grits you run the risk of cutting through your paint. I don't know how much product you actually applied so 1000+ is safer.

The PROS know how to do this work with lower grits and get the finish back to top-notch. For those of us without the full professional skillset, I suggest staying high on the grit. Returning the surface to full gloss from 1000 or 1500 is pretty easy and since you will not likely be using a 9227 a standard car buffer should not have an issue.

You will need a good polishing compound/liquid and I suggest a 3M product called "Finesse". The PPG store you used for the paint will likely have it. It's another one of those products that they are pretty proud of so expect to spend $25 on a quart. You won't need anything like a quart but the stuff will stay good for years and can be used on your cars, boats, bikes, etc.

In addition, you will need two pads: yellow and blue.... HF actually has these for about $10 ea. BUT, you need to make sure you get pads for whatever buffer you are using. It is possible, you could use a standard car buffer with a handful of terry pads. Since I'm suggesting no less than 1000 grit the terry pads should be able to do the trick with the 3M product. It's just going to take a bit longer.

Please stay far far far away from grinders (labeled as buffers). The HF buffer claims to be variable speed but that true only for the 5 seconds it takes to get to full speed. High speed buffing creates HEAT. Heat is a killer of paint.

I'll supply more buffing instructions at a later time.

KURT

[timktm]

Well the happiness has ended. I went to move my Son's bike, and you guessed it. Hit the stand holding the lids and knocked them both off and onto the floor. Messed them up good. I am so pissed ar myself right now!!!!

[kboehringer]

Status after damage?

Messed them up good!!!

Tim,
What's the status? Did you get them repaired?
Kurt

[timktm]

Kurt,
I hand painted with a small brush where they got damaged. I am not going through the time and expense of respray. I am ok with that . Waiting for another week to wet sand and buff.
Tim

[kboehringer]

Waiting for another week to wet sand and buff.

Tim,
The brush touch up may work better than you would think. I've used a Q-Tip to touchup a road ding or two on my T/A. After a light wet-sand and buff the repair was not visible unless I pointed it out.

I'll get a post of some buffing info up as soon as I can. I'm full speed ahead on my DEAD DUCK and need to get it road worthy in less than 2-weeks.

I will get the info up for you.

KURT

[timktm]

Sounds good.

[kboehringer]

Sanding and Finish Buffing

Tim,
As promised and as you requested by PM, here’s some basic info on buffing. I wish I had been able to find the time to provide some pics but I haven’t been able to get the buffing done on Mayberry yet. I did my DEAD DUCK several weeks ago and it made a heck of a difference.

FINISH SANDING:
I’ve had really good success with 1000 and 1500. As previously stated, the PROS have the skills and experience to work with lower grits. I believe that 1000+ is safer for those of us that are non-professionals at this.

It’s relatively easy to remove these sanding marks IF YOU DON’T GO CRAZY! It’s better to do a little sanding and go back again than to go nuts and remove too much paint!

Finish sanding is very much the same as sanding your primer but here we can use or hands a little. Personally, I prefer to use a semi-firm sponge just to avoid the possibility of concentrating my hand pressure into a small area and making a mark. I do on occasion use my bare hands with MINIMAL pressure.....just skimming across the surface.

• Wet the parts and keep them wet and rinsed during your sanding.
• Wrap your paper around a soaking wet sponge and apply soft pressure.
• As with primer, stay with the shape and contour of the piece(s).
• NO SWIRLING AROUND & NO DONUTS. Nice smooth strokes.
• You MUST keep the surface wet. This avoids cutting too much, keeps the paper clean, limits the generation of heat, and shows you what you’ve done.
• Your off-flowing water should have a HINT of the color. In your case it should not be dark black as this would indicate your taking off too much.
• DON’T TRY TO SAND out every bit of orange-peel or every imperfection. You only have one coat of paint on there and buffing will HIDE some small amount of imperfections.
• Once you’ve given every piece the once-over…. Stop!
• Dry it off well and prepare for buffing

BUFFING:
I don’t know what you have acquired but there are only a few things you should have.

1. YELLOW Pad
2. BLUE Pad.
3. Wool/Cotton Pad.
4. Cutting Compound – “FINESSE” - NOT a heavy cut compound. Whatever you use it should be LEAST aggressive compound offered. Definitely NOT canned rubbing compound.
   

- - - - - - - - - -

• The buffer must be able to move at a slow speed (reduces heat).
• I vary my Makita from 1500 to 2000. I can’t recall EVER going any faster.
• You will always apply only a small amount of compound. A drop about the size of a QUARTER should be plenty to get started on a bag or side cover.
• Use the Yellow pad first and try to keep it flat but you do want a LITTLE friction to CUT the sanding scratches out.
• Don’t allow the pad to get dry and don’t buff till the compound is dry. The pad will hold the moisture of the compound for a few minutes (3-4). You can apply a little more as needed. Keep the amount you apply to small puddles the size of a quarter.
• Once you have covered the entire piece(s). Wipe it down with a CLEAN cotton cloth.
• Do it exactly the same again with the BLUE pad.
• If you have one…. Follow it again with GREEN.
• Final buff is with the Wool or Cotton pad WITHOUT ANY cutting compound. This should give you a nice finish POLISH/SHINE.

If you’ve missed something you can do this over again.
I would limit this sand/cut/polishing to no more than three attempts. It would probably be best to stay to two. Only YOU know how much product you sprayed at these so use your best judgement. This assumes you haven’t gone crazy nuts sanding at any point. There is only ONE coat of black paint on those pieces!

I sure hope this information helps you out. I wish I would have been able to sand & buff one of mine. THEY REALLY NEED IT.

Sincerely,
KURT

[timktm]

Kurt,
I appreciate all your help in teaching me how to paint. I couldn't have done it without you. Here she is all shined up.
Tim