Desperate to paint my truck advice

[fordf350camper]

I am after some advice I want to paint my truck I would like it in 2k but very little money.But I have all the paint in celly.Colour, thinners primer,bar coat.I have not painted really before but I want to be the person to do it as I have done just about every think else on it.I want to know what wet and dry paper do I use on the filler once I have it were I need it.What grade do I use on the primer before I put the top coat on.If you look at the photo you will see were I am and any advice in what ever stage.I really need to paint her she runs drives stops.But I feel low as I am not getting her done.And I told my mum I would finish her over a year ago.My brother will lend me his very large compressorSorry to moan

[sparkyt]

Jury get some primer and start with on area at a time . Clean clean and clean the area your painting in the van etc etc

[vaughant]

Firstly,do the best you can in getting any dents/rust out before you even think of filler/fibreglass.
When your content with that,make your filler mix up,forget this pea/golfball nonsense it depends on weather more than anything really,how warm it is,just mix it in gradually until it's a yellowy colour with a hint of pink(dependant on filler of course).fantastic filler (brand name) is good stuff,about £20 for a big tub from paint supplies.
After applying filler in thin,even layers constantly working it across then pulling down to leave as few high spots as possible,let it go off to dry really hard.
Start off with 80 grit,then go to 240 grit,then finish with 400 before priming.
It will look like the inside of a tree,ie if the repair your working on is say 25cm circumference,then 80 grit that,then 240 grit that and say 40% more then feather out with 400 another 40% on top of that so your original 25cm sized bit is now about 60cm.
This is approximate of course.
Panel wipe the area perfectly clean,mask off and prime.
Make sure the primers 100% dry,best to leave overnight then spray a very light "guide coat" on with a can of black aerosol ready for your rubdown with 800 wet'n'dry until totally smooth.
There's some controversy in this as apparently it can cause microblisters and rust.
All I can say is,we painted over 150 cars using this method,5 of which I still own and it never happened to us,but beware a backlash on here.
After your happy with your repairs,you need to key the surface of anywhere your going to paint using a "red scotchpad" or 10 with something that size !!!
This is really important to get the paint to adhere.
Clean it all off,mask any areas you can't strip out,panel wipe the lot down,get your paintbooth/garage/shed etc as spotlessly clean as you can and as warm as humanly possible,make sure you wet the floor down so as not to blow dust up when painting.
This is really a very very rough guide to the amount of work involved in just prepping it which really is the most important part.
As for painting with celly I have no idea,never used it although I hear it's very forgiving although the jobs I've seen leave a lot to be desired but again that's not always the case.
Materials wise you'll be looking at a good £2-300 on that time you get all the bits and bobs and I'd say a few weeks work even at it everyday.
As a pro job in 2k that would be at least £2000 so there are savings but unless your confident it could turn out to be a complete nightmare and ruin the truck but also it's not rocket science and I've seen quite a few DIY jobs from totally inexperienced people that have looked really good.
Patience is the key.
Good luck too.

[mdh]

Rustoleum and a foam roller - job done!

[fordf350camper]

I see what your saying as old lorrys were brushed painted and i have thought about it.But i would have to buy the paint,the rollers,brushes.And i have all the celly paint primer, bar coat.And the tools so no spending any money.Just need advice on what to do.Thanks

[VIP]

If you've never painted a car before, the advise you need is simply...don't.

Pay someone else to do it, as you'll never be pleased with the end result and end up paying someone even more money to put it right.

[`state]

Ah the `if you cant do it now you never will be able` to curse word.
Give it ago yourself mate as long as you`ve got the time to practice and learn from your mistakes.Ive bought all the gear to spray my car and ive little experiance but ive got the time to practice and redo anything that doesnt look right.Like you ive built the rest of the car and want to do the paintwork myself too along with learning something new.
But if you`ve not got the time to teach yourself to do it or don't like rubbing panels down then get someone else to do it but that can be a nightmare in its self.

[fordf350camper]

I will paint it my self just want some advice how best to do it.Never welded before,done it,The best thing i have leant in life is try till you get it right.Look at my truck in readers rides.I don't want a car paint job its a 50s fire truck.Thanks for the help

[mdh]

The only way to learn is to try it, f*** it up, figure what you did wrong, then do it properly second time!

BTW don't right off the rustoleum idea, the paint is cheap and the rollers even cheaper.

There's quite a few pages about doing it, there's even one here IIRC.

[fordf350camper]

What sand paper should i use to sand the colour down befor i put the barcode on.Would 600 be ok thanks

[akku]

It should say on the side of the can what grit to use for barcoat. I've used it, but not for years as I tend to use 2K primer now and that doesn't have the reaction problems which celly primer can have.

My recollection is it likes a fairly coarse grit like 320 or 400. Its pretty gloopy stuff. I'd test spray a couple of panels or something first to get the technique. IIRC Barcoat "can not" be sanded after you spray it. Because of this you need to make sure you get the next coat of primer on as per the instructions. I forget what they are but I know plenty people talk of adhesion problems with Barcoat and I assume its due to not following the right process priming on top of it.

I never had a problem but I read and follow the instructions.

You can get a really nice job with celly. Back in the day all the restorations and custom jobs were celly or 1K acrylic which is much the same.

Job rules

1. near enough isn't. Anything you think "meh, that'll do" won't.
2. cleanliness is everything
3. read the instructions, twice.
4. If using celly (or 1K) think about the weather as sudden changes will cause it to bloom.
5. Enjoy doing it. When you rush or get frustrated, thats when it goes wrong or you get a crappy job done

Did you read my painting thread in the FAQ?