hmm so I got the idea that I’m going to buy a paint gun and learn how to paint cars. I’m guessing it won’t be an easy task and a little difficult to become “good” at it. I pay VERY VERY close attention to detail when I work on cars, so patience is not an issue. I’ve been trying to do research, but I’m not sure what sites/forums I should be looking at. I was wondering if there were any other DIY painters on G2IC that could offer some tips/reputable sites for materials. I’d be very grateful. 
im not sure about any websites or anything, but im sure if you went down to your local auto paint store ( wesco ect. ) they can help and explain things out in person which we all know is much easier then having to read and decifer some things people say…
painting cars is easy/hard haha its tedious and annoying at times when things go wrong and most of the time things will end up going wrong…i just painted my car last weekend for the second time because the first time it came out ok but i didnt like the way it looked…i used a 80$ gun by husky from home depot and i got very good results actually…almost no orange peel and very good coverage of paint…
Teg cruzer is a union commercial painter that does alot of painting with guns. He may have some info on doing it on cars…
That’s right. Cars on the other hand, I’m as green as grass. I’ve been doing some homework on the subject but not much luck. Check out the Eastwood Co. website good stuff there.
Hope that helps.
One thing I do know, you need three guns. One for primer/sealers: big tip for heavy fluid. Second gun for color/base coats: smaller tip. Third gun for clear only, no matter how well you clean your guns you do not want
any chance of some color in your clear. You might want a small gun for tight spots and touch-ups too.
yeah i was gunna add 3 guns is a must if your doing primer base and clear…one for each…
my buddy was telling me that primer guns dont need to be to special because you end up blocking it smooth anyways for base…he was sayin he uses 40 50 dollar guns from harbor friehgt uses them 20 30 times and throws them away and gets new ones…
Three guns is not a total need… You can actually get away with only two. One with a big tip for the Primer, and the same gun can be used for your base color… then you’ll want something a little smaller for the clear, but not something so small that you’re not getting adequate coverage.
I would suggest a 1.8mm/1.7mm for the primer and/or base color… and a 1.5mm for the clear.
Patience is definitely key as well as a general understanding of the following:
-Sanding/Scuffing to ensure that the paint/primer/clear actually has something to ‘grab’ on to. This makes sure the material will adhere properly.
-CLEANING the parts properly… Using a wax/grease remover to make sure that there are no oils/contaminants that will effect the finish of the paint. I personally use Acetone as it usually gets rid of 99% of surface contaminants
-Repetition. Being able to keep your stroke the same to ensure that you’re getting the same amount of coverage on the total area of the car. Not getting a ‘spotted’ finish, having it heavy in one area and ‘dry’ in others.
As far as paint guns… Some of the better brands are Sata, DeVil Bliss, Graco… Decent ones are DuraBlock & Husky. Cheap-o guns are more like Central Pneumatic/Harbor Freight guns. And honestly, the Harbor Freight guns are NOT that bad… If you keep them clean and be sure to maintain them, they will last you quite a while and will definitely get the job done. Dont go out and buy a real expensive gun as you will more than likely forget to clean it one day and BAM, there goes your $300+ gun. Stick to the Husky/Harbor Freight stuff until you get your method down.
Good luck on your quest… Painting isn’t ‘hard’ per-se, but it is definitely something that you dont just ‘pick up’ right away. It takes time, and practice, and lots of repetition. thumbs up
unified112: Maybe you or your brother could make a suggestion on a pretty forgiving paint that kinda middle of the road on price.
Has your brother’s shop made the switch to water bourne paints yet? If so how’s that working out?Also, what style draft booth is in your bro’s shop?
It’s funny you mention Graco for a gun, I didn’t know they made fine finish set ups. The Graco’s I use are hooked up to a honda motor and run at 3000 psi.
[QUOTE=unified112;2181431]Three guns is not a total need… You can actually get away with only two. One with a big tip for the Primer, and the same gun can be used for your base color… then you’ll want something a little smaller for the clear, but not something so small that you’re not getting adequate coverage.
I would suggest a 1.8mm/1.7mm for the primer and/or base color… and a 1.5mm for the clear.
Patience is definitely key as well as a general understanding of the following:
-Sanding/Scuffing to ensure that the paint/primer/clear actually has something to ‘grab’ on to. This makes sure the material will adhere properly.
-CLEANING the parts properly… Using a wax/grease remover to make sure that there are no oils/contaminants that will effect the finish of the paint. I personally use Acetone as it usually gets rid of 99% of surface contaminants
-Repetition. Being able to keep your stroke the same to ensure that you’re getting the same amount of coverage on the total area of the car. Not getting a ‘spotted’ finish, having it heavy in one area and ‘dry’ in others.
As far as paint guns… Some of the better brands are Sata, DeVil Bliss, Graco… Decent ones are DuraBlock & Husky. Cheap-o guns are more like Central Pneumatic/Harbor Freight guns. And honestly, the Harbor Freight guns are NOT that bad… If you keep them clean and be sure to maintain them, they will last you quite a while and will definitely get the job done. Dont go out and buy a real expensive gun as you will more than likely forget to clean it one day and BAM, there goes your $300+ gun. Stick to the Husky/Harbor Freight stuff until you get your method down.
Good luck on your quest… Painting isn’t ‘hard’ per-se, but it is definitely something that you dont just ‘pick up’ right away. It takes time, and practice, and lots of repetition. thumbs up[/QUOTE]
its deff. not hard to do, but he is right its not somthing that you pick up a gun for the first time and your settings are correct and you lay down somthing that your absolutley happy with…ive painted my car twice in the past 3 weeks because i didnt like the way it came out the first time…( due to the packing nut on my cut not being tight super loose, and air pressure not being correct and not wiping the car down clean enough the first time…) at first your going to have problems and its going to get irrtating but keep with it and you will eventually figure it out… im not a pro by any means thats just my .02 cents
I would stay away from using a 1.7/1.8 tip while spraying base. You will create a ton of overspray, orange peel and just generally more work for yourself. Stick with a 1.3/1.4 tip for a base. 1.8 is just fine for primer/surfacer
If you are serious about painting I would take a paint course at your local college.
and buying a legit gun(s) i.e. sata jet 3000 or a iwata lph400lvx. Both are very good base/clear guns. If you are just looking for fun and want to get the job done I would go for a Devilbiss finishline series, they are fairly good guns for the price.
You will also need a proper air compressor that can handle the psi ( around 30) and the cubic space. You will need a minimum 5 horsepower air compressor, minimum 15-22 CFM (per gun).
You will also need a air regulator
Proper hoses are a must, You want to maintain as much air pressure as possible.
air lines from compressor to booth = 1 1/2 " pipe
air lines into the booth = 3/4 " pipe
regulators and coalescing filters = 22 CFM minimum
Booth spray hoses = 20-25 ft - 3/8"
HVLP Quick connects ( optional )
Say you buy a hvlp such as a sata jet 3000
it will need to be ran at 8-10 psi at the air cap (30 psi at regulator for gun)
spray 4-6 inches from panel. If you are spraying metallics on the 3rd coat do a orientation coat in which you spray from 8-10 inches to even out the streaks and to even out the metallic
spray at a 70% to 75% overlap. don’t soak the panel, spray enough for coverage.
for clear it is the same principal
after spraying clear. color sanding with 1500 grit to get out orange peel. I would recommend 2000 grit if you don’t have a ton of orange peel. 2000 is generally used for a flat finish but it works well and then polish out. I also recommend a product called system one polish.
There is so much to the world of car painting. I would also see if you can find some painting manuals online for technical data sheets. they are quite helpful! Good luck! 
^ Great tips and info for sure. Its nice to see another painter, we’re few and far between.
As far as the 1.8 tip, I see your point… Though I would have to say that an experienced painter can lay down base with a 1.8 and not have issues. For example when we painted my car, we both took part in spraying… That way the car didnt have a chance to dry enough to get overspray on it.
Thanks for throwing down some great info here though, lots of stuff I didnt really delve into.
no doubt, I have countless data sheets I get from school that has tons of good info.
for the average person it’s generally easier to spray with a smaller tip but it’s all personal preference. Painting definitely takes time, practice and patience. and if you want great results take your time with the job, don’t cut corners and jump grits. you will end up with 120 grit scratches when the panel should be 800 and more than likely you will see those scratches after you lay your clear and its too late.
Eastwood got great stuff i agree with teg cruzr
What would you guys advise on how to minimize orange peel?
Wow! Thanks for all the input. Lots of good information. dew1989 i think there saying to minimize orange peel spray with a smaller tip and make sure your prep work is fully done and not ‘half-assed’. I think I’m going to order a cheaper gun from harbor, and do a little practice with it until I feel comfortable. Now I just have to find an adequate air compressor. 
I use multiple guns for all my stuff but my favorite for my clear caot is my Devil Bliss Finish Line sprayer. I LOVE it.
This is like the one I use for my clear coat
System one polish is an old name, it has gone through a name change and is now called “System 51 Perfect Cut” Polish
That FinishLine gun is indeed a fairly nice one. We have two kicking around our shop and they definitely get the job done. Fully rebuildable is a HUGE plus. Most HarborFreight guns are ‘throw aways’ in a sense that once it starts leaking or having other problems, you toss it and buy a new one lol.