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Message |
    
Mark Tomlinson
Frequent User
Username: mark_tomlinson
Post Number: 20
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, 25 June, 2004 - 22:43: |    |
After spending well over $50,000 on Rolls Royce purchase and repairs over the last 12 months the last thing my wife wanted to hear was I am going to get the stretch resprayed. After my release from hospital and the stilleto removed,I convinced her I could do it myself even though I had never held a spray gun in my life.
So off to Bunnings I go and buy compressor. spray gun, assorted water proof paper, paint stripper and so on.
Standing in front of this seven metre monster I attacked with gusto removing everything till she stood there nekid, (not flattering I must say).
Orbital sander in hand with 40 grit paper I attacked the roof, ten minutes later I threw the orbital sander in the bin as the paint was like concrete only harder.
Time for the paint stripper, this only removed the first of what was many coats of paint from dirty white to cream them a dull yellow and finally what I think was the original colour a horrible olive green.
Back to Bunnings and the purchase of a seven inch sander and some serious paper, 24 grit steel shredding bad tempered stuff that was ugly, the sander fired up and as the paper touched the paint it gripped and ripped the sander out of my hand and across the roof comming to rest next to the garbage, another omen? to be continued.
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Bill Coburn
Grand Master
Username: bill_coburn
Post Number: 188
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, 26 June, 2004 - 10:16: | |
Hang in there Mark. Thirty years ago I had the problem of calculating just how little food my family needed to exist, the balance of my income going to getting a Crewe product back into the land of the functioning. When it came to painting, the quote reduced me to a quivering defeatist and of course there was a considerable chorus of 'it was a specialist's job' and no-one could possibly paint the car without doing the obligatory 5 year apprenticeship. I approached our local friendly Dulux distributor who produced a most comprehensive product booklet and by haunting professional paint shops amateurs' garages and reading everything I could on the subject I planned and executed a very passable paint job. Mind you I used about three times as much material as I should but cutting back even harder on the family's rations that was not much of a problem. Years later when the car had passed well beyond my ownership I was almost enraged to read an account by a couple of callow professionals of how they had stripped the car and repainted it but on the way dropping acid comments on the workmanship of the previous painter. Such is the ego of youth!! Anyway you can do it just research a lot and take advice. The country is littered with Rolls-Royces desperatrely in need of work that owners are not prepared to get in and have a go. Help is at hand, advice can flow like water - it just needs you to get in there and do it! |
David Gore
Moderator
Username: david_gore
Post Number: 262
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, 26 June, 2004 - 11:20: | |
Mark,
There is two excellent text books on automotive panel beating/spray painting which are used by the NSW TAFE Automotive Schools. Unfortunately I will be away from home till late next week to give you the precise details but I can remember the authors:
1. Al Probert and I think the title is Automotive Spray painting but a search of the University Co-Op Bookshop website by author should reveal all.
2. Donald Waite - cannot remember the title but this is the absolute "Bible" for refinishing - Don was the former head teacher for the NSW TAFE Automotive Section.
Both books are "must-haves" if you want to get serious about painting.
In your location, I would consider buying one of the car cover marquees to put the car inside while painting to control dust/foreign matter getting on the car from the environment. You WILL need a fan with a foam filter to pressurise the marquee to keep dust out and remove the thinner fumes as you spray [REMEMBER THESE ARE EXPLOSIVE SO BE AWARE OF ELECTRICAL/STATIC ELECTRICITY HAZARDS]. I would also use a breathing mask with the activated carbon solvent vapour filters for your safety.
Can help you with other advice if needed but there may be a delay in responding as I only have infrequent internet access where I am at present. |
William H. Trovinger II
Grand Master
Username: bill_trovinger
Post Number: 117
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, 26 June, 2004 - 13:30: | |
Mark;
I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor touch-up work I have done but a complete re-shoot of any car I have not. What color are you doing? As this is your first attempt I am hoping it is a flat color not a metallic. Metallic does take more practice, at least in blending repair work. I would strongly recommend some practice on old car panels. Go to a junk-yard (sorry don’t know the Aussie name for them) purchase a few damage panels and have a go at those first. This way if your first few attempt really muck up you will not be re-stripping.
Do not let anyone talk you down on doing this I have seen work done by highly renowned professionals that was the quality any 10 year old with a paint roller could do. Even the pros mess up from time to time, yes and I have suffered through that problem twice with two different “pros” on two different cars only thing that was the same was the lawyer I used to get my money back.
Best of Luck,
Bill
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Mark Tomlinson
Frequent User
Username: mark_tomlinson
Post Number: 21
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, 26 June, 2004 - 14:23: | |
Thank you thus far gentlemen but the paint is drying as I type as the forth coat went on very very thin and not an "orange peel" look about it.
The car went back to metal and I discovered that at some stage in her life she had had a rather bad dingle in the front and the repair work must have been done by a master as the guard was brased with brass and not bogged to the hilt making my job of repair all the more easy, a true work of art I must say. Blow the pillars under the rear window is all lead fill and also a sight to behold, the only rust in the whole car was where the coach builder had welded the extra length of plate to reenforce the body and even left overnight no surface rust formed on the original Rolls Royce steel used on the roof.
She is now sprayed BMW alpine white, a very striking white indeed and I will be applying four coats of very high gloss clear as I have used acrylic paint and not 2 pac as aclrylic can give a much higher gloss than enamal. this entire job has taken to date 7 weeks of working well into the night and I am soooooooo looking foreword to putting the grill and bumpers back on on monday to bring her into the world as a very eye catching wedding car.
Now I just have to convince the minister for war and finace to let me have $5,000 for the twin dvd monitors and sound system. |
Mark Peacock
Experienced User
Username: takemehomejames
Post Number: 7
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, 05 August, 2004 - 21:50: | |
Mark, good on you mate for attempting such a feat. There is no better joy, than when the armorall hits the tyres and you stand back and admire your efforts... Just a hint.. if you have too much orange peel after your efforts, you can cut back with 2000 w/dry( i know,MORE RUBBING !!) , just to take the edges off, then re-buff. Good luck.. love to see some pic's when your done... Mark |
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