Painting Advice

[graygun]

I'm in the process of repainting a cowl to a 25hp Johnson outboard and following this procedure. It was from YT...guy was doing a cowl from a larger Johnson engine. There was no narration on the brief video.

wet sand old paint with 380 (I used 320)
spray 3 coats of primer
sand with 500 grit wet or dry (I used 600)
apply several light coats of desired color
sand with 500 wet or dry (I'll use 600)
apply 3 coats of clear
finish with rubbing compound

I question the final step because it seems the r.c. would be too abrasive. I read the back of a can and it said to use only on oxidized surfaces. What do you folks say about how to finish after the clear coats?

 

[JohnBoy]

I would think the rubbing compound would help to 'polish out' any slight surface flecks.

My greatest concern would be sufficient drying/hardening/curing time between the three applications of the clear coat - but I would also follow with a high quality wax after the rubbing compound. I'm guessing the rubbing compound could create a lower gloss finish if not followed up with a wax final coat.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Do a good job with the color coat and that should be all that is required.
If the cover is aluminum and you want to do a good job remove all the paint with paint remover. Then spray on a light coat of self etching primer. Apply finish color and leave it alone.
If it is plastic sand with 320 and use a high build primer then sand with 400-600 and apply color.
Most of the time clear is used for a base coat clear coat system, which is a two stage process. If you use clear it is sanded with 2000 then rubbed out starting with rubbing compound and finished with polishing compound then wax is applied.

My latest paint work on a new panel I made. Self etching primer and acrylic enamel on alum.

 

[graygun]

Thanks guys...looks good Jim. The cowl is not metal...some type of plastic.

BTW,I'm using spray cans so it leaves a rather coarse-looking appearance when dry. I have w/d paper up to 1500 grit. The top coat will need to be smoothed-down to make it look better.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Well spray cans will do a good job. You might try sanding down what you have done to get it smooth. Then put on a light tack coat followed by a full wet coat of clear or color. Rough is normally because it was to dry of a coat. Either from not enough paint or drying to fast before the paint can flow out and self level.
Rustoleum makes some pretty good products.

 

[Fox Mike]

There are different grades of compound. I don't at this time know the different names but the 'white' compound is what Jim and I used when we finished my Isuzu Stylus paint job. I think it comes in a green can.

 

[graygun]

I was using Krylon because it looked very close to the correct white for a '72 Johnson(Rustoleum whites not very close match). I had some exact color from Moeller but it sputtered some(shaken for 3 minutes).

Jim,it may be a combo of the temp and not enough quantity(may have been too worried about runs). It looks good after several coats except for the rough texture.

FM I only saw one brand at Walmart super store. It was by Turtle Wax and is for very oxidized paint revitalization. I can check at an auto parts store to see what they have.

It's going to cool down starting today. I could wait before applying any clear coat. I'll try to smooth down the white with 600 or maybe a finer grit.

 

[Bull Barrel]

Wow! How did you pait those gauges and switches?

Rattle cans can do a very good job if your technique is right.

 

[graygun]

It's looking and feeling better now that I went over it with 600 and running water. Maybe I could do it again with 800.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Wow! How did you pait those gauges and switches?

Rattle cans can do a very good job if your technique is right.

None of the instruments or switches were in when it was painted. All of the stuff got rewired after installation.

 

[finesse_r]

Looks great!

 

[opos]

Do a good job with the color coat and that should be all that is required.
If the cover is aluminum and you want to do a good job remove all the paint with paint remover. Then spray on a light coat of self etching primer. Apply finish color and leave it alone.
If it is plastic sand with 320 and use a high build primer then sand with 400-600 and apply color.
Most of the time clear is used for a base coat clear coat system, which is a two stage process. If you use clear it is sanded with 2000 then rubbed out starting with rubbing compound and finished with polishing compound then wax is applied.

My latest paint work on a new panel I made. Self etching primer and acrylic enamel on alum.

What's the panel for?

 

[Wyandot Jim]

OPOS,
It's for a 1952 Piper Pacer. Other pictures of the project in the Gallery somewhere.

 

[frankenfab]

Well spray cans will do a good job. You might try sanding down what you have done to get it smooth. Then put on a light tack coat followed by a full wet coat of clear or color. Rough is normally because it was to dry of a coat. Either from not enough paint or drying to fast before the paint can flow out and self level.
Rustoleum makes some pretty good products.

+1

All spray cans are not created equal. I have always thought Rustoleum has the best spray can. The nozzle is superior to any other.

"if you want it to shine, it has to be wet"

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well spray cans will do a good job. You might try sanding down what you have done to get it smooth. Then put on a light tack coat followed by a full wet coat of clear or color. Rough is normally because it was to dry of a coat. Either from not enough paint or drying to fast before the paint can flow out and self level.
Rustoleum makes some pretty good products.

+1

All spray cans are not created equal. I have always thought Rustoleum has the best spray can. The nozzle is superior to any other.

"if you want it to shine, it has to be wet"

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN !!!
I use to work for Rust-Oleum in Hagerstown, MD; First as the Quality Control Manager and then as the Manager of Process Engineering. ALL their products were GREAT !! They use to make an Industrial Spray (20 ounce can) that was EVEN BETTER than the ones sold in the Hardware stores; Since the company was sold, I don't know if they still make it. When I worked there it was STILL owned by the family of the company founder.
I took a can** of it in a Light Blue color up to PA and used it to paint my aunt's Mailbox; Five years later there was NO fading or Chalkiness and the GLOSS was just as high as the day I sprayed it.

** Rust-Oleum was a great place to work, very employee oriented. Employees could get Spray paints free that had been pulled from the filling lines for QC checks ; In addition, an employee could BUY ANY product that Rust-Oleum made for $5.00/Gallon and THAT included epoxies and urethanes. Our plant manager had his "vintage" Chevy Convertible painted with the Urethanes . ("vintage" = 60's something; this was in the 1980's).

BTW: If you LOOK at the bottom of the can, there is a Batch number there and IF it starts with an "H", that means the product was made and filled in Hagerstown.

 

[exavid]

Hi Jim, that panel sure has a lot more stuff than the three Pacers I've owned. I put a full panel in my last one the hard way. Cutting out the old panel in the airplane tied down on the sea ice at Kotzebue. Spent about a month sitting in that airplane in my parka and winter gear using an electric heater to keep my hands from freezing. The result was pretty decent and that full panel saved my butt at least once. I'll bet there never was a more inappropriate place or time to do that job.

A few years ago my BIL and I rebuilt a Commonwealth Skyranger. As usual with an old airplane the panel had been pretty well chewed up with instrument changes and extra holes. It came out great finished in the original cream color. But I had a nice indoor shop to work in that time. Not as dedicated as I was in my twenties.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Just passing this on--never tried it myself:

One of the fellows I shot with years ago owned a body shop, and they did a lot of custom hot rod stuff. Someone asked how they got the glass like finishes on some of the cars, and he told us a paste of corn starch and water was what they used. At the time, they were still able to use lacquer, so that may have played into it. And, as they like to say, test in an inconspicuous area first!

Rick C