$450 to Paint a Set of Wheels?!

[FlashBuddy]

Thanks @Plymouthy Adams, I needed to hear that. I had already hired out the sand blasting. Explained I had five wheels to be done. Only one in four shops were willing to take them on. At $450 for the set, it seemed smarter to invest in a compressor, gun and all the other acoutrements of auto painting. So far I've invested ~$500 in equipment and supplies ?

 

So far laying down the paint is going horrible. It turns out spraying epoxy primer is a lot different than spraying water based pigments - last things I sprayed were surfboards in the 70's!

 

Oh, they are 16" Made in USA steel ? I wanted a set of 15 inchers, but have to stay in budget so using what was on her when I rescued her. Hey, do you think somebody would want to trade across 16's for 15s? IDK.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

second thread.......?    anyway....don't give up hope....shooting paint is not that hard.....viscosity is your friend....if HVLP is it a true HVLP....setting up the gun is important as HVLP must maintain 10PSI at tip to prevent bounce or dying paint midair instead of wetting your item...

[NiftyFifty]

Make sure your using a regulator and with the gun empty and hooked up, open the air on it full and pull the trigger, then set the regulator on the compressor  to be providing you about 30-35 psi constantly while in full flow.  That won’t be what’s at the gun tip, but few guys have a way to measure that pressure.

 

biggest rule, light coat that covers about 50% first, then two medium heavier coats, by third coat you should see no signs of the underlying primer or metal.

[FlashBuddy]

Yeah, I felt like I was hijacking Tanda62's. Yes, HVLP. I was shooting at 40 PSI. When I started my pattern was body panel wide but I narrowed it down quite a bit and while the paint was going on better, it was still runny.

I started sanding one drippy wheel and it is going pretty good. I have hope, that and with another spray I will get more practice  ? This time I'm going to stop after one wheel if things go horribly wrong again. I'd rather have one wheel to fix instead of five.

Again, thanks for holding my hand?

 

[FlashBuddy]

Just now, NiftyFifty said:

Make sure your using a regulator and with the gun empty and hooked up, open the air on it full and pull the trigger, then set the regulator on the compressor  to be providing you about 30-35 psi constantly while in full flow.  That won’t be what’s at the gun tip, but few guys have a way to measure that pressure.

 

biggest rule, light coat that covers about 50% first, then two medium heavier coats, by third coat you should see no signs of the underlying primer or metal.

I'll take that advice! I was using the pressure gage on the compressor; set at 40. I thought about running out to Harbor Freight and picking up another air pressure regulator to go on the line at the gun. See=> 

 

So much to learn, but still fun (except for all the sanding that is waiting for me).

 

[pflaming]

I put on my rims, then started the engine in low gear and low idle. Made for easy sanding and painting. Not interested in putting money into a rim then cover it wit a hub cap and a lux ring. 

[FlashBuddy]

Hey Paul, interesting idea, though I started on the back side and I really hate lying upside down under my truck  If necessary, I might give that a go on the outsides.

[pflaming]

Jus flip the rim. It only needs to hold itself on so full attach is not necessary. 

[Reg Evans]

A Lazy Susan can be your friend here too.

[FlashBuddy]

My wife's name is Jan. ? Serious, I have a lazy susan, but I use it for photography and is much to small. Reg, have you used a Lazy Susan for similar work?

[Reg Evans]

10 minutes ago, FlashBuddy said:

My wife's name is Jan. ? Serious, I have a lazy susan, but I use it for photography and is much to small. Reg, have you used a Lazy Susan for similar work?

 

My first wife's name was Susan but she wasn't that Lazy.  My second wife had a Lazy Susan but her name was Diane and she had a 24" dia. Lazy Susan and she was lazy.  I got rid of her but got the Susan in the settlement.  ?

[Don Coatney]

1 hour ago, Reg Evans said:

 

My first wife's name was Susan but she wasn't that Lazy.  My second wife had a Lazy Susan but her name was Diane and she had a 24" dia. Lazy Susan and she was lazy.  I got rid of her but got the Susan in the settlement.  ?

 

 

So exactly who is doing all the work in this picture? Susan, Diane, Lisa????

 

 

[Dave72dt]

Your gun should have come with an instruction booklet that would include a conversion table for psi at the regulator to achieve the 8-10 psi at the cap.  There should also be a knob on the gun that restricts how far the trigger is pulled, thus limiting the amount of paint that is drawn through the nozzle.  You want to pull the trigger against the stop for consistency in the spray pattern. Your tip size can also make a big difference in how much goes on.  I use a 1.4 for epoxy and color, 1.7 for 2k primer and 1.3 for clear.  You'll want your compressor pressure higher than your gun pressure since there's a kick in -kick out variance on the compressor that would affect your gun pressure if relying solely on that one.

[Plymouthy Adams]

3 hours ago, NiftyFifty said:

Make sure your using a regulator and with the gun empty and hooked up, open the air on it full and pull the trigger, then set the regulator on the compressor  to be providing you about 30-35 psi constantly while in full flow.  That won’t be what’s at the gun tip, but few guys have a way to measure that pressure.

 

biggest rule, light coat that covers about 50% first, then two medium heavier coats, by third coat you should see no signs of the underlying primer or metal.

a true HVLP gun will have the input engraved on the handle in such a fashion that the max inlet pressure will ASSURE that the tip pressure is 10PSI  many knock off and cheaply made and sold guns are not up to par in this area.....a commercial and of course even you can be cited by the EPA at busting 10 PSI nozzle...you do not want to know the fine....

[Reg Evans]

31 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

 

 

So exactly who is doing all the work in this picture? Susan, Diane, Lisa????

 

 

 

You got it right Don !  That is Lisa.  The third time is really the charm.  I made sandblasting look like so much fun that she gave me her drink and told me to sit down.

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

Hey Reg, I am guessing your mother's maiden name was.................Sawyer.....

[FlashBuddy]

13 minutes ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

a true HVLP gun will have the input engraved on the handle in such a fashion that the max inlet pressure will ASSURE that the tip pressure is 10PSI  many knock off and cheaply made and sold guns are not up to par in this area.....a commercial and of course even you can be cited by the EPA at busting 10 PSI nozzle...you do not want to know the fine....

I bought the HF Purple Spray Gun on the advice of a couple body shop guys. It is stamped 50-70. The paint Store said 40 at the line attachment.

[Plymouthy Adams]

to properly use a HVLP you want at the inlet the max air pressure and flow....at the inlet of the handle you will install your regulator to adjust for the input level to maintain your tip pressure....this will compensate hopefully for any pressure drop and supply in the line TO the gun inlet so to maintain a constant pressure and flow at all times even when the compressor is running at the less than ideal on at 90 off at 125 pressure zone and NEVER discount that pressure drop you will have in your long hose that expands a sit is rubber or some ply derivative.    If you running a 3/8 or larger hose....make the last few feet 1/4 so to whip pressure at the end...

[tanda62]

No worries about hijacking.  I guess out here in the country of north Florida some things don't costs so much - I had four wheels sandblasted and painted for $250. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I have long stated that buying the tools for the cost of a ONE TIME deal from dealer/service shop and you do the job you are way better off.  First, you know how it was done and quality of parts/service put into the job..second you have the tool on hand for any future job or recoup a bit of cost doing it for someone else at a better price than the first man's quote...

[Brent B3B]

2 hours ago, FlashBuddy said:

I bought the HF Purple Spray Gun on the advice of a couple body shop guys. It is stamped 50-70. The paint Store said 40 at the line attachment.

FB, I bought that same gun from HF. I use it only  for primer (cause I was told primer chews up the guns) only thing I don't care for is my monkey hands keep bumping the air knob at the grip. I imagine it would work great for the rims 

 

I bought a better gun for painting exterior panels.....  

 

[FlashBuddy]

Thanks Brent. I've heard that too. 

 

Hey, I'm out of reactions for today. That's a new one on me. Yor going to have to go without your trophy this time. I'll try to hit you later ?

[Dave72dt]

2 hours ago, Plymouthy Adams said:

a true HVLP gun will have the input engraved on the handle in such a fashion that the max inlet pressure will ASSURE that the tip pressure is 10PSI  many knock off and cheaply made and sold guns are not up to par in this area.....a commercial and of course even you can be cited by the EPA at busting 10 PSI nozzle...you do not want to know the fine....

The only one I've got with any psi labeling is my clear coat gun. ( Iwata Supernove) Max psi on it says 7 bar/100psi. No, I don't spray at max psi.  Actually sprays extremely well at 19 psi, the only one I have that will and it does correlate to the chart in the owners manual.  The others require the 30-35 psi to achieve the 8-10 at the cap.

[Plymouthy Adams]

I use the Sharpe Finex series and they ask for 100PSI up to the gun inlet but use the inlet regulator not to exceed 29PSI and this assures a 10PSI at the time....excellent atomization with no bounce....these guns are fantastic....

[FlashBuddy]

While we're on the subject of paint. What does a guy do to cure the paint into some kind of sandable form? Wait a couple weeks or pick up a heat lamp from Bed Bath & Beyond.