painting tools

[wallew]

I just finished this thread. I was at first let down. The title 'painting tools' got me all excited.

I am going to replace my 'pioneer kit' wood handled axe, pick and shovel with fiberglass ones, painted OD green. I will then refinish the wood ones for 'show only' type of displays. That way it will be mainly original. But the tools I take into the field will 'look correct' even when they are not.

But the more I read this thread, the more I learned. My deuce doesn't really need a full paint job, more of just a touch up on the black portion of the three color camo job it has right now. The previous owner started it but didn't finish. So it's several cans of flat black to 'fill in the gray areas' on the deuce. Come summer. Still way to cold to be spraying anything yet.

Every thread I read, I learn, learn, learn.

Polverone,
I've got a 91 GMC Suburban that needs repainting. Do you have any specific suggestions. Like 'don't take it to Maaco' type of stuff.

 

[Polverone]

Hi Wallew,
Actually Maaco isn't that bad. What those places do is use a cheaper quality paint plus buy in bulk. Did you know that PPG doesn't even make their own paint? Same with most paint companies - they just repackage it and put their label on it. BASF is one of the big manufactures as is Spraylat. Most of the good clears come from resin manufacturers in Germany.
Have you noticed that the prices are going up at those "cheaper" franchised paint shops? That's because the paint and reducers are made from oil based products. (Bought gas lately?). Plus the EPA is coming down on the VOC's (Volatile Organic Compounds) of paint. In fact, all paint will have to be waterbased by 2008 (except the clear coat) according to one of my vendors. We can't even get a lot of the paints in most parts of California anymore.
Mostly they do a half-fast (read the last word real fast) prep job. That is the main thing for a good quality paint finish. If you prep everything real good ie: remove dirt, grease, oil, and oxidized paint - you'll get a paint job that lasts a long time. The only difference between the vehicle you drive everyday and the one's in the car shows is the final finishing and I am not buffing the Deuce!

Here's a good one. If an EPA inspector comes into a shop here in California and sees:
Siphon feed spray gun
Open thinner can (lid off)
Open continer of rubbing compound (even a squeeze bottle with cap off).
You will be written a citation for polluting.
You must have a certified gun washing cabinet and all paint and reducer must be accounted for in a log book for every job. They want to see where every drop of paint/reducer goes. Yikes!
That's another reason paint shop prices are going up.

Short trivia story. Has anyone heard of Earl Sheib?

Big car painting business here in California when I was growing up. He had commercials on the TV all the time.
"Hi, I'm Earl Sheib and I'll paint any car for only $19.95. Mention this ad and receive $10.00 free metal work."

He was a paint manufacturer that supplied paint to the military in WWII and when the war was over he had all this paint to sell. He just opened up paint shops all over to use his paint. It was junk synthetic enamel that he shot "hot potted" (heat up the paint on specially designed hot plates). The paint would expand about 1 inch (up) in a 1 gallon can. Used very little reducer that way and the paint would stick to damn near anything. He did very little sanding (basically washed the car with Ajax cleanser) and for an extra $5 bucks he'd paint the spare - read open the trunk and just blow paint on the rim - no masking no prep.
We used to take cars there before taking them to the dealer auction. At the place we went there was this old Latino gal that had about 4 rolls of masking tape on her arm. She could completely mask a car off and ready for paint in about 1 hour. This was when they had chrome everywhere!

Kind of long winded here but I haven't thought of that last paragraph stuff in years. Thanks for taking me back down nostalgia lane.

 

[wallew]

Gary ,
Once again, I have just learned HUGE amounts of info. Almost ALL of it I didn't know. Though I DID recognize the name 'Earl Scheib' and I remember his paint shops...

Thanks for putting such information down for those of us who don't know about it.

jim