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http://www.eastwood.com/ew-urethane-clear-gal-and-activators.html

anyone use this stuff.

i'm thinking about using it to spray the clear on the constellation. i need to save more money and i may not beable to spread out 1500 for a pro clear job.

may have to plastic up the garage and spray it myself. my new HVLP gun is way better then what i was using before and i think i can get decent results with it.

the linseed i sprayed on the outside of the body with this new gun is almost flat and smooth. i think my old gun was my problem the whole time.

what other clearcoats are recommended. i have never painted a car much less pick out a clear to use. i know there are cheaper brands and more expensive brands, so i'm going for middle of the pack.

thanks

Hank

Haven't used it but since it is banned and illegal for use in California it must be halfway decent. Our Air Resources Board does their best to ban anything that works and stinks.

Hank,

I've painted about six cars over the years, most in the driveway behind my garage about 6AM when there's no wind. They turned out pretty good (not great, but that's just my inexperience). I will also paint my Panther myself.

To me there are three keys: (1) PREPARATION, (2) the right gun and (3) PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. I would NOT use a HVLP gun, but instead a normal high pressure gun (40psi) with a top gravity feed, not a bucket (suction) feed. Since you're not in Californicated, you could be able to choose whatever tools/paint you want.

Just my 2 cents.

Craig

A big enemy of spray-painting is oil and other stuff like silicones on the panel, causing the paint to ciss or not lay properly. You'll need to wipe down the panel you're spraying very well and normally that is done using a solvent like 'Prepsol' wax & grease remover. Because yours has the Linseed it might mean you will have to use some different kind of prep solvent IF the usual stuff (hydrocarbon based) softens the Linseed.

Try a small area of cured Linseed first. If the hydrocarbon does soften it you'll need to use something else to prep the panel. Using water with ordinary dish-washing liquid in it will be fine but it must be dried totally before spraying.

I was thinking mineral spirits. That is what I used before I sprayed the linseed. And it won't attach the linseed. Actually I was mixin it with th linseed to speed drying time and thin it out so I didn't spray it so thick.

I was thinking mineral spirits. That is what I used before I sprayed the linseed. And it won't attack the linseed. Actually I was mixing it with the linseed to speed drying time and thin it out so I didn't spray it so thick.

Wouldn't a HVLP gun be better if you have a smaller air compressor? Not sure how big Hank's compressor is.

Yep - it sounds like a HVLP gun should use less air, but they use quite a lot more! Because the pressure is so low, more air has to pass through the gun to get the atomization of the paint right and to deliver enough paint onto the job. You can look up sites which will give an idea of the minimum compressor capacity but it's possible to get by with a slightly smaller compressor than the recommended size - you just paint smaller areas and plan ahead so you don't drop below the optimum pressure.

HVLP has some advantages - especially for the pro shooters. But if it means buying a bigger compressor then that possibly makes it a costly decision for the handy-man bloke.

You should stay in the manufacturer's "family" of products, primer, color coat and clear coat should all be from the same manufacturer, and in that manufacturer's type of product to avoid chemical warfare on the car's body. Sometimes you don't know that products are incompatible until you go to shoot one over the other, and then you are faced with a do-over, and a complete loss of time and materials for all work done up until that point.

Here's a good primer (no pun intended) on HVLP:

Turbine Products :: What is HVLP

My air compressor, with a single-stage pump and 30-gal. tank, was made in the USA and is still going strong after 30 years of hobby use. In addition to driving a variety of air-powered tools, it's fine for spot repair and detail work, and I've gotten excellent results with spray guns in the medium-priced range. (Eclipse makes good knock-offs of some much pricier units). However, the compressor had a hard time keeping up when I primed an entire car (topcoats were applied, later, by a body shop), and it tends to "make" a lot of water.

When the time comes to paint my Packards, rather than try to adapt an HVLP gun for use with this (or even a newer larger) compressor, I hope to invest in a medium-priced turbine unit, as they supply plenty of warm, dry air. I think something like this Showtime HVLP Turbine outfit would do.

Meanwhile, keep in mind that high-solid primers are hard on any spray gun. When an old spray gun starts getting sloppy, use a new gun for spraying topcoats, and repurpose the old one, exclusively, for squirting primer.