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DIY Painting Thoughts

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
I can look and admire great paint jobs but an "Extreme" paint job is probably more than we paid for our U300. Besides, pushing through sagebrush on back roads would ruin it anyway. Any extra pesos go into the fuel tank.  The old decals will probably get peeled off this next year and I may get out my Harbor Freight HVLP spray gun and freshen it up a bit. At least that's a New Year's resolution.

There is no doubt at all that an Xtreme paint job will cost more than we paid for our U225 and the thought of doing it myself has crossed my mind as well. Including the Harbor Freight HVLP paint gun route. All the decals on our coach are in pretty good shape except for the nose so it seems to me that the nose might be a good place to start. I have a fiberglass boat (or maybe a couple... ahem) and I thought I'd practice on those first and see what happens.

If you give it a try be sure to let us know.

Craig

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #1 –
Quote from: wa_desert_rat –
There is no doubt at all that an Xtreme paint job will cost more than we paid for our U225 and the thought of doing it myself has crossed my mind as well. Including the Harbor Freight HVLP paint gun route. All the decals on our coach are in pretty good shape except for the nose so it seems to me that the nose might be a good place to start. I have a fiberglass boat (or maybe a couple... ahem) and I thought I'd practice on those first and see what happens.

If you give it a try be sure to let us know.

Craig

I have done several completes and lots of panel work. The HF gun works as well as the high end stuff. Surface prep is 90% of it along with a really tight masking job. Selecting a good catalyzed urethane that does not break the bank is another challenge. Sikkens or Lesonal are great but expensive, especially for a huge RV. Want to use a paint that does well outside and sands and buffs nicely. Little bit of a learning curve with a low speed buffer (somewhere around 1400 rpm) as not to burn the paint or go through the paint on corners. Shooting one panel at a time works well and you can even shoot outside in decent weather if not too many insects. Solid colors like white (and white is the least expensive) are ideal. Don't have to worry about "venetian" blind effect in the metallic paint. Insect time is short with the urethanes as they dry fast. Even with the odd bug, you can sand them out, buff and never know they were there. Clear coats are optional with the solids, mandatory with metallics and need to be high quality so they don't peel or craze like a lot of Detroit jobs after several years. Lots of automotive paint available online including clear coats. Reading forum reviews are a must for each brand.  Good idea with the "boat" practice as you can get your technique down and see how you like shooting and buffing that particular paint.

You CAN do a factory or better paint job yourself.

Pierce

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #2 –
Out of curiosity (not likely to shoot my own car or rig any more), are the current breed of catalyzed urethanes as poisonous as IMRON was reputed to be?

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #3 –
Dave,

You need a rated mask for the catalyzed urethanes. The filters just screw on a standard mask and are labled or can ask the guy behind the counter to match the mask filters to the paint.  I used Imron on a Piper Arrow vert. stablizer/rudder and did a complete on our Fiat 850 with it. Rock hard and super difficult to color sand and buff the next day. I got a couple of sags and had to work days to get rid of them.

Nice to bring in filtered air to a positive displacement mask for the urethane (pressure always higher inside mask so no vapors can get in. Shooting outside just overalls and the proper mask would make me feel OK. Probably the same for Imron. I did wear a pretty good mask but that was in the 70s.

I shot out of necessity and never became a pro at it. I have watched guys that made an art out of it they were so good. We had a shop paint our cars in Germany. Cars went on a rack that held them up off the ground, the painter sprayed them with all the good equipment, the wall moved out of the way and they went sideways into a big oven and cooked at over 200 degrees for an hour or two and then could be driven out into the rain. Amazing.

A lot of these paints have to be purchased in Nevada as they are not allowed to be shipped into California. Some of the less toxic can be sprayed in low smog counties like ours but not in Sacramento, LA, Riverside, etc. Water based will soon be the rule everywhere. 

Pierce

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #4 –
Pierce,

Now did I remember reading you were building a building with a pit as well.  Now is it by any chance going to have a air filtration system, and space for you to repaint coaches?  You make the repaint sound so easy, I want to get on your "to do" list for a buff and new OEM paint to match maybe what we have now that is 18 years old.

Thanks in advance for all the future paint work. :)

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #5 –
Dave,

I can see this may be "the pits" having something like this now the word is out. The pit is now half done with only four more courses of block to go. The building I bought is only 12 feet wide so until I can find a deal on a wider one, I will only have a couple of feet on each side. 50 feet long though.

Brett said something about sailors being able to do all of their maintenance out of necessity. He left out the part that sailors usually have no money and don't always do it like a shop would. Hopefully, I can keep enough dirt out of the paint so the sides of the U300 don't feel like no-skid roof covering. Now when did you want to schedule in that trial job? ;)

You guys live not far from all my cousins in Comanche, TX.

Pierce

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #6 –
Hope I did not let the "pit" out of the bag.  Think you mentioned and showed photos of progress already.  Wish I were closer, as my winter time is sort of slow and I can get things done sometimes.

We have talked about the stage 1 Xtereme paint upgrade as it would be less than what we paid.  It is only on our wish list, behind lots of other things we need, want and wish to do.

Thanks for the scheduling offer.  I remember the week we were in the Broward Boat yard in Ft. Lauderdale and we painted the deck areas of the 60' Chris Craft Roamer.  The things we did as captain and mate!

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Dave Katsuki –
Out of curiosity (not likely to shoot my own car or rig any more), are the current breed of catalyzed urethanes as poisonous as IMRON was reputed to be?

I think I can give some general guidelines that will help answer the question. The most dangerous part of the urethanes is the isocyanate. There are basically three different types of isocyanate used used in paint and coatings. They are TDI (Toluene Diisocyanate) the most dangerous and least expensive used in heavy build urethane coatings such as Rhino linnings, MDI (Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate) the most commonly used with medium health risk and mid-range price and HDI (Hexzamethylene Diisocyanate) which carries the least health risk, the best weather and chemical resistance and the highest price. HDI is typically used in high end automotive, aircraft and floor coatings.

Isocyanate affects the air sacks in the lungs and can cause permanent damage, COPD, so use the safest one and a very good quality OSHA approved mask designed for spraying urethane. I don't recall the rating but any place that sells automotive paint should be able to guide you. The current HDI, high quality urethanes are relatively safe so that working with it after taking the proper precautions should not be a major concern.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Kent Speers –
I think I can give some general guidelines that will help answer the question. The most dangerous part of the urethanes is the isocyanate. There are basically three different types of isocyanate used used in paint and coatings. They are TDI (Toluene Diisocyanate) the most dangerous and least expensive used in heavy build urethane coatings such as Rhino linnings, MDI (Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate) the most commonly used with medium health risk and mid-range price and HDI (Hexzamethylene Diisocyanate) which carries the least health risk, the best weather and chemical resistance and the highest price. HDI is typically used in high end automotive, aircraft and floor coatings.

Isocyanate affects the air sacks in the lungs and can cause permanent damage, COPD, so use the safest one and a very good quality OSHA approved mask designed for spraying urethane. I don't recall the rating but any place that sells automotive paint should be able to guide you. The current HDI, high quality urethanes are relatively safe so that working with it after taking the proper precautions should not be a major concern.

That was very informative!  And now I have even less desire to shoot catalyzed urethanes myself!    I've done enough bodywork and lacquer in the past that I'm quite happy to let someone else do it now.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #9 –
Is there any reason to not use a flat color base/clear coat system?  Seems like it ought to be easier and certainly less toxic. 

Chuck

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #10 –
Chuck,

Using a base coat, you don't have to put a lot on, just enough to cover nicely. With a metallic base, you can fog the last base coat  a little further away so no stripes and it looks even. Another reason to hire an "out of work" painter to do the spray job. Clear coats are relatively easy to shoot. Two medium coats, color sand and then another couple of medium coats, 1500 wet sand and buff to give it that "wet" look. You still have to use a catalyst in the clear. With a good mask, you won't even smell the paint. The new paints are not nearly as toxic as they used to be.

A lot of prep work, a lot of spraying and then sanding and buffing to make it look perfect. One panel at a time can make it manageable and even fun.

If you have a labor line in your town, it's not that hard to find a crew to do a lot of the work on the weekends or possibly during the week  at $15/hr. That's how a lot of work gets done. Homeowner's insurance will cover any accident/injury as long as they are temp workers. I've had a couple of claims and they covered it without a problem.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #11 –
Thanks Pierce, I've always wondered about that process.  Sorry to hear about the need for wet sanding, though, thought you could get away without it.  I'm kind of leaning towards removing what decals are left, along with the windows, buffing the gel coat out and painting on some modest striping.  Kind of like the minimalist look and the majority of the gel coat is in fine shape, hate to cover it up.  Having gone the Imron/Awlgrip way on several boats, prepping and applying, that gel coat is lookin pretty good.  No anxiety attack when we're rambling through the brush country hot on the trail of a Ferruginous Pygmy Owl. 

Chuck

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #12 –
Chuck,

I have seen guys lay the base coat on and then 15 minutes later apply the clear with another coat a hour later. It looked good but these guys are artists. They know just how much to put on. Too little and we are in Florida, too much and sags are everywhere. I am just not anywhere good enough to do that.

Too get a car show finish, the hot rodders do a couple of color sanding followed by buffing but I too would ruin it thrashing through the brush.

That's what I have planned. My decals are starting to look embarrassing so will remove, buff and do a little striping.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #13 –
I think Pat Brewer painted his coach himself.  He had painted cars before too and did a wonderful job. He hired the sanding done but shot the coach with a couple friends.  He spent more on the paint then it would have cost to have xtreme do it. I am talking only the paint but it was lovely and well done. Just food for thought.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #14 –
Sometimes, in the wee hours, I think fondly back and realize just how good Mr. Natural would look eight feet tall on the side, a little desert scenery background....

Keep on truckin
Chuck

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #15 –
To me, all motorhomes seem to look about the same.  I would love to see them painted like dogs or cows, desert scenes, like a steampunk machine, in plaid, like a birthday gift, etc...

Just outside of Joshua Tree, there is a home painted just like the surrounding desert, with rocks, plants and in the same colors.  It would not be a good idea to paint a motorhome like traffic, but paint it to match your favorite destination.

White or Tan background and wiggly stripes, so boring.

oldMattB

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #16 –
like some of these

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #17 –
Quote from: oldmattb –
like some of these
The last, only one on bottom, reminds me of Thailand.  The trucks and buses there way back in the late 1960s.  I think the only thing metal on them was the chassis and the rest was stained wood which was brightly painted in spots.

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #18 –
Matt,
Don't know where you took the pic of the last one but we think that we saw it camped at Study Butte, TX several years ago. If it wasn't this one do you think that there was 2 of them made.

Pamela & Mike
 

Re: DIY Painting Thoughts

Reply #19 –
Quote from: Pamela & Mike –
Matt,
Don't know where you took the pic of the last one but we think that we saw it camped at Study Butte, TX several years ago. If it wasn't this one do you think that there was 2 of them made.

Pamela & Mike

I just grabbed the shots from various web sources.  Someone should paint their coach like a horse trailer, with cartoon horses, hay bales, hitching posts, etc.

oldMattB