Sanding w/ Compressor

[OfourTHREEfive]

I am going to start sanding my zenki down for paint this weekend. I have to rent a compressor because I dont own one. How big do I need to get in order to get the job done?

[96Turbo]

someone correct me if i'm wrong....but wouldn't it be a lot easier/cost effective to use an electric sander?? Pretty sure an orbital electric sander would do the job just fine and you wouldn't need air for it

[BoostinGST]

I am going to start sanding my zenki down for paint this weekend. I have to rent a compressor because I dont own one. How big do I need to get in order to get the job done?
you dont really need an air compressor to sand it for paint, you will be better off just getting a sander, it will be cheaper than renting a compressor. either that or just do it by hand.

[aznpoopy]

by hand ftw

when you're done you'll be able to pop off your sleeves by flexing

[silpena]

if u use a da just use to knock down the clear t othe base coat but make sure u don't go through the primer. one u see primer stop! from there on go buy urself a set blocks and a long board also a flexible long board. Thats where the magic happens in getting a straight body. As for a compressor ur gonna need a huge compressor to use a da btu u can sue a normal one just expect it to over heat easily.

[OfourTHREEfive]

So i just need to scuff up the clear coat and get it ready for primer to stick right?

[babowc]

I've tried a 10gal. = FAIL.

Went out and got a 60gal. = FULL OF WIN.

Yeah.
Or just get an electric sander.

[burnsauto]

So i just need to scuff up the clear coat and get it ready for primer to stick right?

well you need to get rid of the clear coat. I'd use an orbital sander, slow and steady. Just done forget prepsol before you spray primer.

[shifteds14]

i can give u a few tips on whats the fastest/time & cost effective way to get the job done right and make it nice nice .....


1-r u only preping for paint ?
2- are u doing any plastic work/ repair work?
3- has the car been painted before ?
4- are u painting it the same color ?
5- are u painting it a different color ?

[shifteds14]

someone correct me if i'm wrong....but wouldn't it be a lot easier/cost effective to use an electric sander?? Pretty sure an orbital electric sander would do the job just fine and you wouldn't need air for it

a electrical da 's are not properly balance and is fustrating to work with. they tend to create high and low spots ? if used a guide coat u will sree wut i am talking about

[samplesurf]

ill give you a few tips since im doing mine right now and almost done, get as big of a compressor as you can, a DA uses a lot of air, mine is a 20gallon compressor and after about a few minutes of sanding you can really feel it start to slow down, id suggest just scuffing up most of the car with a soft pad of 320 grit and use the DA to get out rock chips and stuff like that

[shifteds14]

well you need to get rid of the clear coat. I'd use an orbital sander, slow and steady. Just done forget prepsol before you spray primer.

just adding from above , make sure after u wipe down the panal with prep-sol go over the panel with a dry rag , an wait for it to completely evaporate or u willl get pin hole type reaction from th prepsol evaporatijng under the primer .

[IIIXziuR]

Yeah honestly I feel you only get the real use out of a DA/Pneumatic sander if you are running a 60G or higher tank....and those all run off 240v power from what I have seen.

I think you might be better off getting an electric cander or just using good old fashioned elbow grease (by hand).

[OfourTHREEfive]

i can give u a few tips on whats the fastest/time & cost effective way to get the job done right and make it nice nice .....


1-r u only preping for paint ?
2- are u doing any plastic work/ repair work?
3- has the car been painted before ?
4- are u painting it the same color ?
5- are u painting it a different color ?

It needs a few minor bondo work and two cancer spots. Yes it has been painted before but lucky for a crappy maaco job. Different color, I plan to cover myself in prep work.

[ByeByeSti]

okay well if your getting a compressor, use 220 grit on a da and you can cover all the large areas real quickly, after that move up to 320. then 600 etc... people use presol or a little bit of reducer that you use with your primer, on a rag to clean the car off, <~~ but not to much. wait for it to dry. spray with 3 +/- coats of primer. and also choose your primer depending on color. because if its a bright color. dont use red primer.. haha pretty self explanatory there. but after those 3 coats are on, you sand the car with 600 grit or so. wipe it down again. then spray your 3 coats of paint.. unless you go single stage. then sand that with 1000 or so(wet sanded) then hit it with clear. after you clear coat it, hit with 1500+ grit paper(wet sanded) then buff it out. and you will have one amazing paint job. also when spraying make sure your room temp is 60+ degrees for if you use fast reducer(cr reducers) and have ventilation,(open a door if you have to to let fumes clear out for a bit, then spray)) also dont spray at under 35psi. test spray with your gun before spraying on the car.


and everyone. unless hes going to paint this car witha roller, or rattle can, or a paint brush.... hes going to need a compressor to spray the car with. duh :)

if you need anymore help, i paint and can give you pointers.

[OfourTHREEfive]

Thank so much for your help, I might be pming you :runs and starts sanding:

[ByeByeSti]

hope all turns out well! post some pics for us asap

[boosted98gst]

I paint for a living at a well known body shop, anytime doing a full paint job you never use a DA on large spaces, like the guy said its going to create high and low spots, if you want to do a really good job , you can cut clear off really fast with 320 and a longstraigt edge with a bucket of water, make sure you work your way from front to back, use the if you have some dings, use to DA to sand the spots down to see how the ding spreads and fill around, use whatever type filler and go from there. also if your on a budget, you can scuff down your primer with scotch brights pads, make sure you use a type of straight edge on the larger areas, make sure before every prime, coat ect, you clean and tack off before you spray , or its going to look like ass....... what type of sprayer are you using for your primer, base and clear 1.2 1.3 1.4?

[boosted98gst]

and another thing before you get a compressor the GAllon does not mean shit really in painting, it does not matter how much the tank can hold its how much it can flow, what you want to get is not a cheap ass electric one and rent a gas powered air compressor, it will be able to keep up with anything you throw at it, make sure you put in a inline mosture catch also, that way your not blowing water all over , you can rent any gas powered aircompressor at sunbelt they have anything from 4cfm to 16cfm which has anything from a 4hp to 8hp gas powered motor on it, the tank is only 4-17 gallon but will out perform any electric compressor thats lets say 2 hp and 80 gallon electric, the gas power will put out way more cfm to keep up with the DA and painting.

[brainfood]

^ Great info! Thanks

[boosted98gst]

you can buy a little flat straight edge like this little one , for like 5 bucks at any hardware store, use the 320 and water, it will cut alot faster then dry, with out clogging the paper up.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/boosted98gst1998/24082.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/boosted98gst1998/24081.jpg
once you get through the clear, to your org base coat, you can stop going any further might cause you more probs in the future unless your fixing issues with the car ie (dings/dents) you are prob going to run into bondo/icing they are is old and over the years most cars end up in some type of paint work, once you see the bondo or filling just stop and work another area, do not work the bondo, its already fixed , do not make more work for yourself.

make sure that you seal the old base coast before spray the new color, depending on the color of the car.

Prep work is everything with painting 95% of the job, the cleaner the work enverioment the cleaner the paint job and the less work your going to have to do with the final product, do not sand in the place your going to paint, do it outside ect , then bring the car back inside.

Make sure you buy enough tack cloth, your going to need a bit of it, make sure never to push it hard on the contact of the car, just very light enough for it to pick up anything left on the surface, if you push to hard its going to leave the sticky sap on the car.

1. get enough sand paper, your best bet is going to paint store that sell it in bulk, good sand paper (3m) is not cheap

2. make sure you have enough scotch bright pads for the hard to get areas.

3. make sure you know what type of clear your going to be using in the weather condition, different products flash off faster then others. make sure you wach the weather channel and watch the temp and humity, then ask the local paint guy which would be better for the temps.

4. if your not painting in a booth, try spraying the car early morning. make sure you give aleast 20-30 minutes between coats to allow flash off time.

5 make sure you know how to use a paint gun and what type of paint your going to be spraying with, a solid color is alot more easy then spray with metalic/flake/pearls, there is a certain pattern to keep apply the paint on even.

6. read up online about painting, the more you can learn the better.

7 make sure you buy enough filters and mixing sticks, make sure the paint is mixed everytime very good, measure everytime , use an old measuting glass ect, make sure you mix primers/base/clears proper, do not eye ball .

8 make sure everything is spray with long even strokes, no short , your not spray bombing a car.

hope this helps you out, ask me if you have any questions

[boosted98gst]

another thing, water down the area your working in before paint, it will hold down all the small particals you can not see that will fly into your clear. if done right you will not have to wet sand the final product, a good painter is able to spray and be done with out wetsanding out his mistakes, usually because he painting is a dirty work area or did not know the basics in painting. I did my s13 in my garage, beacuse the 15 booths at our shop where full because of all the work at honda of america. I just make sure everything was clean , never did I one time have to wet sand my clear , only due to fisheye or stuff in my paint, only to add another layer of clear. first time is a charm with no wet sanding.


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/boosted98gst1998/paint7.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g127/boosted98gst1998/paint6.jpg

I am changing the color again, so I will do a full write up , and price tag on a decent do it yourself garage paint job.

[xsparc]

boosted98gst, wow this is great info. I am planning on doing this myself too. My clearcoat is flakeing off and alot of the base is oxidized.

I didnt know you shouldnt use a DA, i was always told to us it. Would a jitterbug be better? Also what did you mean about sealing the old base coat?

[DUSANMANDIC]

sealer is like a primer

[scooz14]

make sure if you get a compressor that it flows at least 12cfm at 90psi

anything else is a waste of time for body work

[DUSANMANDIC]

and a good size tank so its not cycling* all the time

[boosted98gst]

your better off just renting, a 16cfm gas with 17 gal tank with honda motor is well over 1300 bucks. with a gas powered compressor it is supposed to cycle quick, it can keep up....unlike electric. tank size is really not an issue with a gas powered unit as it is with electric motor. If you can get ahold of another big tank, run the gas inline to the other tank and then your line off that, thats if you want to keep some built air, and the noise is goign to be an issue.

[boosted98gst]

boosted98gst, wow this is great info. I am planning on doing this myself too. My clearcoat is flakeing off and alot of the base is oxidized.

I didnt know you shouldnt use a DA, i was always told to us it. Would a jitterbug be better? Also what did you mean about sealing the old base coat?

jitterbugs are used to shave down large amouts of bondo , im sure you can use one. Id do anything in my power not to use huge amounts of bondo anyways, small dents are ok, but large dents id rather cut a whole rear quarter off and replace then, hack it with huge amounts of bondo.