Morris Minor Owners Club

Good point!!

I've put this thread on Rob's new wiki, it was too good to let slip...

Great, I'll take the panels off then

I got the loaner spraygun yesterday to find it was covered in many years worth of dried paint that hadn't been cleaned off properly (mainly on the outside, though some of the insides were a bit gunged up too). Beggars can't be choosers, so I spent 7 1/2 hours last night cleaning it with a can of thinners, various small brushes, and a hank of wire wool. The only bit I couldn't do properly was the inside of the paint pickup pipe - I'm considering running some paint stripper into it to lift the dry paint, then rinsing it out afterwards. I even polished the outside of the paint pot

Im no sprayer but I thought I would mention one point that is obvious to experianced sprayers which is why it hasn't been mentioned. If you are using a garage with an industrial compressor, don't use the lines that have been used for air tools. Also make sure that there is no oil pot in the line. I mention this because its the very mistake I made!!!!

I'd be a bit wary using paint stripper on a gun, soaking in thinners for a few days should shift it.
Funny thing cleaning guns, my suction gun always sprayed well, but was looking just a bit dirty, so I decided to clean it to make sure that an important paint job I was about to do, would be the best the gun could offer. Full strip down clean and carefull re assembly and setting up, result absolutely useless. Result new gun purchased.
Good points from Paul, oil and water are a disaster for spraying, we use dedicated lines and a freeze dryer to make sure the air is the best possible quality to both spray with and breath whilst doing so.
I'd run up the compressor then fully drain the reciever to remove as much water/oil mix , then re fill the reciever and run an open air line , (not the one you are going to spray with) to clear the system. You can buy a small water/oil trap which screws to your gun which will reduce the possibility of contamination.
Pity your not a bit nearer as you could have hired out our booth.

I made up a brand new hose because I wasn't sure the old hoses hadn't been used with an oiler. There's a dryer on the compressor output (not the refrigerated type though). I drained the reservoir and about half a pint of brown water came out, which was less than I expected. I only used stripper to loosen the paint that had hardened inside the pickup pipe, and it wasn't attached to the gun at the time.

Hey , no excuses now then!!!

jonathon wrote:Full strip down clean and carefull re assembly and setting up, result absolutely useless. Result new gun purchased.

Yes, Why is that?

I've done exactly the same thing


Also, the colour finish they put on budget guns (reds, golds etc) will eventually come off when soaked in thinners! My posh red one isn't anymore

Dunno Must say I wasn't very pleased.
Maybe there just basecoat rather than annodised My blue guns still shiney blue though. My last painter told me off for leaving a small amount of thinners in the gun, said it corrodes the plastic seals, my argument is that they always stay clean and are ready to go.

I have a plastic gravity fed De Bliss gun and it's always got a small amount of anti-bloom sitting in it! I put about a pint in after I clean it and spray at least half out before hanging it up.... leaves a few drops around the seals and it's 4 years old and still like new!

Getting a bit closer... I've finished repairing the front outer wings, sanded out all the rust spots, rust-killed and zinc-primed the bare patches, and flatted down the rest of the old paint. There's a couple of slight dents that need filling and I haven't primed the inside of them yet, but I might be ready to break out the spraygun some time next weekend.

A couple more questions:

How many coats of grey primer should I use?

Does cellulose dry quickly enough that I could do all the primer and top coats on the wings in one day?

Just be sure you spray on a low humidity day to avoid blooming - have to say - it's better in the summer if you can wait! But a nice cool DRY winter day can be ok too. Be very aware of using any electrical devices in the room where you are spraying - exposed element electric heaters - including fan type - are a NO NO - type with sealed bulbs (infra red) should be ok - but really all the electrics (and lights) should be Flame Proof (ATEX) - the vapours from the spraying are highly flammable and of course very toxic. And of course - NO SMOKING. Best if the compressor is not in the same room either. If you don't have breathing air supplied (absolutely essential with 2 pack paint) - then at least wear a good P3 dust mask to keep the particles out - and a carbon filter to try to absorb some of the hydrocarbon solvents - although it won't last long. Really good ventiltion is important - when I can - I spray outdoors - warm still day in summer! It may not be the best from a dust point of view - but it's certainly best for my health.

warm still day in summer!

Gives you plenty of time to prepare the panels then, where you are!!

Can't wait any longer I'm afraid - "Get Fenchurch back on the road" is right at the top of my list of new year's resolutions! It's almost a year now that I've been without a car and commuting to work on the bus. I was hoping to have Fenchurch finished long before now, but you know how it goes with car restorations

but isn't fenchurch MOT'd atm?

Yes, the main things left to do now are a full respray, strip bleach and oil the woodwork, and apply Dinitrol to the cavities and underside. Although MOTed, taxed and insured, she's not really in a fit state to drive right now as you can see from the FenchurchCam.

I was just wondering why you got her MOT'd and then stripped and sprayed?