Morris Minor Owners Club

I've been working on the bodywork for some weeks now and have removed glass, chrome, rubber etc and have been giving lots of thought to the finishing paint job, and my final (I think) decision has been to do the spraying myself. With a bit of research I have decided to get a small compressor and a lvlp spray gun because they seem to be more forgiving to a novice enabling me to work at a nice slow pace with little overspray.

I'll be using cellulose paint mainly because of the safety aspect but also because it doesn't have that ultra shiny finish that is maybe better suited to new cars.

Has anyone done this with good results and what equipment can be recommended?

Chris.[frame][/frame]

yes it can be done with good results, i am self taught and have done several full resprays in celly. dont do what i did and use the cheap thinners at 7 quid a can as it is too aggressive and dries without a shine and also remember the main part of the job is all the prep, flatting down etc,good luck, graham

Use a proper spray gun - and juist do one panel at a time to avoid running out of air from a small compressor. After seriously poisoning myself with celly fumes - I ONLY ever spray outdoors now on a warm (but not HOT) /windless day.

As above,and the major problem with small diy equipment is that you will be unable to apply decent thick coats of paint,so you will need to apply many, dependent on the paint. because celly these days dries out dull and flat and needs a lot of cutting back and fine polishing to get a half decent finish. and if you have a thinish coating its easy to polish through to the primer,you can now get isocyanate free paint systems which may be worth looking at although haven't used it myself(Tyson will be along soon)

Just finish off the celly with good thinners as already suggested - with a very well thinned blow-over coat. Never spray on a wet/humid day......

Ask your paint supplier for a slow thinner rather than standard thinner. I've had really good results using 2K thinner which is slower again.

Start with a 50/50 mix and apply a rough grip coat.
Again 50/50 add a full coat
Apply a wet coat mixed 25/75 (paint/thinner).

When you apply a wet coat you should be moving the gun to get a full, smooth, wet finish. Over lap each pass by about 25% ensuring the overlap blends wet without dry spots.

Apply a wet coat 25/75.

If you wish to cut and polish the finish this should be adequate. If your feeling brave and want a good gun finish you can thin the paint some more. I've finished of with two coats 90% thinner to get a deep Celly shine.

Regards
Rod

Well done redmoggy, he knows how to spray celly not many do. And don't forget do not polish for at least four weeks as the finish needs to prove and will take that long to look it's best.

Thank you all for the advice.

Redmoggy, I will print the notes from your post above and do it exactly how you say.

I like to think that I can achieve decent results with celly - to add to the above (and I fully agree with redmog) I use anti bloom thinners which seems to have a slower flash off time - Ive got a half decent compressor - 100 litre tank and 3 hp (cant remember the cfm rating ) and use a sealey 701g gravity fed gun with a 1.4 mm nozzle set up -a cheap enough priced gun.

pic of spitfire I resprayed in cellulose outside - however once Ive put the paint on and its dry enough to touch I put the car under cover to avoid moisture and micro blisters

on say something like wheel arches or the the very front of the headlamp apertures, do extra coats because of the flattening back I mention below - on areas where its difficult to flatten back or get to when spraying (door openings ) I go over it with 1k clear lacquer which helps the gloss finish

also flatten the paint off when fully dry - the longer you leave it the better - with 1200 wet and dry with washing up liquid in with the water - it makes flattening back much easier and doesn't clog the paper - be careful on the edges so you dont go thru to the undercoat - lots of top coats avoid this ! the more the better with celly

prep is everything ! - good luck

[frame][/frame]

Looks great, Mattyb - thanks for your extra advice.

I have to admit, after all the hard and boring prep work, I really feel I deserve to take the glory of applying the final touches to my own car. However, when telling people of my intentions to paint my Moggie, I can sense them smirking and shaking their heads - realising the impending doom I face.

If I'm really brave , I may even change the colour to Sage Green.

cheers Chris

no smirking from me ! really hope you give it a go ! have a practice first ( try spraying the side of your washing machine or fridge......!) I think you'll be pleased and proud when you do spray your Moggy !

All the very best

Matt

You always get those folks that know they cant do a job and assume you are the same. Take your time and be thorough with your prep and you will be proud as punch.

Since your car is currently white you have an ideal base. If you can get some white tinted high build primer (for use in a gun). Use this to cover any repairs and then add a guide coat over the entire car.

Not to teach you to suck eggs, a guide coat is a light dusting of a contrasting colour such as black.

Re flat the car using 800 wet and dry with lots of soapy warm water on a flexible block until the black has gone. This will ensure that you do not have any visible repairs or wobbly looking panels.

This is my Login namesake in gun finish done as I described. It's still around somewhere.



All the best
Rod

That's a great looking paint job, Redmoggy.

Just re-reading your advice for spraying my car, how long do you leave between each coat. I will be doing it hopefully next weekend if the weather is dry and warm and not too windy, and I will have some sort of polythene 'garage' set up around the car on the driveway.

I'll be using a lvlp setup to paint the car in original Old English White cellulose.

With celly -an hour is plenty in warm weather. beware the fumes if you are inside a 'tent' - I made myself v ill with celly fumes a few years ago - and only spray outdoors since then.

As BMC says, please ensure you have a suitable mask.

I usually allow 15 mins between coats, more if it's colder. You only need enough time for the solvents in the paint to flash off, not for the paint to actually dry. That way the next coats have chance to bind with the previous coats.

Regards
Rod

Sorry that presumes an ambient temp of around 20 degrees C. More time the colder the temp.

Rod

Would need to be a special carbon filter mask - and the carbon will need frequent changing with the amount of solvent fumes in a tent....

I think perhaps that personal experience may have left you a little paranoid BMC. An Activated Carbon filter mask that is within date and has been stored correctly should not need to be changed during the job. Once the job is complete the filters should be removed and stored in a sealed bag. I also normally disinfect the mask itself before storing it.

Regards
Rod

The advice so far has been much appreciated.

Next weekend, weather permitting, I'm going to do the respray using my new lvlp spray gun and compressor. I will practice on the underside of the removed bonnet and boot lid and then, when confident, do the outside of each of those and the removed rear wings.

I'll do the final prep of the car, masking and degreasing on Friday and start spraying on Saturday. Where is it best to start, and in what sort of order do you work through the car?

Good luck with that spray gun - I prefer a 'proper' one. Yes I am paranoid about the mask - the carbon was never intended the handle the heavy fume / paint load inside a non ventilated tent.....you really need a fresh air fed mask...... just a little advice from an ex Safety Officer in an Explosives Factory.....