mgs
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: Painting you own car at home...

To: british-cars@autox.team.net, mgs@autox.team.net,
Subject: Re: Painting you own car at home...
From: "Steve Manwell" <Steve_Manwell@WE-KNOW-ENERGY.XENERGY.COM>
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 96 11:11:40 EST
     
     >Lacquer type paints will not be sold after this summer in 
     Maryland 
     >because too much solvent is released into the atmosphere.  Lower 
     >solvent paints will still be available.
     
     Lacquer is being phased out in Massachusetts also.  This led me 
     to ask some questions on the Shop Talk list 
     (shop-talk@autox.team.net).  A summary follows.
     
     Steve Manwell
     smanwell@xenergy.com
     
     ---------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     
          I have heard that it is no longer possible to buy acrylic 
     lacquer paints and solvents here in Massachusetts and that 
     similar national reg's.  are coming along to reduce VOC 
     emissions. It's been a few years since I painted a car (a Triumph 
     Herald), so what's a DIY painter to do now?  From the information 
     I have gathered, it looks like I can do primer and sanding with 
     standard compressor, spray gun and charcoal respirator.  
     Available top coat materials, though, seem to be difficult to 
     work with (i.e. you can't sand out or rub out sags, dust and 
     bugs!) or extremely hazardous to your health unless your have a 
     fresh air supply.  Maybe the best approach is to fill and prime 
     to the point where the car or panel is ready for a top coat and 
     then have a body shop do the rest in the paint booth.  Their
     HVLP equipment will consume less of the expensive material too.
     
          Is anyone doing top coats in home shops anymore?
     
          Steve Manwell
          smanwell@xenergy.com
     
     --------------------------------------------------------------
     
     
     I'd check with the paint supply places to be sure.  In OR, it is 
     now
     illegal for professional shops to buy the stuff, but not for home
     thinker'ers.  People within the local growth boundary are allowed
     to do up to two cars a year.  No restriction on those outside the
     boundary.  Of course, there may be less material available as 
     demand dies down.....
     
     Mike
     
     ---------------------------------------------------------------
     
     I am still able to get acrylic lacquer here in CT.  According to 
     my supplier it will be getting hard to get but not any time real 
     soon.  I usually use white and he said he could supply that for a 
     long time to come. 
     
     I will probably just stock up with several gallons if it gets 
     real hard to get.  I've got 4 cars to paint in the next couple of 
     years.
     
     I don't like the precautions on the current crop of paint.  You 
     really should have a forced air respirator for even the new 
     primers.  The waterborne stuff seems to be especially bad.
     
     Steve Obert
     
     ---------------------------------------------------------------
     >      coat and then have a body shop do the rest in the paint 
     booth.  Their
      >      HVLP equipment will consume less of the expensive 
     material too.
     
     HVLP guns are now quite affordable.
     
     Brian
     ----------------------------------------------------------------
     
     There are a number of solutions to this.  The base coat clear 
     coat
     system is not as complicated as it sounds.  The base coat is very 
     near a lacquer type system and can be worked very easily.  The 
     clear coat is what gets a bit more complicated but not workable.  
     Suggest you visit your auto supply store and if they have Dupont 
     products ask for them to get you a full product catalog and a 
     bunch of free product sheets that explain the different types of 
     clearcoats.
     
     John R. Draxler


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>