Painting Doris - my tractor

[brewdexta]

I've got the stage where I've blasted a good patch of cast iron castings, aluminium castings and smaller steel panels so need to get them painted before rust gets to them and while the weather is still above 15c in the frozen north.

My painting plan is this.

Degrease and tackrag. then with a 1.8 nozzle at 35-40 psi, 2:1 with 5 to 10% thinners (I bought the correct lechlar epoxy thinners)

• Spray with a coat of Lechlar epoxy
• wait 30 mins
• Spray with another coat of lechlar epoxy
• Wait 90 minutes

With a 1.4 nozzle, at 35-40 psi, 10% synthetic thinners

• 1 coat synthetic top coat
• Wait about 90 minutes
• second coat of synthetic top coat

Done - open home brew while cleaning up

Its a tractor so I'm not bothered about a bit of orange peel, not much you can do with synthetic anyway, I've got 5 litres of the empire blue top coat which will be more than enough and don't want to mess with 2 pack top coat.

Is it worth applying a synthetic primer between the epoxy and the top coat? I don't think so however its the first time I have used epoxy.

Thoughts?

Cheers
Andy

 

[brewdexta]

Also, in terms of PPE I intend to use a Moldex mask with both ABEK 1 organic filters and P3 particle filters and its in a barn with lots of ventilation, i,e, Yorkshire boarding.

 

[Spark plug]

Hmm...

I'm not 100% on this but you may have to let the epoxy fully cure before applying the synthetic as it could react.

I once accedentantly mixed synthetic thinners with 2 pac paint and it curdled and separated imediatly.

I may be wrong but I would advise caution, maby a test panel will be in order.

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks for that, if that's the case that means I can take my time and do the synthetic later when the epoxy is fully cured, but will need to lightly sand the last coat of epoxy, something like 400 grit?

I was trying to avoid having to sand the epoxy being a lazy git

 

[Spark plug]

I would do the same, sanding primer is boating. Give it a try on a pice of scrap tin, it might be ok

 

[penfold]

There's sanding and then there's giving it a key, aka waving a 3M pad at it for a few minutes; it'll take longer to go round with a tack rag picking up the dust.

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks Guys
OK, it seems it's not going to take much of my beer drinking time to sand it. I will probably do a test panel anyway, I hate cleaning up panels after a bad spray day.

 

[norsa]

Great plan. May i suggest instead of thinning the paint and risking runs with all due respect to your painting skills, heat the paint to hand hot just prior to spraying then maybe 5% max thinner if required to get a 6" fan 8" off the wall from the gun. It has the effect of thinning the paint to soray then stabilising quicker when on the panel.
Nick

 

[steveo3002]

yeah i agree try heating it ...do it somewhere safe though

and yes let the primer dry and give it a tickle with a scotch pad , nib any specs out with some 600

 

[brewdexta]

Thanks guys, heat both epoxy primer and synthetic top coats?

 

[penfold]

yeah i agree try heating it ...do it somewhere safe though

Easiest and safest is to use a bain-marie, aka a bucket filled using either your hot tap or a kettle.

 

[steveo3002]

just heat the top coat mate

id go with a camping stove hehe

 

[colnerov]

I've used a Burco baby boiler in the past for that and waxoyl before application (remove baby first).

 

[norsa]

just heat the top coat mate

id go with a camping stove hehe

Lets not get our HSE man fired up again Steveo please!!

 

[brewdexta]

Its ok, I have the tools for heating safely in the brewery