Painting my LJ

FadeToGray

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So I'm looking to take a shot at spraying the paint for my Jeep myself both to save some money and for the learning experience.

I know it will be far from perfect (and probably terrible), but I want to give it a shot.

From what I can tell, most are recommending at least a 60 gallon tank.

If the Jeep is pulled apart and done a pieces, can I use a smaller compressor?

I have a 27 gallon tank right now, and would love to avoid getting a larger one if at all possible.

Or do I need to suck it up and get a 60+ gallon tank?
 
The main thing you will need to look on a compressor is CFM at 90 PSI. You want at least 15CFM to keep up with a halfway decent HVLP spray gun. Anything lower and you will be waiting for it to catch up, changes in air pressure even 1 PSI when spraying a metallic color can change the color dramatically.
 
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Ah damn, ok. Mine is no where neat that CFM. So I'd have to buy something more powerful.
 
You could technically get away with one around 12-13 if you paint the Jeep in sections. But I don’t know what color yours is and if it’s a high metallic color you may end up with something that looks like the partridge family bus. It’s best to paint metallics at one time and all the panel orientated the way they sit on the vehicle.
 
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You could technically get away with one around 12-13 if you paint the Jeep in sections. But I don’t know what color yours is and if it’s a high metallic color you may end up with something that looks like the partridge family bus. It’s best to paint metallics at one time and all the panel orientated the way they sit on the vehicle.

Paint would be Stone White
 
That’s a little easier to do in sections. White is pretty forgiving. If you do decide to tackle this yourself you want to make sure you apply a solid color sealer to the entire thing to get consistent coverage. You will use less color that way also. I actually sealed mine in all white before starting with the yellow basecoat.
 
Go to harbor freight and get the purple hvlp gun and practice on a metal door, old hood etc .

If you get confident , then get a nice gun and go for it .

Guys at an auto paint supply store will really be good to get to know.
 
A concern with automotive paints is toxicity, in terms of you and depending on your living situation, the people nearby. In my situation, houses are fairly close to each other, and lately we are inundated with kids all over the place as new families have moved in. I wouldn't want toxic paint fumes wafting around into my neighbors yard with kids playing and all. Maybe you are in a situation with better control over that.

As a hobbyist working on cars for many years, admittedly I've gotten very shy about exposing myself to various toxins/particulates. I use a quality respirator for just about any sanding/grinding these days for example.

The vinyl wrap thing intrigues me as a paint alternative, and I've been obsessively watching youtube videos about it, lol. Low toxic exposure. Kid next door has wrapped several projects and says it was easy to use. Of course a car would be significantly more difficult. But I plan to buy a small section of wrap for fun to test it out.
 
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In a nutshell:
Metallics need to be sprayed all at once if possible and like mentioned.. panels oriented as they will sit on vehicle. You paint a door sideways and hang it on the Jeep, it will look completely different than the metal around it even if you sprayed it at the same time.
Solids (like you're white).. much more forgiving. Panels can be sprayed any which way.

A good beginners reference (despite them mentioning their own products, which by the way are awesome): https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/perfect-paint-job

Tips on setting up a spray gun: https://www.southernpolyurethanes.com/adjusting-your-gun
 
Have you considered and looked at Jeep’s new “Bright White Metallic? “ It is used on Wrangler from 07+. IMO it looks way better.

I don't think I'd have the skill set to shoot a metallic paint unfortunately.
 
I found out a few things about painting and myself after painting my jeep.

1) The first time I painted it, I tried for a match. Its was metallic blue. You CAN NOT COLOR SAND METALLIC PAINT!

2) The second time I painted it, I figured , ok I will just get a blue that is the same color but without the metallic in it. Without the metallic I can color sand and buff it to a high luster. NOW IT SEEMS I MAY BE COLOR BLIND....NOT EVEN CLOSE!

3) I found something that is really hard to do well. I HATE PAINTING!

4) I have crazy amounts of respect for people who paint for a living. It is a nasty dirty job that could kill you if you do not protect your lungs properly.

Will I do it again? Probably. I am cheap stubborn bastard who refuses to pay people to work on my stuff. That may seem like a good quality to have ,and it is most of the time. BUT NOT WHEN IT COMES TO PAINTING!

Paul
 
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Just to be clear, I am not trying to discourage the op from painting his own jeep. Everyone should try new things .

Mine turned out ok. I had a lot of orange peel in it, but I had layed on enough paint to sand and buff it. It looks passable from 10 feet away. It gets stick scratches and all kinds of abuse, so I am not worried about it.

Just set reasonable goals. Dont expect to throw down an award winning paint job your first time. If you do you are a badass!
 
I used to paint cars and parts I restored back in the '70s & '80s. I never did one all in one shot, they were always done in pieces and never in what I would consider good surroundings. I shot laquers and acrylic enamels and usually buffed out the body panels. I stopped at about the time isocyanates became popular in paint, not because of the added danger but because I moved on to other things.

I'd love to get back into it. Our type of Jeeps are probably one of the easier vehicles to work on. Many of the parts can be removed and worked on individually and what's left is pretty easy to mask off. Many of our Jeeps also take a bit of a beating and top quality jobs aren't always needed or wanted. I like to be able to fix things when I screw them up and paint touch ups fall into that category.

I am totally lost regarding what paints are popular now with hobbiests. For those who do this … what are you use?

jeepins - Thanks for the links.
 
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I'm in the same boat and looking forward to the information and advice in this thread. FWIW my plans include a "less than optimal" 60 gallon, 11.5 cfm @ 90psi compressor. Talking to guys who are hobby car painters, this will work especially on a Jeep because as said before, panels come off and Jeeps are small, etc.
 
The biggest thing with paint in you want to do several medium coats especially in the base coat (color) it’s a fine line between too wet and it runs and too dry and it looks like 80 grit sand paper. A solid color like white is probably the best color to try your first paint job with. Let it dry good between coats, usually 7-10 minutes, that color covers well so 3 coats should be plenty. And then for a first time paint job I would say 3 coats of clear. When applying the clear keep an eye on the texture of the panel. You want it to have a little more orange peal look to it when you are spraying. Almost every clear will flow out more as it cures. That’s were a lot of guys screw up they spray the clear so when they are spraying it looks the way they want it to end up. So when it’s wet it looks to have little to no orange peal. When they come back to look at it once it’s dry half of it is on the garage floor.
 
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