ncrowley wrote:
Questions:
What is the "best" clear coat to get? Should I get a spray or brush on? What exact brand/type do I get?
When you are using sand paper, I assume you go around the edges until you have gotten into a solid area. What type of sand paper? How do you do this so you do not sand off the paint?
How do you clean the area before you put on the clear coat?
Anything else I should know before attempting this?
Everybody has different standards, budget and skills for a repaint project.
I have tried to blend new clear coat over gel coat. This only lasts a couple of years.
I have applied base coat with new clear coat. This lasts longer.
Q1 You will want to spray clear coat. Depending on the Orange Peel in your result you may need to Sand with 1200 grit and higher wet sandpaper and the buff the result with polish.
Lots of people use the 2 part SprayMax 2K for small repairs to cars, and motorcycles, guitars, and other shiny objects. Buy it at your Automotive Paint Supply Store.
Q2 Sanding the good clear coat will allow the new Clear Coat to adhere to the old Clear Coat and maybe the base coat. But, if you sand the exposed base coat, the resulting color may be different from the surrounding good areas. So really one needs to spray new base (color) coat and then spray the clear coat.
Also, if trying to blend the repair into the remaining good clear coated surface you likely will get ridges where the layers meet that may need to be sanded out if possible. Up on the roof cap this would be a small problem. At eye level it will be very apparent.
Q3 Buy a cleaner from your Auto Paint Supply store when you also buy your SprayMax 2K Clear Coat. They can also try to match your base coat color and put it in a Spray Can.
There is a lot of help on the Internet for this process. Do some surfing before painting.
But.......if you want a long lasting, looking like new paint repair, have a pro do the work.
It is tough to find the right weather day for outdoor painting, then mask the area for painting, only to have the wind come up and the bugs come out to affect the quality and appearance of your spray job. Been there, done that.
PS....I bought a $150 scaffold from Harbor Freight (Home Depot has them also) that makes working high up much easier than standing on a ladder. It also makes a nice garage storage shelf when not in use.
Well, we did and do our own. Looks good to me. Re the above the drip rail area. Sand with 400 to 600 grit. Don't worry about going through the base coat. Its just paint. Once its smooth use a product like final wipe. Mask at least 4 feet in every direction. Once more with final wipe. 2 coats of base coat and then 4 coats with Spraymax2K. Make sure you get the base coat and the Spraymax2K from the same place so they are compatible. All the coats 10 to 15 minutes apart. First coat of Spraymax2K lighter and the rest a little heavier. If you go to heavy and make a run don't touch it. It'll look all right in the end. Spraymax2K is a true two part clear coat. You puncture the internal cylinder in the can and then the two mix. You have about 36 hours to use the clear coat at that point.
Is it perfect? Nope. But it looks excellent to me. The first areas I did were about 5 years ago and I may have to redo those in the next year or two because I tried to blend and not redo the basecoat. The parts that I took it right down look great and are hanging in there. We need to make the coach last another 15 years or so. Meh, should make it 🙂
Cost is under a hundred bucks for a 40 foot coach both sides (assuming we are talking about the area above the drip rail) I used a ryobi cordless sander. I buffed it out with a power buffer but that is another topic that Ill cover if you decide to go that way.
I seem to have to do a little on the coach (black and dark brown part of the sidewalls) every year or two (we have had our coach since new for 11 years now) I seem to get a little better every year. Kinda fun, relaxing, I do it all outside in the fresh air. I use a mask when spraying. The paint part is the only fast part. All 6 coats are done in one hour.
By the way, this also works on the fracturing on the side walls but the fracturing will show up again within three years.
Good luck.
Sorry I don't have a better picture.
Oh and the reason(s) I do it myself are
a. money (3000 5000) bucks is a fair chunk of change for us not to mention that pretty much pays for 2 months exploring europe for us.
b. If I hire someone it is just another missed opportunity to learn something. My dad wouldn't have approved. 🙂 Besides Angela does most of the hard stuff. 🙂
Is it perfect? Nope. But it looks excellent to me. The first areas I did were about 5 years ago and I may have to redo those in the next year or two because I tried to blend and not redo the basecoat. The parts that I took it right down look great and are hanging in there. We need to make the coach last another 15 years or so. Meh, should make it 🙂
Cost is under a hundred bucks for a 40 foot coach both sides (assuming we are talking about the area above the drip rail) I used a ryobi cordless sander. I buffed it out with a power buffer but that is another topic that Ill cover if you decide to go that way.
I seem to have to do a little on the coach (black and dark brown part of the sidewalls) every year or two (we have had our coach since new for 11 years now) I seem to get a little better every year. Kinda fun, relaxing, I do it all outside in the fresh air. I use a mask when spraying. The paint part is the only fast part. All 6 coats are done in one hour.
By the way, this also works on the fracturing on the side walls but the fracturing will show up again within three years.
Good luck.
Sorry I don't have a better picture.
Oh and the reason(s) I do it myself are
a. money (3000 5000) bucks is a fair chunk of change for us not to mention that pretty much pays for 2 months exploring europe for us.
b. If I hire someone it is just another missed opportunity to learn something. My dad wouldn't have approved. 🙂 Besides Angela does most of the hard stuff. 🙂
Oldme wrote:
If you decide to try it yourself and you want it to
look professional, go here for products, toots and help.
http://www.eastwood.com/paints.html
If you do not care how it looks go to Wally World and get
a can of clear spray paint.
Modern paint is way different from the oil based paints of
the 30s-40s or 50s or even the enamels of 60s-70s.
Clicky
Just to add a little gas to the fire -- if you are going to pay you need to find someone who is REALLY GOOD -- you, like many of us, have a professional job, that has turned to crap! So what I'm hearing here is to pay to have it done right, but.......just don't pay the same guy again who did it wrong.
BOL,
BOL,
