Hello Everybody,
First post.
I camp a lot in tents but after spending three days straight in a tent in the rain at Dolly Sods I swore I'd make a change.
Here it is.
Bought it Wednesday.
Drove it home today.
1999 Ford E-250, 6 cylinder, 125K miles.
Was a home builders work van. Some slight surface rust.
Cargo doors a bit dinged up.
I'm planning on doing a full conversion. Most of the work I'll do myself but some will be beyond my abilities. I'm giving myself a deadline of no later than spring. Van won't fit into my small garage so that will affect how/when I can work on it.
I've been reading this and other conversion forums for a few weeks. It's been a huge help so far. Learned quite a lot already but there's still a lot I don't know. Counting on the pros who frequent this forum for some advice.
Advice like: The previous owner drilled some 3/4 inch holes in the floor for bolted down shelving. Whats the best way to cover these holes from underneath? Should I treat the metal edges of the holes before I start?
Thanks for your time, now and in the future.
WVvan
P.S. I'm thinking of call it "HAL the Van".
Why HAL? Well since my name is Dave....
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
First post.
I camp a lot in tents but after spending three days straight in a tent in the rain at Dolly Sods I swore I'd make a change.
Here it is.
Bought it Wednesday.
Drove it home today.
1999 Ford E-250, 6 cylinder, 125K miles.
Was a home builders work van. Some slight surface rust.
Cargo doors a bit dinged up.
I'm planning on doing a full conversion. Most of the work I'll do myself but some will be beyond my abilities. I'm giving myself a deadline of no later than spring. Van won't fit into my small garage so that will affect how/when I can work on it.
I've been reading this and other conversion forums for a few weeks. It's been a huge help so far. Learned quite a lot already but there's still a lot I don't know. Counting on the pros who frequent this forum for some advice.
Advice like: The previous owner drilled some 3/4 inch holes in the floor for bolted down shelving. Whats the best way to cover these holes from underneath? Should I treat the metal edges of the holes before I start?
Thanks for your time, now and in the future.
WVvan
P.S. I'm thinking of call it "HAL the Van".
Why HAL? Well since my name is Dave....
Dave Bowman: Open the pod bay doors, HAL.
HAL: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
At the moment my sofa-bed plan looks like this.
This is just a general idea. Once I start to actually construct it the design will change. For instance I'll have to make modifications so it will fit over the wheel well. But you've got to start somewhere.
This is just a general idea. Once I start to actually construct it the design will change. For instance I'll have to make modifications so it will fit over the wheel well. But you've got to start somewhere.
First today's Ford van weather report:
Yep, still cold.
Because of the weather I'm not able to do as much on the van as I'd like so instead I've been looking ahead. The first piece of furniture I'm planning on making will be the sofa-bed. There are several design considerations with such limited space so I'll need some dimension information.
Here are some diagrams I've drawn up. The measurements are not extremely accurate. They are for general planning purposes not actual cutting of materials. None are to scale.
The floor measurements are of the wood layer I've installed, not the metal base layer.
The sofa-bed will sit behind the drivers seat so I'll need to know how close I can get to it.
Another consideration is height. Part of the Penthouse Top installation was the addition of a Metal Edge that runs along the top edge of the van wall. This edge sits lower than the original ceiling. Need info on it's height and placement. In this photo you can see the Metal Edge along with what I call the Box which is a structural component of the Penthouse top. All these measurements are with the top down. The Bucket is also of note.
Window behind drivers seat.
The sofa-bed will sit in front of this window so it's height is important.
Cross section look at the wall.
The heights to the ceiling farther away from the wall. 16 1/2" measurements is at the floor.
Now for a self portrait.
I want the sofa seat to be as high as possible, for storage underneath, without hitting my head on the Metal Edge. I did "test sits" with different sized boxes and such and found that the Tidy Cat Bucket I'd been using as a work stool seems to be just about right.
So I'll plan on the sofa seat having the same height of around 14 1/2 inches from the floor. I'm 6' and that's what feels right for me. You should do your own "test sits" to see what you find to be comfortable.
Yep, still cold.
Because of the weather I'm not able to do as much on the van as I'd like so instead I've been looking ahead. The first piece of furniture I'm planning on making will be the sofa-bed. There are several design considerations with such limited space so I'll need some dimension information.
Here are some diagrams I've drawn up. The measurements are not extremely accurate. They are for general planning purposes not actual cutting of materials. None are to scale.
The floor measurements are of the wood layer I've installed, not the metal base layer.
The sofa-bed will sit behind the drivers seat so I'll need to know how close I can get to it.
Another consideration is height. Part of the Penthouse Top installation was the addition of a Metal Edge that runs along the top edge of the van wall. This edge sits lower than the original ceiling. Need info on it's height and placement. In this photo you can see the Metal Edge along with what I call the Box which is a structural component of the Penthouse top. All these measurements are with the top down. The Bucket is also of note.
Window behind drivers seat.
The sofa-bed will sit in front of this window so it's height is important.
Cross section look at the wall.
The heights to the ceiling farther away from the wall. 16 1/2" measurements is at the floor.
Now for a self portrait.
I want the sofa seat to be as high as possible, for storage underneath, without hitting my head on the Metal Edge. I did "test sits" with different sized boxes and such and found that the Tidy Cat Bucket I'd been using as a work stool seems to be just about right.
So I'll plan on the sofa seat having the same height of around 14 1/2 inches from the floor. I'm 6' and that's what feels right for me. You should do your own "test sits" to see what you find to be comfortable.
A posting about Contact Cement.
This info refers to the DAP brand of Weldwood Contact Cement.
I went to buy another quart of contact cement at the local Ace Hardware store and they only had the "Original" formula not the "Nonflammable" formula which I had been using.
Nonflammable on the left in the following three pictures.
The first quart of contact cement I had been using came from someone who no longer needed it so I hadn't paid any real attention before to the formulations. It just worked. Once I got to looking at the new quart it's obvious from just the lids that there's some important differences.
Color, consistency and amount of fumes is also different.
The Nonflammable formula is as thin as water while the original is thicker. Original formula puts off a lot more vapors.
On both cans it reads that they work on foam so I went ahead and used the new original formula can.
I'm gluing fabric to the foam backed fiberboard (will have a separate post on this).
You can see what happened below.
The original formula is causing the foam to dissolve.
Have you seen how Alien blood goes through the floor of the spaceship Nostromo? Something like that.
The previous picture is from last night while still wet.
This is what it looks like today after drying.
So Lesson Learned is to keep the Original formula away from extruded foam. Only use the Nonflammable formula when gluing to foam. Went to Lowe's this morning for a new can of the Nonflammable formula.
I will be using the can of Original formula when it comes time to laminate van furniture so it won't go to waste.
Supplies:
Ace Hardware: Weldwood Original Formula Contact Cement - Qt - 12.99
Lowes: Weldwood Nonflammable Formula Contact Cement - Qt - 13.98
In case you're wondering how I used up the first quart so fast I have some advice. Don't rest your can of contact cement on the piece you're working on. If you shift the piece the can might spill. Or worse yet, take a dive onto the floor. Yep, I knocked the whole can onto the floor where it landed, upside down of course. :S
On the bright side it was half empty. On the non-bright side it was half full. Take your pick
This info refers to the DAP brand of Weldwood Contact Cement.
I went to buy another quart of contact cement at the local Ace Hardware store and they only had the "Original" formula not the "Nonflammable" formula which I had been using.
Nonflammable on the left in the following three pictures.
The first quart of contact cement I had been using came from someone who no longer needed it so I hadn't paid any real attention before to the formulations. It just worked. Once I got to looking at the new quart it's obvious from just the lids that there's some important differences.
Color, consistency and amount of fumes is also different.
The Nonflammable formula is as thin as water while the original is thicker. Original formula puts off a lot more vapors.
On both cans it reads that they work on foam so I went ahead and used the new original formula can.
I'm gluing fabric to the foam backed fiberboard (will have a separate post on this).
You can see what happened below.
The original formula is causing the foam to dissolve.
Have you seen how Alien blood goes through the floor of the spaceship Nostromo? Something like that.
The previous picture is from last night while still wet.
This is what it looks like today after drying.
So Lesson Learned is to keep the Original formula away from extruded foam. Only use the Nonflammable formula when gluing to foam. Went to Lowe's this morning for a new can of the Nonflammable formula.
I will be using the can of Original formula when it comes time to laminate van furniture so it won't go to waste.
Supplies:
Ace Hardware: Weldwood Original Formula Contact Cement - Qt - 12.99
Lowes: Weldwood Nonflammable Formula Contact Cement - Qt - 13.98
In case you're wondering how I used up the first quart so fast I have some advice. Don't rest your can of contact cement on the piece you're working on. If you shift the piece the can might spill. Or worse yet, take a dive onto the floor. Yep, I knocked the whole can onto the floor where it landed, upside down of course. :S
On the bright side it was half empty. On the non-bright side it was half full. Take your pick
After all the snow storms we've had lately I don't think Hal will be going anywhere until the Spring thaw.
Pillar Panel - continued
You can see the gap along the right side of the pillar panel where the first panel bows into the van wall.
Into this gap, cut and dry fit foam insulation so it's flush with the panel edge.
Next step. Place posterboard in the location where you need to create a trim piece. Just run a pencil along the edge where the posterboard meets the panel.
Tape the marked posterboard to some fiberboard and cut along the line. You now have a trim piece.
Here I'm using tape to hold the cut trim pieces in place. This covers the gap seen in the above picture. The extra foam pieces previous added are behind this edging providing support.
Now to put it all together. Move all the pieces inside where it's warm enough to glue.
Use the contact cement along with clamps to glue on the foam pieces. Use the marks from before to reposition the foam pieces. I'm using a couple pieces of plywood to evenly apply pressure to the foam piece while the cement sets.
Here are the foam pieces that go along the right side of the panel
Once all the foam pieces are attached use them as backing to hold the edge pieces in place.
Use contact cement and clamps.
That's it. I won't be posting information with this much excruciating detail about the rest of the panels I build. It's just that this single panel had most all of the problems I've run into so far so it made a good example.
You can see the gap along the right side of the pillar panel where the first panel bows into the van wall.
Into this gap, cut and dry fit foam insulation so it's flush with the panel edge.
Next step. Place posterboard in the location where you need to create a trim piece. Just run a pencil along the edge where the posterboard meets the panel.
Tape the marked posterboard to some fiberboard and cut along the line. You now have a trim piece.
Here I'm using tape to hold the cut trim pieces in place. This covers the gap seen in the above picture. The extra foam pieces previous added are behind this edging providing support.
Now to put it all together. Move all the pieces inside where it's warm enough to glue.
Use the contact cement along with clamps to glue on the foam pieces. Use the marks from before to reposition the foam pieces. I'm using a couple pieces of plywood to evenly apply pressure to the foam piece while the cement sets.
Here are the foam pieces that go along the right side of the panel
Once all the foam pieces are attached use them as backing to hold the edge pieces in place.
Use contact cement and clamps.
That's it. I won't be posting information with this much excruciating detail about the rest of the panels I build. It's just that this single panel had most all of the problems I've run into so far so it made a good example.
The Pillar Panel.
A few posts back I mentioned the "beam" to the right of the side cargo door. I'm not sure what the correct name is but I'll call it the Side Cargo Pillar. To correctly cover this pillar requires extra work because besides the different structural elements it doesn't mate up evenly with the First Panel I installed which is on it's right. The mating problem is due to the first panel's being bowed into the van wall.
When I lined up the first panel for trimming I positioned it so there was an extra inch to the left of the left edge of the pillar.
This is so I can shift the cut panel to the right so it will overlap the first panel.
Remember this overlap when you create the template.
Cut and insulate this panel like the others.
Now to start modifying the panel. First up the Rectangular Bump.
The panel won't sit flush because of that. Need to remove some insulation to compensate.
Cover the rectangle with a piece of newspaper cut to be the same size. Roll some tape to make it sticky on each side and put on the paper. Then when you dry fit the panel push it against the paper and it will stick to where you need to remove the insulation.
Remove insulation.
Panel will fit flush now. Attach the panel with screws. Notice the gap on the bottom caused by the recess.
Want to fill the gap for two reasons. A chance to add some extra insulation but more importantly is the need to add some edge trimming. The trim will hide everything behind the panel. The fabric covering will be glued to this trim. The added insulation will provide backing to support the trim pieces.
Cut and dry fit the insulation piece. The marks are so when it comes time to glue I'll know where to position it.
A few posts back I mentioned the "beam" to the right of the side cargo door. I'm not sure what the correct name is but I'll call it the Side Cargo Pillar. To correctly cover this pillar requires extra work because besides the different structural elements it doesn't mate up evenly with the First Panel I installed which is on it's right. The mating problem is due to the first panel's being bowed into the van wall.
When I lined up the first panel for trimming I positioned it so there was an extra inch to the left of the left edge of the pillar.
This is so I can shift the cut panel to the right so it will overlap the first panel.
Remember this overlap when you create the template.
Cut and insulate this panel like the others.
Now to start modifying the panel. First up the Rectangular Bump.
The panel won't sit flush because of that. Need to remove some insulation to compensate.
Cover the rectangle with a piece of newspaper cut to be the same size. Roll some tape to make it sticky on each side and put on the paper. Then when you dry fit the panel push it against the paper and it will stick to where you need to remove the insulation.
Remove insulation.
Panel will fit flush now. Attach the panel with screws. Notice the gap on the bottom caused by the recess.
Want to fill the gap for two reasons. A chance to add some extra insulation but more importantly is the need to add some edge trimming. The trim will hide everything behind the panel. The fabric covering will be glued to this trim. The added insulation will provide backing to support the trim pieces.
Cut and dry fit the insulation piece. The marks are so when it comes time to glue I'll know where to position it.
More insulation - continued
Cover the glued insulation with scrap plywood to put pressure on the contact cement.
After I let it sit overnight I wanted to see if this idea really worked so I hung it from the clothsline.
While it was hanging there I pulled on the fiberlgass at several places to check if it was holding to the plastic. It was attached to the plastic as well as it had been to the paper back rolls I removed it from. Even the part where I glued fiberglass to fiberglass. I was quite pleased it worked as well as it did. Given time it also expanded to the the approximate thickness I was aiming for.
Used duct tape to hold the panel up for a test fit in the van. The plastic sheet faces into the van. I'm expecting that when the fiberboard panels are screwed into place they will hold the the plastic backed pink fiberglass panels in place. If not I can use duct tape.
At the rate I'm going I should have all the van insulation work done ..... just in time for Spring.:S
Cover the glued insulation with scrap plywood to put pressure on the contact cement.
After I let it sit overnight I wanted to see if this idea really worked so I hung it from the clothsline.
While it was hanging there I pulled on the fiberlgass at several places to check if it was holding to the plastic. It was attached to the plastic as well as it had been to the paper back rolls I removed it from. Even the part where I glued fiberglass to fiberglass. I was quite pleased it worked as well as it did. Given time it also expanded to the the approximate thickness I was aiming for.
Used duct tape to hold the panel up for a test fit in the van. The plastic sheet faces into the van. I'm expecting that when the fiberboard panels are screwed into place they will hold the the plastic backed pink fiberglass panels in place. If not I can use duct tape.
At the rate I'm going I should have all the van insulation work done ..... just in time for Spring.:S
More insulation.
All the supplies I used for this posting were already on hand.
After I mounted the first insulated fiberboard panel I noticed the empty space behind it.
From left to right in the picture below is the inside of the van, fiberboard, extruded foam glued to the fiberboard, empty space where the rear windows would have been mounted, Reflectix insulation on van wall.
This gap varies from 1-1/2 to 2 inches.
That's the top half of the wall. The lower half also has voids but not as large.
That's too much space to ignore so I'll use pink fiberglass to fill it. Since fiberglass doesn't do it's job if you compress it too much I' going to make a custom fiberglass panel. This is a Proof of Concept since I haven't done this before.
Start by covering the area to insulate with a plastic sheet. You can use a magic marker to draw directly on the plastic where you need the insulation.
Remove the plastic sheet and spread out on the floor.
I'm working in the basement and it's cold this time of year so I've spread out foam to keep the plastic off the floor.
Use a paint brush and cover the area you previously marked out with contact cement.
The rolls of fiberglass I had on hand were 3-1/2" thick. So I wanted about half that thickness for the top half. If you're careful you can peel apart the insulation keeping the thickness roughly where you need it. When you need to trim a piece don't try and pull it apart. A really big pair of scissors comes in handy for this.
Put the fiberglass down on the prepared plastic sheet.
Continue with the lower half. Notice big scissors.
For the lower half of the panel I only wanted around a inch thick layer of insulation but had a problem keeping it consistent as it was peeled. Ended up with a patch that was too thin. Just put some more contact cement on the fiberglass and pile a little more pink stuff on top.
All the supplies I used for this posting were already on hand.
After I mounted the first insulated fiberboard panel I noticed the empty space behind it.
From left to right in the picture below is the inside of the van, fiberboard, extruded foam glued to the fiberboard, empty space where the rear windows would have been mounted, Reflectix insulation on van wall.
This gap varies from 1-1/2 to 2 inches.
That's the top half of the wall. The lower half also has voids but not as large.
That's too much space to ignore so I'll use pink fiberglass to fill it. Since fiberglass doesn't do it's job if you compress it too much I' going to make a custom fiberglass panel. This is a Proof of Concept since I haven't done this before.
Start by covering the area to insulate with a plastic sheet. You can use a magic marker to draw directly on the plastic where you need the insulation.
Remove the plastic sheet and spread out on the floor.
I'm working in the basement and it's cold this time of year so I've spread out foam to keep the plastic off the floor.
Use a paint brush and cover the area you previously marked out with contact cement.
The rolls of fiberglass I had on hand were 3-1/2" thick. So I wanted about half that thickness for the top half. If you're careful you can peel apart the insulation keeping the thickness roughly where you need it. When you need to trim a piece don't try and pull it apart. A really big pair of scissors comes in handy for this.
Put the fiberglass down on the prepared plastic sheet.
Continue with the lower half. Notice big scissors.
For the lower half of the panel I only wanted around a inch thick layer of insulation but had a problem keeping it consistent as it was peeled. Ended up with a patch that was too thin. Just put some more contact cement on the fiberglass and pile a little more pink stuff on top.
Drivers side floor rust - continued.
So start with a flat piece of steel:
Then do some hammering an chiseling an saber sawing then more hammering:
Starting to get there:
A lot more hammering and then, Success! A flat piece of steel no more. Every little ding you can see represents a blow from the round end of the ball peen hammer. I used self-tapping screws to hold the patch in position. Started at the bottom and worked towards the top doing the final shaping of the patch as I went.
Screws have been replaced with pop rivets.
I used Bondo around the edges since the metal was sharp and I didn't want it cutting into whatever matting I laid on top. Finished off with rattle can primer and paint.
So start with a flat piece of steel:
Then do some hammering an chiseling an saber sawing then more hammering:
Starting to get there:
A lot more hammering and then, Success! A flat piece of steel no more. Every little ding you can see represents a blow from the round end of the ball peen hammer. I used self-tapping screws to hold the patch in position. Started at the bottom and worked towards the top doing the final shaping of the patch as I went.
Screws have been replaced with pop rivets.
I used Bondo around the edges since the metal was sharp and I didn't want it cutting into whatever matting I laid on top. Finished off with rattle can primer and paint.
A quick jump into the way-back machine for a look at a patch I needed to do earlier.
Drivers side floor rust.
One problem with jute backed floor mats is their tendency to hold moisture. When I pulled up the front floor mat I found them wet underneath even though it hadn't rained in at least a couple weeks. This was during the summer.
Here's what the drivers side floor looked like. It was rusted clear through in one place.
Ground off all the rust and treated with rust converter.
Since this is hidden I didn't bother with the air gun and just used rattle cans to prime and paint.
Needed some sheet steel for a patch and I know where I could get some. Really old computers. 15 years ago those suckers were made to last. The steel on these computers is thicker than what's on the side of the van. Being a pack rat I have a few just laying around.
Cut out a template:
Transfer design:
Fun with the cutting wheel. Remove the stamped edges.
Looks neater without the flash:
Drivers side floor rust.
One problem with jute backed floor mats is their tendency to hold moisture. When I pulled up the front floor mat I found them wet underneath even though it hadn't rained in at least a couple weeks. This was during the summer.
Here's what the drivers side floor looked like. It was rusted clear through in one place.
Ground off all the rust and treated with rust converter.
Since this is hidden I didn't bother with the air gun and just used rattle cans to prime and paint.
Needed some sheet steel for a patch and I know where I could get some. Really old computers. 15 years ago those suckers were made to last. The steel on these computers is thicker than what's on the side of the van. Being a pack rat I have a few just laying around.
Cut out a template:
Transfer design:
Fun with the cutting wheel. Remove the stamped edges.
Looks neater without the flash:
Panel installation continued.
The first panel was to reach from the floor to the metal edge below the penthouse top. This measured out at 50 inches. Since the uncut fiberboard is 4' x 8' I cut the 50" lengthwise so the panel is 48" wide.
After this first panel I changed my mind about the length for the following panels. Instead of the floor I'll have the next panels stop at the metal lip that runs around the van about a inch from the floor.
Position the panel far enough to the left so it covers the "beam" that is to the right of the passenger side cargo door. Cut to fit.
The piece of panel that is removed from over the beam will be used later. I'll come back to it.
The insulated panel will be pushed up tight against the van wall. At this place in the van that's a inward bowing of 3 inches.
(The tape measure is upside down.)
I didn't insulate the top three inches of the panel to help reduce the bow by a 1/2 inch.
Along the van wall is a ridge the runs horizontally near the center line of the panel. I attached the panel to this. I predrilled then used #8 sheet metal screws. I'm using sheet metal screws in three lengths. 1", 1-1/4" and 1-1/2". I don't want to take a chance of putting a screw through the outer van wall so I'm using the shortest size that will hold. I'm probably being over-cautious.
At the moment I'm holding the panel in place with three screws. I'll probably add more later. Draw a line across the panel so You'll know where to position the screws.
With the first panel installed create a template for the next panel.
The template is 49" long but for economy's sake I'll use the 48" of the fiberboard and make up the final inch with just the foam. When I glued the foam to the fiberboard leave extra on the bottom then use the template to trim.
Install second panel.
Here is the bottom of the panel with the foam showing. Once it's covered with fabric it should look OK. You can see how it's resting on the ridge that runs around the van just off the floor.
One more thing. I forgot to not cover the top few inches of the second panel with insulation so it'll match the first panel. I found out what a good job the contact cement does while removing the already glued insulation.
The first panel was to reach from the floor to the metal edge below the penthouse top. This measured out at 50 inches. Since the uncut fiberboard is 4' x 8' I cut the 50" lengthwise so the panel is 48" wide.
After this first panel I changed my mind about the length for the following panels. Instead of the floor I'll have the next panels stop at the metal lip that runs around the van about a inch from the floor.
Position the panel far enough to the left so it covers the "beam" that is to the right of the passenger side cargo door. Cut to fit.
The piece of panel that is removed from over the beam will be used later. I'll come back to it.
The insulated panel will be pushed up tight against the van wall. At this place in the van that's a inward bowing of 3 inches.
(The tape measure is upside down.)
I didn't insulate the top three inches of the panel to help reduce the bow by a 1/2 inch.
Along the van wall is a ridge the runs horizontally near the center line of the panel. I attached the panel to this. I predrilled then used #8 sheet metal screws. I'm using sheet metal screws in three lengths. 1", 1-1/4" and 1-1/2". I don't want to take a chance of putting a screw through the outer van wall so I'm using the shortest size that will hold. I'm probably being over-cautious.
At the moment I'm holding the panel in place with three screws. I'll probably add more later. Draw a line across the panel so You'll know where to position the screws.
With the first panel installed create a template for the next panel.
The template is 49" long but for economy's sake I'll use the 48" of the fiberboard and make up the final inch with just the foam. When I glued the foam to the fiberboard leave extra on the bottom then use the template to trim.
Install second panel.
Here is the bottom of the panel with the foam showing. Once it's covered with fabric it should look OK. You can see how it's resting on the ridge that runs around the van just off the floor.
One more thing. I forgot to not cover the top few inches of the second panel with insulation so it'll match the first panel. I found out what a good job the contact cement does while removing the already glued insulation.
I'd mentioned in a previous posting about painting (when the weather was nicer).
Here are the steps I used to repaint. I'm new at this and these instructions are what worked for me. Your mileage my vary.
If there was any sign of rust use the wire brush on the grinder to remove the rust and any paint near it.
Use rust converter on the rust.
If there were no signs of rust use 320-400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to prepare paint. Use the sandpaper with a bucket of water. Keep wetting it frequently. Go over the whole area you're going to paint. This will be messy. If it's not messy you're not using enough water.
Clean up your mess and get a clean bucket of water and wipe down the sanded area.
Mask off the area you're going to paint. This is the most tedious of the jobs but if you don't take the time to do it right you'll regret it later. The more paper covering the better.
Next get a rag and use acetone to wipe down the area you'll be painting.
Time for the respirator and goggles. I'll skip the safety lecture.
Primer. I used rattle spray can primer. NAPA carried the type of primer for air guns but it came in a larger quantity than I needed. Spray cans worked fine. Just need a lot of them. I tend to use short light strokes and to go over the area more than once. Probably equal to a coat and a half.
After priming use the 1000 grit sandpaper dry and VERY LIGHTLY go over the area. One thing I noticed. On the inside of the doors the primed layer seemed extra rough at the lower corners of the windows. Extra sanding was required. This happened with every door. Must be something about the primer collecting in the corner.
Take a dry soft rag and make sure there's no loose sanding dust left laying on the surface.
Now you're ready to paint. Run a little acetone through the spray gun to make sure it's OK. Check the air pressure AT THE GUN. Your gun instructions should tell you what PSI is recommended
Mix the paint and reducer. I was advised to use 4:1 but was never super accurate with the mix ratios and the end results were always the same.
Put paint in the gun and do some test sprays. A big sheet of cardboard is real handy for this. You'll need to dial in the gun at this point. This step was always the hardest for me. There are three adjustment knobs on the gun I bought and if you adjusted one it seems to effect the other two. It seems like a balancing act and I never felt like I had it perfect, just good enough.
I set the gun for a light spray. Remember that as you move the gun to keep it parallel to the surface you're painting. Don't swing your arm back in forth in an arc. I would do short strokes until I thought I'd given good coverage to the whole area once. Put down the gun and take a short break. In just a few minutes the paint would be dry. I'd then do another coat.
After finishing the second coat pour out any paint not used. Be sure to keep the mixed and unmixed paint separate.
NOTE: I'm working in the garage with the doors open and there are no ignition sources or open flames anywhere nearby.
Wipe out the inside of the gun's paint reservoir with paper towels. If you use cloth rags be careful of clogging the gun with a stray thread. Next use acetone and paper towels to wipe out the reservoir. You want to get it as clean as you can. I also wipe off the outside of the gun.
The gun instructions advise disassembling it at this point and cleaning the internal bits separate. I'm always worried about losing one of the small bits so instead I clean the inside by running acetone through it. Just pour a little acetone into the bottom of the reservoir and spray it into a garbage can till empty. Do this three or four times and the gun should be clear.
Next step is the clear coat. Some people advise sanding the new paint with 1500 grit sandpaper. It did try this and it does improve the look but for what I'm doing It didn't improve it that much and besides, I don't need a mirror like finish.
Applying the clearcoat is just like applying the paint. Follow the same steps including mixing ratio except with the clearcoat you'll be adding hardener not reducer. The clearcoat flows differently so you'll have to re-dial the gun. Be sure to apply the clearcoat in light layers. If the layers are too thick you'll see a surface that looks like an orange peel. I'll usually apply three coats of clearcoat.
That's it. Clean the gun like you did with the paint. After you remove the masking you might have a slight edge to your paint area. You can blend it down with the 1500 grit sandpaper. Step back and marvel at you work.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Two tips. If you're painting outside, don't paint after dark. You'll be picking out the bugs later. You can get overspray off windows with a single edged razor blade. Don't ask me how I know.;)
Here are the steps I used to repaint. I'm new at this and these instructions are what worked for me. Your mileage my vary.
If there was any sign of rust use the wire brush on the grinder to remove the rust and any paint near it.
Use rust converter on the rust.
If there were no signs of rust use 320-400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to prepare paint. Use the sandpaper with a bucket of water. Keep wetting it frequently. Go over the whole area you're going to paint. This will be messy. If it's not messy you're not using enough water.
Clean up your mess and get a clean bucket of water and wipe down the sanded area.
Mask off the area you're going to paint. This is the most tedious of the jobs but if you don't take the time to do it right you'll regret it later. The more paper covering the better.
Next get a rag and use acetone to wipe down the area you'll be painting.
Time for the respirator and goggles. I'll skip the safety lecture.
Primer. I used rattle spray can primer. NAPA carried the type of primer for air guns but it came in a larger quantity than I needed. Spray cans worked fine. Just need a lot of them. I tend to use short light strokes and to go over the area more than once. Probably equal to a coat and a half.
After priming use the 1000 grit sandpaper dry and VERY LIGHTLY go over the area. One thing I noticed. On the inside of the doors the primed layer seemed extra rough at the lower corners of the windows. Extra sanding was required. This happened with every door. Must be something about the primer collecting in the corner.
Take a dry soft rag and make sure there's no loose sanding dust left laying on the surface.
Now you're ready to paint. Run a little acetone through the spray gun to make sure it's OK. Check the air pressure AT THE GUN. Your gun instructions should tell you what PSI is recommended
Mix the paint and reducer. I was advised to use 4:1 but was never super accurate with the mix ratios and the end results were always the same.
Put paint in the gun and do some test sprays. A big sheet of cardboard is real handy for this. You'll need to dial in the gun at this point. This step was always the hardest for me. There are three adjustment knobs on the gun I bought and if you adjusted one it seems to effect the other two. It seems like a balancing act and I never felt like I had it perfect, just good enough.
I set the gun for a light spray. Remember that as you move the gun to keep it parallel to the surface you're painting. Don't swing your arm back in forth in an arc. I would do short strokes until I thought I'd given good coverage to the whole area once. Put down the gun and take a short break. In just a few minutes the paint would be dry. I'd then do another coat.
After finishing the second coat pour out any paint not used. Be sure to keep the mixed and unmixed paint separate.
NOTE: I'm working in the garage with the doors open and there are no ignition sources or open flames anywhere nearby.
Wipe out the inside of the gun's paint reservoir with paper towels. If you use cloth rags be careful of clogging the gun with a stray thread. Next use acetone and paper towels to wipe out the reservoir. You want to get it as clean as you can. I also wipe off the outside of the gun.
The gun instructions advise disassembling it at this point and cleaning the internal bits separate. I'm always worried about losing one of the small bits so instead I clean the inside by running acetone through it. Just pour a little acetone into the bottom of the reservoir and spray it into a garbage can till empty. Do this three or four times and the gun should be clear.
Next step is the clear coat. Some people advise sanding the new paint with 1500 grit sandpaper. It did try this and it does improve the look but for what I'm doing It didn't improve it that much and besides, I don't need a mirror like finish.
Applying the clearcoat is just like applying the paint. Follow the same steps including mixing ratio except with the clearcoat you'll be adding hardener not reducer. The clearcoat flows differently so you'll have to re-dial the gun. Be sure to apply the clearcoat in light layers. If the layers are too thick you'll see a surface that looks like an orange peel. I'll usually apply three coats of clearcoat.
That's it. Clean the gun like you did with the paint. After you remove the masking you might have a slight edge to your paint area. You can blend it down with the 1500 grit sandpaper. Step back and marvel at you work.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Two tips. If you're painting outside, don't paint after dark. You'll be picking out the bugs later. You can get overspray off windows with a single edged razor blade. Don't ask me how I know.;)
